Shawn Harrel.com - composer, arranger, educator

Zoom H1 Wind Noise Test

shawnharrel@gmail.com — 2010-09-02T21:47:02-05:00

Here's a test in 3 versions, all recorded in what I would describe as a light to medium wind.

The first is with no windscreen. Results are poor as expected.

The second is with a homemade dead cat -- thanks to my neighbor for sewing it together for me! I think I'll keep my eyes peeled for different fake furs and see if I can find one that isn't so conspicuous. On second thought, the T2i with the H1 mounted on top may as well have a leopard print windscreen. It's not like I'm sneaking around anywhere with it.

The third is with a standard issue windscreen.

I know they also make a windscreen that's built specifically for the H1, but it doesn't look like it's anything too special and I don't really need the rest of the goods that come with the $25 accessory kit.

Zoom H1 Wind Noise Test from Shawn Harrel on Vimeo.

Audio Comparison: T2i - Zoom H1 - ATR3350

shawnharrel@gmail.com — 2010-09-01T16:56:18-05:00

My kids are such good sports. I asked them to spend a couple seconds helping me compare the audio quality between the three sources:

The T2i built in audio - obviously not the preferred method of capturing audio, but it has to work in a pinch and I wanted to hear how it sounds next to the other two options.

The Zoom H1 mounted to the top of the camera - this picked up plenty of me talking and a little of Evan talking. Here we have a case where I think it would have sounded fine if an adult would have been talking louder from the same spot Evan was. In his defense, it is a little bizarre to have to tell your dad how old you are!

Audio Technica ATR3340 Lav Microphone - I mounted this to Aaron's shirt. His first instinct was to lift it up and stick it right next to his mouth to talk. He quickly learned to just let it pick up audio naturally and I think the result is fairly good. If you listen carefully about midway through his "interview" you can hear the classic sound of a cell phone (my iPhone in my pocket) causing hum.

Always remember to monitor your audio and turn your cell phone off so as not to ruin a real interview!

Also, I should note that I didn't get off to a good start with the ATR-3350. I took it out of the box, recorded this and proceeded to leave it turned on for the amount of time it took me to edit the video. Better buy some extra batteries to have on hand.

Audio Comparison: T2i - Zoom H1 - ATR3350 Lav from Shawn Harrel on Vimeo.

Thanks to www.cheesycam.com for the suggestion on the ATR3350.

A Look at the Zoom H1 Recorder

shawnharrel@gmail.com — 2010-08-30T00:12:20-05:00

My impressions of the Zoom H1: I like the size, but it does feel a little flimsy. It’s 100% plastic, which doesn’t bode well for its durability. I discuss that and more, with some audio samples included at the end. Visit the Vimeo page for more information. Overall impression: if you need a portable recorder, and you can take care of this, it’s probably the best bang for your buck. Go ahead and get it.

A Look at the Zoom H1 Recorder from Shawn Harrel on Vimeo.

Family Project: A Day in the Life of a Lego Brick

shawnharrel@gmail.com — 2010-08-28T21:23:36-05:00

We didn’t exactly build a treehouse or catch a fish, but me and the boys spent some time making a video this afternoon. Evan was a lot of help and came up with almost all the ideas for this video himself. He’s a Lego super fan. Aaron grabbed the Lego brick from in front of the train with poise and speed. Overall, it was a fine effort by both the Harrel boys. Thought you might enjoy it:

A Day in the Life of a Lego Brick from Shawn Harrel on Vimeo.

LCDVF 3:2 Review

shawnharrel@gmail.com — 2010-08-22T20:12:19-05:00

I was excited to pick up the Canon T2i over the summer. It immediately became a favorite toy and must-have item whenever I was out and about with the family.

Just before our family vacation, I ordered and received the LCDVF 3:2, a device touted by many HDSLR video shooters as the first accessory one should add to your camera to improve ease of focus.

I made a video giving some first impressions and offering some advice on how to get the perfect fit for the mounting frame. While I wait patiently for the Zoom H1 Handy Recorder -- my next must-have item (because, the must-have items never stop) -- I’ll post a link to the LCDVF video here, and plan to make one for the H1 when it comes in later this week.

First Thoughts on LCDVF for T2i from Shawn Harrel on Vimeo.

2010 Marching Shows

shawnharrel@gmail.com — 2010-01-18T21:40:00-06:00

Contact me soon to start planning your 2010 marching show. I have a limited number of spots available on my arranging schedule for next year. Please let me know if I can help your band reach a new level of success in the new decade!

Upcoming Performance

shawnharrel@gmail.com — 2010-01-18T21:44:32-06:00

Come join me at the Missouri Music Educator’s Conference and Workshop Friday January 29th at 10:30am. The Lee’s Summit High School Symphonic Band will be premiering a new piece commissioned for this performance.

When I set out to write it, I knew there had to be a secret nod to Lee’s Summit High School. The first thought that occurred to me was to focus on their mascot, the tiger. Unfortunately, they rejected my first submission which Mr. Finch accurately called, “A sub-par arrangement of Survivor’s ‘Eye of the Tiger.’”

I went back to the drawing board and created Spectrum, which is based on a vaguely “recognizable” harmonic foundation that is first established in the percussion section. Overall, the piece develops on two concepts: the blending of an unexpected idea with a pre-existing idea, and the modification of one or two subtle components as a phrase repeats.

There’s an incredible amount of “dissonance” in this piece that should sound unusually consonant, and there’s a driving rhythm that develops by blending accents of 6/8 and 3/4. I've really enjoyed hearing the Lee's Summit Symphonic Band play this piece and I hope you'll enjoy it as well.

Join me at MMEA for a great performance!

Final Cut Pro Certification

shawnharrel@gmail.com — 2009-12-22T21:47:19-06:00

I recently took the Level One Apple Certification Exam for Final Cut Pro 7. Because of an error on the part of an intern I actually got to take the test twice -- once in October and again in December. Many thanks to Future Media Concepts in Chicago for taking good care of me throughout the process.

I’m a teacher and by no means a professional video editor, but I found the level one test to be simultaneously challenging and easy -- if that’s even possible. My advice to anyone looking to take the exam is to use the software a lot and use it in a variety of ways. Don’t get stuck in a series of habits and miss out on the depth of the program; or at least a depth of knowledge of the program.

I might even go out on a limb and suggest that its possible to know the answer to every question in the Peachpit book - the “official curriculum” of the training series - and still have trouble passing the certification exam. It’s one thing to know the facts, but it’s another thing to be able to apply the knowledge to the questions on the exam. There will be a couple questions that seem to come out of nowhere, and there are a couple of questions where your brain will say, “I know the answer they’re looking for, but I’m not sure which of these choices will fit the bill.” Sound crazy? Perhaps. I guess it’s just well written test.

All the questions are multiple choice. Some allow you to select more than one answer (careful with some of these!), and many of them use graphics (screenshots from Final Cut). The most interesting questions are those that ask you to click on a graphic to answer a question. This feels a little odd at first. You’re used to getting feedback when you click your mouse on something, but in this case you just place a red “target” icon when you click. You can click again to move your target so if you’re prepared for clicking on a plain graphic it helps.

Better Late Than Never

shawnharrel@gmail.com — 2009-08-16T17:07:59-05:00