[TESTING WITH Viltrox NF-M43x] Any links below are affiliate links. FILTER: None Tokina 11-16 2.8 ii ADAPTER: Viltrox NF-M43x (.71x) Panasonic G85 Natural "PHOTO STYLE" LENS-SENSOR LUT CONTRAST - 1 SHARPNESS - 4 NOISE +2 SATURATION - 1 HIGHLIGHT SHADOW Standard iDYNAMIC OFF LUMINANCE LEVEL Unsharp Mask* ADOBE POST-PRODUCTION AMOUNT RADIUS THRESHOLD Blur / Sharpen DAVINCI RESOLVE POST-PRODUCTION LENS @FULL WIDE LENS @MID-ZOOM LENS @FULL TELE REAL RATINGS After testing each lens-sensor combo, I like to know if the rendering is going to look realistic SOOC (S traight O ut o f C amera) or if it will need a LUT (to match the shots to other lenses and cameras). CONTRAST ? IS THE CONTRAST "REAL"? SHARPNESS IS THE SHARPNESS "REAL"? NOISE IS THE NOISE "REAL"? COLOR IS THE COLOR "REAL"? *Click here to learn more about "REAL" Ratings . These ratings are AFTER my custom settings are applied (most combos don't look real good with default settings). NOTES: [TESTING WITH Viltrox NF-M43x] The goal of our camera settings is to improve what we call the "lens-sensor relationship" by adjusting the contrast, sharpness, noise reduction and color to create an image that looks less digital and more organic (more like film, etc). Therefore, the first step is to apply the custom settings while shooting, and the second is to add a lens-sensor LUT, to finalize the image.

UPDATE: I still need to find a commonly available FURRY windscreen (to make this combination work OUTDOORS). ORIGINAL NOTES: Okay, this was unexpected: There is NO RFI in the recording, even though the level has to be boosted in post (there is not a REC. LEVEL on the transmitter/recorder unit). The reason why this was such a surprise, is that when I tried boosting the level of the first recording (at +0 MIC. BOOST) with this same combo at the "CLOSE" proximity, the RFI was really obvious...but then it was almost gone when recording at +10. So, it is VERY important to use the +10 MIC. BOOST for these settings to work. The reason is that when this MIC. BOOST is ON, the RFI (Radio Frequency Interference) is not noticed, but if it's at +0, this somehow CAUSES RFI noise. I initially thought this might mean that this mic-audio recorder combination would not work at a proximity any further than "CLOSE" but I was wrong. It's also important to make sure the MIC. LOWCUT is ON at this proximity, not only because it needs vibration reduction, but because it just makes it sound more balanced and "REAL" (I think it has too much BASS/LOWS without it). Overall, this microphone does NOT do a very good job reducing the background (ambient) noise at this "VLOG" proximity, so some noise reduction may have to be done in post. "VLOG" Proximity [22 inches / 55.5 cm] 7RYMS iRAY DW30 (Recorder) (NO AUX. Amplifier) Takstar SGC-600 (Shotgun) Windscreen: FOAM (Stock) 48k 24-bit REC. SETTINGS N/A REC. LOWCUT N/A REC. LIMITER N/A REC. LEVEL AUX. SETTINGS N/A AUX. BASS N/A AUX. HIGH-LOW N/A AUX. OUTPUT MIC. SETTINGS ON MIC. LOWCUT N/A MIC. HIGH PASS +10 MIC. BOOST (RFI) RADIO FREQUENCY INTERFERENCE GOOD LESS THAN 1.1ft / 0.34m GOOD BETWEEN 1.1ft / 0.34m -2.2ft / 0.67m GOOD BETWEEN 2.2ft / 0.67m -3.3ft / 1m GOOD BETWEEN 3.3ft / 1m -4.4ft / 1.34m Published: April 15, 2023 at 6:18:35 PM REAL RATINGS After testing each microphone, I like to know if it sounds realistic (accurate lows/bass, mids, highs/treble) in combination with the recorder and/or AUX. amplifier, to see if it needs EQ. LOWS/BASS B DO THE "LOWS" SOUND REAL? MIDS B DO THE "MIDS" SOUND REAL? HIGHS/TREBLE B DO THE "HIGHS" SOUND REAL? NOTES: UPDATE: I still need to find a commonly available FURRY windscreen (to make this combination work OUTDOORS). ORIGINAL NOTES: Okay, this was unexpected: There is NO RFI in the recording, even though the level has to be boosted in post (there is not a REC. LEVEL on the transmitter/recorder unit). The reason why this was such a surprise, is that when I tried boosting the level of the first recording (at +0 MIC. BOOST) with this same combo at the "CLOSE" proximity, the RFI was really obvious...but then it was almost gone when recording at +10. So, it is VERY important to use the +10 MIC. BOOST for these settings to work. The reason is that when this MIC. BOOST