New BCC Gear Day 1
Here at BCC Live… We pride ourselves on being able to tackle any task to make a production its absolute best. And when you’re tackling sports broadcasts, live music, conferences and festivals, interviews, video production, live graphics, and event production all under one roof, you need a lot of gear to execute everything to its peak! We do our best to utilize both cutting-edge and tried-and-true tech on the job. Which means we always have new things coming in to link up to our proven equipment and team. Let’s take a look at some of the new additions to our equipment shelf… And find out what we think about them!
Blackmagic ATEM Video Switchers: Highs and Lows
While we’ve always loved our Vizrt TriCasters for running live broadcasts, in the past year we’ve really fallen for the Blackmagic ATEM line of video switchers. We picked up an ATEM Mini SDI Pro ISO to support our onsite coverage of the 2023 men’s IRONMAN World Championships in Nice, France. It immediately astounded us with its impressive video-production power packed into such a small device. Keyers, media players, full ISO recording, and built-in streaming all from a package half the size of a laptop? Count us in on this piece of equipment!
That device left such a good impression on us that we added more products from the ATEM family to our setup. Nowadays, nearly all remote video sources coming into our studio go through an ATEM Television Studio HD8 ISO before moving on to other hardware… And we’ve been just as pleased with it as its smaller cousin. When we needed another switcher for an event, we went for the compact and affordable ATEM SDI Switcher. This one, however, was a miss.
At just $345, the ATEM SDI Switcher looks at first glance to be an even lighter and simpler version of the Mini SDI Pro ISO we know and love. It gives up media players, ISO recording, and direct streaming for the sake of a halved price, which sounds like a great trade… until you find out that it has no multiview output. When switching video, seeing all your sources and the program output is as crucial as working cameras. Without this, you’d need costly extra hardware to make it usable. So, we returned this one and opted for a higher-performing switcher.
Coming in at $995, the ATEM 1 M/E Constellation HD is a fairly significant jump up in cost over the two smaller switchers. However, this device has all the features of a fully-fledged production video switcher (including a multiview!) while handling 10 inputs and seven outputs smoothly and efficiently. It can be mounted in a rack and controlled remotely, or used directly on a table, thanks to its essential face controls. Which is what we did!
Any concerns we had about Blackmagic switchers vanished after using the Constellation in a live event. In common with all of the devices in the family, this piece of equipment is as close to “plug and play” as you can get in a video-production environment. You never find yourself struggling with configuration menus or managing inputs or outputs… it just works the second it gets power.
Software video switchers like TriCaster and Livestream Studio are easy to learn because they’re based on desktop hardware everyone knows well, but they come with the baggage of desktop hardware, like extended boot times and disruptive updates. A hardware switcher like the ATEM series turns on in seconds and is ready to go, rain or shine. We’re thrilled with the ones we have and are already planning to get more!
Focusrite Clarett: Loved Equipment Back in Action
We’ve noted before Finding the Best Way to Record Your Own Podcast that the Focusrite family of USB audio interfaces are a must-have in our production handbook. We’ve spent more time recording audio through Focusrite Scarlett Solos on the job than just about any other piece of hardware… And we love them. However, the Scarletts in our repertoire only record one or two channels of audio at a time. During our 2023 studio reconfiguration, we needed a rack-mounted encoder to handle four audio channels from an external source. Drawing on our Focusrite experience, we chose the Clarett+ 4Pre. It offers four XLR inputs plus analog and digital options, totaling 18 inputs and 8 outputs.
It worked like a dream… but unfortunately, the Clarett wasn’t ready for its time in the limelight. A change to operational requirements meant the broadcast setup was reconfigured again… and there was no longer a need to take in XLR audio to the broadcast encoder. So we pulled it from the rack, boxed it up, and put it on the gear shelf. And it sat there for over a year, waiting for the chance to be used.
