Should You Record Separate Sound?

Short answer: yes. Shooting separate (or dual-system) sound is generally a good idea, especially if you're shooting film-style and can afford the extra crew and equipment.

You'll end up with two recordings of the same take—a primary (on DAT) and a backup (on Mini DV). Besides providing protection against data loss, having two versions of the soundtrack is a very good idea for technical reasons.

When to Use Dual-System Sound

Like meticulous lighting, dual-system audio is a film-style technique, and the only reason not to do it is that it involves additional time and expense—luxuries you may not have on a news-style shoot.

Low-Quality In-Camera Audio Circuits

Even though consumer and professional DV recording formats ...

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