is ON, the RFI (Radio Frequency Interference) is not noticed, but if it's at +0, this somehow CAUSES RFI noise. I initially thought this might mean that this mic-audio recorder combination would not work at a proximity any further than "CLOSE" but I was wrong. It's also important to make sure the MIC. LOWCUT is ON at this proximity, not only because it needs vibration reduction, but because it just makes it sound more balanced and "REAL" (I think it has too much BASS/LOWS without it). Overall, this microphone does NOT do a very good job reducing the background (ambient) noise at this "VLOG" proximity, so some noise reduction may have to be done in post. Remember to always monitor your audio while you're recording (using accurate headphones) because good settings can't fix bad audio. Also, these settings will not establish the exact level you'll need for every scene, but the goal is to provide a good starting point that will become clean, after adjusting in post. Additionally, these "custom settings" are used to make the Microphone-Specific EQ files work (as they won't work as intended if any of they aren't used). The EQ files were created to correct any imperfections of the microphone and/or wind protection (FOAM and/or FURRY) and were made in Audacity (the free audio editor) to make them as affordable & universal as possible.

GoPro HERO4 Silver [UNFILTERED] GoPro HERO4 Silver ADD-ONS: None LENS MOD: None "Linear" FIELD OF VIEW COLOR MODE Flat SHARPNESS Low WHITE BALANCE Native EV COMP -1.5 SHUTTER AUTO ISO MINIMUM 100 ISO MAXIMUM 800 Published: March 25, 2022 at 3:40:58 PM I don't know why this older camera looked SO much better (than the HERO7) initially. I think it may be due to excessive NR (Noise Reduction) on the HERO7. The way I worked around it on the 7 was to set the ISO MIN and ISO MAX to 200 (for some reason that produced less NR artifacts). NOTE: I am in the process of working on a custom LUT for this camera, but the newer GoPro models will be my priority at this moment (I will get to it, though). The goal of our camera settings is to improve what we call the "lens-sensor relationship" by adjusting the contrast, sharpness, noise reduction and color to create an image that looks less digital and more organic (more like film, etc). Therefore, the first step is to apply the custom settings while shooting, and the second is to add a lens-sensor LUT, to finalize the image.

It is totally amazing how, when you get the settings right, it can almost transform a lens from something that is just okay, to being able to create an image that is really excellent. These settings make this lens awesome (with this specific camera). Any links below are affiliate links. FILTER: None Nikon 50 1.8 AIS ADAPTER: Viltrox NF-M43x (.71x) Panasonic GH4 Natural "PHOTO STYLE" LENS-SENSOR LUT CONTRAST -1 SHARPNESS -2 NOISE +3 SATURATION +1 HIGHLIGHT SHADOW -2+2 iDYNAMIC OFF LUMINANCE LEVEL 16-255 Unsharp Mask* ADOBE POST-PRODUCTION AMOUNT RADIUS THRESHOLD Blur / Sharpen DAVINCI RESOLVE POST-PRODUCTION LENS @FULL WIDE LENS @MID-ZOOM LENS @FULL TELE REAL RATINGS After testing each lens-sensor combo, I like to know if the rendering is going to look realistic SOOC (S traight O ut o f C amera) or if it will need a LUT (to match the shots to other lenses and cameras). CONTRAST A IS THE CONTRAST "REAL"? SHARPNESS A IS THE SHARPNESS "REAL"? NOISE A IS THE NOISE "REAL"? COLOR B IS THE COLOR "REAL"? *Click here to learn more about "REAL" Ratings . These ratings are AFTER my custom settings are applied (most combos don't look real good with default settings). NOTES: It is totally amazing how, when you get the settings right, it can almost transform a lens from something that is just okay, to being able to create an image that is really excellent. These settings make this lens awesome (with this specific camera). The goal of our camera settings is to improve what we call the "lens-sensor relationship" by adjusting the contrast, sharpness, noise reduction and color to create an image that looks less digital and more organic (more like film, etc). Therefore, the first step is to apply the custom settings while shooting, and the second is to add a lens-sensor LUT, to finalize the image.

