Top producer Mike Hill Chooses EDIROL

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From record production to homeless life on the Swansea streets – sound recordist Mike Hill has been there every step of the way!

Mike Hill may have spent eight years honing his audio skills as a record producer, but it’s his passion for audio and picture that have allowed him to bring his skills as a producer to his greatest projects to date – capturing sound for independent British film and documentaries.

His most recent project – as sound recordist on critically acclaimed indie film The Feral Generation – captures the sights and sounds of what life is like for those living on Britain’s streets, come rain or shine.

And when you’re out in all weathers, you need to be sure that the gear you’re using is designed to survive in the toughest environments. Mike’s totally dependent on his recording medium, which is why he trusts Edirol’s R4 Pro field recorder.

The R4 Pro’s 24-bit sound quality is paramount, but it’s the all- round flexibility of this feature-packed recorder that makes a huge difference to location recording, as Mike reveals…

“The R4 Pro’s four channels mean we can use two radio mics, a plant mic and a boom at the same time, and that’s without needing a mixer. And recording at 24-bit means I can be doing something else on the documentaries, like holding a camera. I can spend less time obsessing about riding levels and more time on what’s important – capturing a great performance.”

Like so many professionals in audio Mike’s never liked DAT, so it was a revelation when Edirol launched the R4 Pro – mainly because it was the first time so much power had been available for such a small outlay. You wouldn’t expect a budget solution to win the day, but that’s exactly what Mike’s trusty field recorder has been doing again and again…

“When we shot The Feral Generation it was winter in Swansea, so conditions were harsh. We had one particular scene that took four hours to shoot in non-stop rain. Not only did the R4 Pro never complain, but when your fingers are freezing cold you need a layout that’s easy to operate. Again, no problems on that front – clearly a lot of thought has gone into designing the interface.”

“When you’re working on a film 80% of the crew are only focussed on how the film looks, but try watching the film without the sound… good sound is so important, which is why I take the R4 Pro with me on every job.”


For details of your nearest stockist visit www.edirol.com/europe.

R4 Pro key features