7. MetaRecorder Linking [5:01 min]
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What You'll Need: Apogee MetaRecorder
TRANSCRIPT
In our previous tutorial, you learned how to capture better audio using Apogee MetaRecorder and ClipMic, but what if there’s more than one on-screen talent in the shot ? With MetaRecorder’s Link feature, you can deploy up to four iPhones equipped with ClipMics, link the phones over WiFi, then operate them all from one Master iPhone.
To use MetaRecorder’s Link feature, you’ll need the Unlimited Multi-device Master upgrade on one iPhone you designate as the Master - the 3 iPhones that connect as Satellites only require the Unlimited Single Device upgrade.
To get started, there are a few settings to make before recording. First, to avoid the interruption of your recordings from incoming phone calls, set your iPhones to Airplane Mode in Settings. Next, to use the Link feature, enable Wi-Fi on all iPhones and connect them to a common WiFi network. If no network is available, it’s possible to use peer-to-peer WiFi with a reduced connection range. Enable Wi-Fi and verify that Wi-Fi status is shown as “Not Connected”.
On the Master iPhone, open MetaRecorder, tap the Link tab, then tap Use as Master Recorder. On Satellite iPhones, open MetaRecorder, tap the Link tab, then tap Use as Satellite Recorder. Now, all phones will automatically link over Wi-Fi and appear in the Master iPhone’s Link tab, with each phone represented by a row of controls. On each Satellite’s Link tab, you’ll see local controls plus the current Link status.
Once all your iPhones are linked, most MetaRecorder operations performed on the Master, including the Play/Stop, Record/ Pause and Add Marker buttons, are mirrored to all connected Satellites. Similarly, when you create, edit or sync to Dropbox a new Scene on the Master, that operation is performed as well on the satellites - with one important exception, the Scene Input Name. You’ll want to have a unique Input Name for each phone - for example, enter each talent’s name or role here.
When linked, you can put the Satellite iPhones to sleep to avoid inadvertent changes and conserve battery life - don’t worry, Metarecorder remains fully functional.
After wiring the talent and concealing the iPhone, it’s time to set levels. On the Master’s Link tab, you’ll see a row of controls for each connected phone. In each row you’ll see the following indicators and controls: remaining Record time and battery charge, the Input Name, ClipMic gain setting and the Audio Monitor button. To set the recording level for each phone, tap the corresponding Audio Monitor button to hear the input signal, then adjust the gain setting so the signal reaches the meter’s yellow bars.
Now you’re ready to record! On the Master phone or your Apple Watch, tap Record - you’ll see a confirmation that all phones commence recording. You can switch to the Rec/Play tab to view the waveform and add markers - remember that markers are added to all the Satellites.
During recording, Satellites may move out of Wi-Fi range, especially if you’re using peer-to-peer Wi-Fi. Don’t worry, recording continues with no interruption. Once the take is done, move satellites closer to the master - the link is automatically re-connected and control is re-established.
When you’ve finished a take, you can verify the recordings on all the phones by tapping Play on the Master, then tapping each phone’s Audio Monitor button. You can also “favorite”, delete and add Keywords to takes all from the Master - once again, these settings are mirrored to all Satellites.
Using the iPhones you already have with MetaRecorder and ClipMic, you now have access to the audio quality and flexible workflow that previously were only available to the largest productions.