I do not recommend this combination. There are a number of reasons why I don't recommend this microphone/audio recorder combination, but the most important is that (at this "CLOSE" proximity) neither the +20 or the +0 work. The reason is that it doesn't work is the audio recorder (which is also a transmitter) does NOT have a way to set the REC. LEVEL, so the MIC. BOOST is the only way to set the level, but when you're at +20, the level is too high (it clips). What's also sad is that at +0, the audio doesn't clip, but it can't be boosted in post WITHOUT REVEALING A LOT OF RFI (Radio Frequency Interference). So essentially, this microphone/audio recorder combination does not work at this "CLOSE" proximity (around 3.5 inches or 8.89 cm). "CLOSE" Proximity [3.5 inches / 8.89 cm] 7RYMS iRAY DW30 (Recorder) (NO AUX. Amplifier) Shure VP83 (Shotgun) Windscreen: FOAM + FURRY (Stock) 48k 24-bit REC. SETTINGS N/A REC. LOWCUT N/A REC. LIMITER N/A REC. LEVEL AUX. SETTINGS N/A AUX. BASS N/A AUX. HIGH-LOW N/A AUX. OUTPUT MIC. SETTINGS MIC. LOWCUT N/A MIC. HIGH PASS MIC. BOOST (RFI) RADIO FREQUENCY INTERFERENCE LESS THAN 1.1ft / 0.34m BETWEEN 1.1ft / 0.34m -2.2ft / 0.67m BETWEEN 2.2ft / 0.67m -3.3ft / 1m BETWEEN 3.3ft / 1m -4.4ft / 1.34m Published: April 17, 2023 at 3:18:25 PM REAL RATINGS After testing each microphone, I like to know if it sounds realistic (accurate lows/bass, mids, highs/treble) in combination with the recorder and/or AUX. amplifier, to see if it needs EQ. LOWS/BASS DO THE "LOWS" SOUND REAL? MIDS DO THE "MIDS" SOUND REAL? HIGHS/TREBLE DO THE "HIGHS" SOUND REAL? NOTES: I do not recommend this combination. There are a number of reasons why I don't recommend this microphone/audio recorder combination, but the most important is that (at this "CLOSE" proximity) neither the +20 or the +0 work. The reason is that it doesn't work is the audio recorder (which is also a transmitter) does NOT have a way to set the REC. LEVEL, so the MIC. BOOST is the only way to set the level, but when you're at +20, the level is too high (it clips). What's also sad is that at +0, the audio doesn't clip, but it can't be boosted in post WITHOUT REVEALING A LOT OF RFI (Radio Frequency Interference). So essentially, this microphone/audio recorder combination does not work at this "CLOSE" proximity (around 3.5 inches or 8.89 cm). Remember to always monitor your audio while you're recording (using accurate headphones) because good settings can't fix bad audio. Also, these settings will not establish the exact level you'll need for every scene, but the goal is to provide a good starting point that will become clean, after adjusting in post. Additionally, these "custom settings" are used to make the Microphone-Specific EQ files work (as they won't work as intended if any of they aren't used). The EQ files were created to correct any imperfections of the microphone and/or wind protection (FOAM and/or FURRY) and were made in Audacity (the free audio editor) to make them as affordable & universal as possible.