Fortunately, our wide portfolio of events came to the Clarett’s rescue in November, when we livestreamed the Resonance Women’s Chorus… A very special performance here in Boulder. While we could have brought along a full-size mixer and interfaced that with our production computer separately, space was of the essence. We wanted to pull in four channels of high-quality audio to record separately to other feeds… Without sacrificing space or adding too much work for our operator. The Clarett+ 4Pre was the right tool for the job.
It’s rare for us to take microphone feeds directly into a computer without running them through a mixer first. But the Clarett made that task easy. The exceptional sound quality, easy controls, direct monitoring, and classic Focusrite reliability meant it took just a minor amount of adjustment during the sound check, and then it was good to go throughout the concert.
Unfortunately, there’s not a lot more to say, because the interface just does its job well! It’s as easy to mix the audio using the dials on the face of the Clarett as it is on a compact mixer. With the added bonus of sending audio to a PC or Mac for added processing and effects. When it comes to livestreaming live performances involving multiple microphones… Whether that’s music or conferences, this equipment proved itself to be a no-frills no-stress solution. It certainly won’t be languishing on the gear shelf any longer!
Sony FX3: New Equipment to Us
We’re a Sony house here at BCC Live. They’re some of our favorite pieces of equipment. Early on, we used Canon camcorders, but once we shifted to high-quality video, the Sony Alpha line quickly became our go-to. Though all of the high-end camera manufacturers make great gear, sticking with one of them means you can mix and match parts and accessories easily to fit any job. Which is what drove us to pick up an FX3 off of a friend—and boy, are we happy we did!
The Sony a7S III is our main “workhorse” camera for video, thanks to its 4K recording, great autofocus, stabilization, and compatibility with our E-mount lenses. A huge portion of the videos you’ve seen from us at events were shot on an a7S III… Even though it’s marketed primarily as a camera for stills.
The FX3, on the other hand, is part of Sony’s Cine Camera line. What does that mean? Well, it uses the same sensor and internals as the a7S III… But with a camera body better designed for shooting video. What does it gain over the a7S III that makes it better for shooting video? Have a look:
- Indicator lights that show the operator and the subject when they’re recording, for added confidence
- Internal fans to keep the sensor cool—the a7S III can easily overheat during long recording sessions without airflow
- An included top handle with built-in audio controls and two XLR jacks to add external mics… Just like on the PXW-X90 camcorder we love using
- Additional mounting points for more accessories to make the camera more ergonomic
- Support for high-capacity external batteries to increase shooting time
- Power and shooting mode controls are on the back of the camera and are designed to be harder to accidentally hit while recording
- Overall control layout geared towards buttons used for video shooting, rather than stills
Each feature enhances the a7S we love, but together they create a far more comprehensive package. Perhaps most critical is the internal fans: if you’re recording for a long time with the a7S III, especially in the sun, it will shut itself down due to overheating in less than an hour. For long shoots, we have to open every door on the camera—including the battery door—just to vent heat. That’s not ideal if you’re shooting on the move! The FX3 circumvents this, and with an external battery fitted, it’s got the power to stay recording for long durations as well.
We’ve only used our new-to-us FX3 on a couple events so far, but it’s been a delight. Our team can get great video on an a7S III or similar. And with the FX3 they just have more versatility and more options to get the perfect shot. Plus, since the internals and software are the same as the a7S III, all of the menus and the best shooting practices are the same as the cameras we’re used to.
The external controls will take some getting used to. As will the lack of a typical camera viewfinder in favor of the rear display. But these are minor teething problems given the fact that the camera operator can trust their camera to get the right shot.
This piece of equipment just amplifies our abilities to make great videos… So if you’re shooting on a Sony mirrorless camera for video, consider picking one up! It’s worth every penny. But if you’re mostly a stills photographer, you’re definitely better off sticking with the original for its control layout and lower price.
In the time it took to write out this post, we’ve already had new gear come into the office to amp up our productions. Keep an eye out here for more info and reviews on what we pick up!