We've all heard the age-old adage that audio is half the battle in filmmaking. When you've got a proper crew with a dedicated team of audio professionals, getting proper audio isn't much of a hassle. However, when you're working with small crews or as a one-man-band, juggling the technical aspects of creating the image and recording the sound can be downright daunting. That's where devices like the Tascam DR-60, Zoom H6, and juicedLink RM333 come into play. But which of these devices is best suited to meeting your audio needs on set, and what problems might you face with these various devices? Robert Rozak of juicedLink has put together this impressive comparison video that should help you find the best audio recording solution for your needs.

First and foremost, you might be asking yourself how a video produced by the President of juicedLink could be objective in how it presents the competing products. Having watched this several times now, I can assure you that this video is very objective in its presentation and depiction of all tested products. Additionally, the RM333 is not an audio recorder at all, but a quality preamp that you jack into your camera in order to eliminate the need for dual-system sound. It's in this video as a point of comparison.

Also it's highly recommended that you watch this with a good pair of headphones so that you can hear the differences in the signal to noise ratios between the products. With all of that said, check out the video below:

For me, there are several major takeaways from this video. Perhaps the biggest one is that the Tascam DR-60 has some major drawbacks to accompany its plethora of awesome features. Beyond the fact that it has terrible battery life (something which can be remedied with external power,) the inefficiency of its digital pots makes it nearly impossible to mix on the fly (check out the 6:48 mark in the video.)

Another major takeaway from this video is just how significant an upgrade the Zoom H6 is from is predecessor, the H4N. Not only does it boast a significant upgrade in features with its additional inputs and modular components, it's also significantly better in terms of audio quality.

However, the H6 has its own set of drawbacks as well, most notably the fact that the mic input attachment for the top of the device does not provide phantom power.

What do you guys think? Have you used any of these audio devices? If so, what are some of the pros and cons that you've discovered? Let us know in the comments!

Link: JuicedLink Review Zoom H6, Zoom H4n, Tascam DR-60D, RM333 -- Cheesycam

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