These CUSTOM SETTINGS actually produce an image that is good almost SOOC (Straight Out of Camera) and yet with a bit more CONTRAST than is REAL...but it might actually work well when uploading to YouTube (which seems to change things a little). One thing that is interesting, is this lens has so much CONTRAST it's pretty impressive but not realistic...These settings correct for that, and the result is a pretty good image, but the lens is not very sharp, and so I added SHARPNESS to make it look more realistic (and did other things too). It also has an interesting HIGHLIGHT SHADOW curve applied, and it was difficult to figure it out to start with. In the end, I may not keep this lens, but it's not because of the image quality, but because I've been figuring out that, if I'm buying full frame lenses (like this one) to potentially be used both on full frame AND Micro Four Thirds, then it really needs to start at around 24mm (or wider) to be good tool for me. Any links below are affiliate links. FILTER: None Minolta MD 28-70 3.5-4.8 ADAPTER: Minolta MD-M43 Panasonic G85 Natural "PHOTO STYLE" LENS-SENSOR LUT CONTRAST -2 SHARPNESS +3 NOISE +4 SATURATION +2 HIGHLIGHT SHADOW -4+3 iDYNAMIC OFF LUMINANCE LEVEL 16-255 Unsharp Mask* ADOBE POST-PRODUCTION AMOUNT ? RADIUS ? THRESHOLD ? Blur / Sharpen DAVINCI RESOLVE POST-PRODUCTION LENS @FULL WIDE ? LENS @MID-ZOOM ? LENS @FULL TELE ? REAL RATINGS After testing each lens-sensor combo, I like to know if the rendering is going to look realistic SOOC (S traight O ut o f C amera) or if it will need a LUT (to match the shots to other lenses and cameras). CONTRAST B IS THE CONTRAST "REAL"? SHARPNESS B IS THE SHARPNESS "REAL"? NOISE B IS THE NOISE "REAL"? COLOR C IS THE COLOR "REAL"? *Click here to learn more about "REAL" Ratings . These ratings are AFTER my custom settings are applied (most combos don't look real good with default settings). NOTES: These CUSTOM SETTINGS actually produce an image that is good almost SOOC (Straight Out of Camera) and yet with a bit more CONTRAST than is REAL...but it might actually work well when uploading to YouTube (which seems to change things a little). One thing that is interesting, is this lens has so much CONTRAST it's pretty impressive but not realistic...These settings correct for that, and the result is a pretty good image, but the lens is not very sharp, and so I added SHARPNESS to make it look more realistic (and did other things too). It also has an interesting HIGHLIGHT SHADOW curve applied, and it was difficult to figure it out to start with. In the end, I may not keep this lens, but it's not because of the image quality, but because I've been figuring out that, if I'm buying full frame lenses (like this one) to potentially be used both on full frame AND Micro Four Thirds, then it really needs to start at around 24mm (or wider) to be good tool for me. The goal of our camera settings is to improve what we call the "lens-sensor relationship" by adjusting the contrast, sharpness, noise reduction and color to create an image that looks less digital and more organic (more like film, etc). Therefore, the first step is to apply the custom settings while shooting, and the second is to add a lens-sensor LUT, to finalize the image.

IMPORTANT: This test is being done for a friend, for still photography use only (and I don't recommend it for video use). Any links below are affiliate links. FILTER: Tiffen Warm Soft/FX 2 Panasonic 12-60 3.5-5.6 ADAPTER: None (Native Mount) Panasonic G85 Natural "PHOTO STYLE" LENS-SENSOR LUT CONTRAST -1 SHARPNESS -0 NOISE -0 SATURATION -1 HIGHLIGHT SHADOW -3+3 iDYNAMIC OFF LUMINANCE LEVEL 16-255 Unsharp Mask* ADOBE POST-PRODUCTION AMOUNT RADIUS THRESHOLD Blur / Sharpen DAVINCI RESOLVE POST-PRODUCTION LENS @FULL WIDE LENS @MID-ZOOM LENS @FULL TELE REAL RATINGS After testing each lens-sensor combo, I like to know if the rendering is going to look realistic SOOC (S traight O ut o f C amera) or if it will need a LUT (to match the shots to other lenses and cameras). CONTRAST IS THE CONTRAST "REAL"? SHARPNESS IS THE SHARPNESS "REAL"? NOISE IS THE NOISE "REAL"? COLOR IS THE COLOR "REAL"? *Click here to learn more about "REAL" Ratings . These ratings are AFTER my custom settings are applied (most combos don't look real good with default settings). NOTES: IMPORTANT: This test is being done for a friend, for still photography use only (and I don't recommend it for video use). The goal of our camera settings is to improve what we call the "lens-sensor relationship" by adjusting the contrast, sharpness, noise reduction and color to create an image that looks less digital and more organic (more like film, etc). Therefore, the first step is to apply the custom settings while shooting, and the second is to add a lens-sensor LUT, to finalize the image.

This is yet another test in which a mic sounds better with the Comica CVM-MF1 (Lavalier Furry). Also, this is one of the few mics that works (fairly well) WITHOUT a windscreen at all (I suspect it may have some built-in wind protection, because the top of the mic is bigger than any lavalier mic I've seen. To me, the fact that this sounds better with the FURRY is kind of a timesaver, because now I can leave the furry on for either INDOOR or OUTDOOR use (except for the fact that you need to wear it with dark clothing to hide it). "LAV" Proximity [7 inches / 17.78 cm] Zoom F2 [NO AUX. BOOST] JK MIC-J 017 (Lavalier) WINDSCREEN: Comica CVM-MF1 (Furry) 32-Bit Float REC. SETTINGS OFF REC. LOWCUT N/A REC. LIMITER N/A REC. LEVEL AUX. SETTINGS N/A AUX. BASS N/A AUX. HIGH-LOW N/A AUX. OUTPUT MIC. SETTINGS N/A MIC. LOWCUT N/A MIC. HIGH PASS N/A MIC. BOOST (RFI) RADIO FREQUENCY INTERFERENCE LESS THAN 1.1ft / 0.34m BETWEEN 1.1ft / 0.34m -2.2ft / 0.67m BETWEEN 2.2ft / 0.67m -3.3ft / 1m BETWEEN 3.3ft / 1m -4.4ft / 1.34m Published: January 7, 2023 at 1:06:32 PM REAL RATINGS After testing each microphone, I like to know if it sounds realistic (accurate lows/bass, mids, highs/treble) in combination with the recorder and/or AUX. amplifier, to see if it needs EQ. LOWS/BASS DO THE "LOWS" SOUND REAL? MIDS DO THE "MIDS" SOUND REAL? HIGHS/TREBLE DO THE "HIGHS" SOUND REAL? NOTES: This is yet another test in which a mic sounds better with the Comica CVM-MF1 (Lavalier Furry). Also, this is one of the few mics that works (fairly well) WITHOUT a windscreen at all (I suspect it may have some built-in wind protection, because the top of the mic is bigger than any lavalier mic I've seen. To me, the fact that this sounds better with the FURRY is kind of a timesaver, because now I can leave the furry on for either INDOOR or OUTDOOR use (except for the fact that you need to wear it with dark clothing to hide it). Remember to always monitor your audio while you're recording (using accurate headphones) because good settings can't fix bad audio. Also, these settings will not establish the exact level you'll need for every scene, but the goal is to provide a good starting point that will become clean, after adjusting in post. Additionally, these "custom settings" are used to make the Microphone-Specific EQ files work (as they won't work as intended if any of they aren't used). The EQ files were created to correct any imperfections of the microphone and/or wind protection (FOAM and/or FURRY) and were made in Audacity (the free audio editor) to make them as affordable & universal as possible.

[TESTING...] Any links below are affiliate links. FILTER: UV (Tiffen) Nikon 18-55 ii ADAPTER: Nikon F/G to M43 (SHIFT) Panasonic GX85 Natural "PHOTO STYLE" LENS-SENSOR LUT CONTRAST -2 SHARPNESS -3 NOISE -0 SATURATION -4 HIGHLIGHT SHADOW -0-0 iDYNAMIC OFF LUMINANCE LEVEL 16-255 Unsharp Mask* ADOBE POST-PRODUCTION AMOUNT 44 RADIUS 5.5 THRESHOLD 49 Blur / Sharpen DAVINCI RESOLVE POST-PRODUCTION LENS @FULL WIDE LENS @MID-ZOOM LENS @FULL TELE REAL RATINGS After testing each lens-sensor combo, I like to know if the rendering is going to look realistic SOOC (S traight O ut o f C amera) or if it will need a LUT (to match the shots to other lenses and cameras). CONTRAST ? IS THE CONTRAST "REAL"? SHARPNESS ? IS THE SHARPNESS "REAL"? NOISE ? IS THE NOISE "REAL"? COLOR ? IS THE COLOR "REAL"? *Click here to learn more about "REAL" Ratings . These ratings are AFTER my custom settings are applied (most combos don't look real good with default settings). NOTES: [TESTING...] The goal of our camera settings is to improve what we call the "lens-sensor relationship" by adjusting the contrast, sharpness, noise reduction and color to create an image that looks less digital and more organic (more like film, etc). Therefore, the first step is to apply the custom settings while shooting, and the second is to add a lens-sensor LUT, to finalize the image.

AUDIO RECORDER SPECIFIC: RFI WARNING: The Zoom H1 (v1) has noticeable RFI (Radio Frequency Interference) when used at less than 5 FEET from an iPhone 13 Pro max. This is a major limitation, especially for LAV use, because if the recorder is in the pocket of a groom, and they have an iPhone somewhere in their coat, this is going to cause RFI. This microphone does NOT fully plug into this audio recorder, so you only get 1 channel of audio (the LEFT channel). I don't know if there is a non-locking version of this model, but there is of the more popular (and smaller) 044. I don't really like monitoring audio when it's just coming in through one ear, so I don't use this mic with this audio recorder. I did complete this test for reference (and in case I had to use it for some reason) and the REC. LEVEL I felt gave me the best result was at 48. This requires boosting the levels in post-production, but I've found the sweet spot of this audio recorder is between 37 and 50 (and 63 is the highest level this recorder does well at before it introduces way too much self-noise). It's good to start with a slightly lower REC. LEVEL on a non-32-bit float recorder anyway, to give yourself more "head room". MIC-SPECIFIC: This is yet another test in which a mic sounds better with the Comica CVM-MF1 (Lavalier Furry) and it sounds pretty natural and real with it on, so I'm not planning to use this mic without it (so I can be either INDOORS OR OUTDOORS and have it sound the same). "LAV" Proximity [7 inches / 17.78 cm] Zoom H1 [NO AUX. BOOST] JK MIC-J 055 (Lavalier) WINDSCREEN: Comica CVM-MF1 (Furry) 96k 24-bit REC. SETTINGS OFF REC. LOWCUT OFF REC. LIMITER 48 REC. LEVEL AUX. SETTINGS N/A AUX. BASS N/A AUX. HIGH-LOW N/A AUX. OUTPUT MIC. SETTINGS N/A MIC. LOWCUT N/A MIC. HIGH PASS N/A MIC. BOOST (RFI) RADIO FREQUENCY INTERFERENCE BAD LESS THAN 1.1ft / 0.34m BAD BETWEEN 1.1ft / 0.34m -2.2ft / 0.67m BAD BETWEEN 2.2ft / 0.67m -3.3ft / 1m SO-SO BETWEEN 3.3ft / 1m -4.4ft / 1.34m Published: March 28, 2023 at 4:23:46 PM REAL RATINGS After testing each microphone, I like to know if it sounds realistic (accurate lows/bass, mids, highs/treble) in combination with the recorder and/or AUX. amplifier, to see if it needs EQ. LOWS/BASS B DO THE "LOWS" SOUND REAL? MIDS C DO THE "MIDS" SOUND REAL? HIGHS/TREBLE A DO THE "HIGHS" SOUND REAL? NOTES: AUDIO RECORDER SPECIFIC: RFI WARNING: The Zoom H1 (v1) has noticeable RFI (Radio Frequency Interference) when used at less than 5 FEET from an iPhone 13 Pro max. This is a major limitation, especially for LAV use, because if the recorder is in the pocket of a groom, and they have an iPhone somewhere in their coat, this is going to cause RFI. This microphone does NOT fully plug into this audio recorder, so you only get 1 channel of audio (the LEFT channel). I don't know if there is a non-locking version of this model, but there is of the more popular (and smaller) 044. I don't really like monitoring audio when it's just coming in through one ear, so I don't use this mic with this audio recorder. I did complete this test for reference (and in case I had to use it for some reason) and the REC. LEVEL I felt gave me the best result was at 48. This requires boosting the levels in post-production, but I've found the sweet spot of this audio recorder is between 37 and 50 (and 63 is the highest level this recorder does well at before it introduces way too much self-noise). It's good to start with a slightly lower REC. LEVEL on a non-32-bit float recorder anyway, to give yourself more "head room". MIC-SPECIFIC: This is yet another test in which a mic sounds better with the Comica CVM-MF1 (Lavalier Furry) and it sounds pretty natural and real with it on, so I'm not planning to use this mic without it (so I can be either INDOORS OR OUTDOORS and have it sound the same). Remember to always monitor your audio while you're recording (using accurate headphones) because good settings can't fix bad audio. Also, these settings will not establish the exact level you'll need for every scene, but the goal is to provide a good starting point that will become clean, after adjusting in post. Additionally, these "custom settings" are used to make the Microphone-Specific EQ files work (as they won't work as intended if any of they aren't used). The EQ files were created to correct any imperfections of the microphone and/or wind protection (FOAM and/or FURRY) and were made in Audacity (the free audio editor) to make them as affordable & universal as possible.

AUX. SETTINGS: 1. I'm using the Comica CVM-D03 Dual Lavalier as an AUX. AMP 2. The mic is plugged into the AUX. AMP (into Mic 1 or 2) 3. The AUX. AMP is set to MONO ("M") 4. The AUX. AMP is set to FULL (on the dial) 5. The AUX. AMP sends (VIA 3.5 AUX. cable) from OUTPUT port to Zoom F2 (audio recorder) INPUT "PROXIMITY" SPECIFIC: This is a 32-bit float recorder (the Zoom F2) so you really don't have to change settings when moving from one "proximity" (recording distance) to another (even the "AFAR" proximity). The only thing you COULD change is turning the REC. LOWCUT on/off. When using the "CLOSE" proximity INDOORS, you don't really need the LOWCUT to reduce bumps and/or wind noise from being in an outdoor environment, but I'm leaving it ON because I sometimes use "CLOSE" outdoors as well (either for narration or nat. sound capture) it works best for me to have the same settings for both. It does lack a little bit of BASS with the REC. LOWCUT on however, so I will need to create a custom EQ for each proximity. Note that REC. LOWCUT can only be activated in Zoom app (and only on the Bluetooth version of the F2). The way I'm using this mic is a bit different than it was designed. I'm plugging it into the Comica CVM-D03 Dual Lavalier booster pack (which was designed to provide plug-in power for 2 Comica lavalier mics) and it actually works to power AND boost the Rode VideoMicro, which improves the audio quality a lot compared to just plugging this mic into the Zoom F2. I did try that as well, and while it does sort of work, because you can raise the level of the 32-bit float file in post-production, but it sounds way, way better (at ALL proximities) when using the Comica CVM-D03 as an AUX. amplifier (see my settings above). BACKGROUND: This was the first mini (camera-top) shotgun mic I purchased, and I almost got rid of it for a number of reasons. The first reason I didn't like this mic was that it does not have its own power (it takes power from the device it's plugged into). The second reason I didn't like it, was that I also like to plug mics into headphone amplifiers (sometimes) to boost the level when needed, this mic couldn't do that because it requires that plug-in power (and the headphone amplifier isn't supplying that). Other mics have a similar problem (the Diety D3 Pro) but for a different reason. They have "smart" power, which means they only turn on when they sense it's plugged into a camera! IN THE FUTURE: I have another strange idea that might be fun, and that's to get another one of these, and run 2 of them into that booster TO CREATE A STEREO PAIR OF MICS (yet the Zoom F2 doesn't capture stereo, so it would already be mixed to MONO, but it would still gather audio from 2 mics, and could sound really good. "CLOSE" Proximity [3.5 inches / 8.89 cm] Zoom F2 AUX. AMP: Comica CVM-D03 Dual Lavalier Rode VideoMicro (Shotgun) Windscreen: FURRY (Stock) 32-Bit Float REC. SETTINGS ON REC. LOWCUT N/A REC. LIMITER N/A REC. LEVEL AUX. SETTINGS N/A AUX. BASS N/A AUX. HIGH-LOW FULL AUX. OUTPUT MIC. SETTINGS N/A MIC. LOWCUT N/A MIC. HIGH PASS N/A MIC. BOOST (RFI) RADIO FREQUENCY INTERFERENCE ? LESS THAN 1.1ft / 0.34m ? BETWEEN 1.1ft / 0.34m -2.2ft / 0.67m ? BETWEEN 2.2ft / 0.67m -3.3ft / 1m BETWEEN 3.3ft / 1m -4.4ft / 1.34m Published: February 3, 2023 at 9:11:17 PM REAL RATINGS After testing each microphone, I like to know if it sounds realistic (accurate lows/bass, mids, highs/treble) in combination with the recorder and/or AUX. amplifier, to see if it needs EQ. LOWS/BASS ? DO THE "LOWS" SOUND REAL? MIDS ? DO THE "MIDS" SOUND REAL? HIGHS/TREBLE ? DO THE "HIGHS" SOUND REAL? NOTES: AUX. SETTINGS: 1. I'm using the Comica CVM-D03 Dual Lavalier as an AUX. AMP 2. The mic is plugged into the AUX. AMP (into Mic 1 or 2) 3. The AUX. AMP is set to MONO ("M") 4. The AUX. AMP is set to FULL (on the dial) 5. The AUX. AMP sends (VIA 3.5 AUX. cable) from OUTPUT port to Zoom F2 (audio recorder) INPUT "PROXIMITY" SPECIFIC: This is a 32-bit float recorder (the Zoom F2) so you really don't have to change settings when moving from one "proximity" (recording distance) to another (even the "AFAR" proximity). The only thing you COULD change is turning the REC. LOWCUT on/off. When using the "CLOSE" proximity INDOORS, you don't really need the LOWCUT to reduce bumps and/or wind noise from being in an outdoor environment, but I'm leaving it ON because I sometimes use "CLOSE" outdoors as well (either for narration or nat. sound capture) it works best for me to have the same settings for both. It does lack a little bit of BASS with the REC. LOWCUT on however, so I will need to create a custom EQ for each proximity. Note that REC. LOWCUT can only be activated in Zoom app (and only on the Bluetooth version of the F2). The way I'm using this mic is a bit different than it was designed. I'm plugging it into the Comica CVM-D03 Dual Lavalier booster pack (which was designed to provide plug-in power for 2 Comica lavalier mics) and it actually works to power AND boost the Rode VideoMicro, which improves the audio quality a lot compared to just plugging this mic into the Zoom F2. I did try that as well, and while it does sort of work, because you can raise the level of the 32-bit float file in post-production, but it sounds way, way better (at ALL proximities) when using the Comica CVM-D03 as an AUX. amplifier (see my settings above). BACKGROUND: This was the first mini (camera-top) shotgun mic I purchased, and I almost got rid of it for a number of reasons. The first reason I didn't like this mic was that it does not have its own power (it takes power from the device it's plugged into). The second reason I didn't like it, was that I also like to plug mics into headphone amplifiers (sometimes) to boost the level when needed, this mic couldn't do that because it requires that plug-in power (and the headphone amplifier isn't supplying that). Other mics have a similar problem (the Diety D3 Pro) but for a different reason. They have "smart" power, which means they only turn on when they sense it's plugged into a camera! IN THE FUTURE: I have another strange idea that might be fun, and that's to get another one of these, and run 2 of them into that booster TO CREATE A STEREO PAIR OF MICS (yet the Zoom F2 doesn't capture stereo, so it would already be mixed to MONO, but it would still gather audio from 2 mics, and could sound really good. Remember to always monitor your audio while you're recording (using accurate headphones) because good settings can't fix bad audio. Also, these settings will not establish the exact level you'll need for every scene, but the goal is to provide a good starting point that will become clean, after adjusting in post. Additionally, these "custom settings" are used to make the Microphone-Specific EQ files work (as they won't work as intended if any of they aren't used). The EQ files were created to correct any imperfections of the microphone and/or wind protection (FOAM and/or FURRY) and were made in Audacity (the free audio editor) to make them as affordable & universal as possible.