Los Angeles-based photographer, content creator, and filmmaker Rafael Cardenas, (a.k.a., “Rafa”), creator and host of the popular “Dancng Sobr w/ Rafael Cardenas” podcast, has a TASCAM Mixcast 4 podcast mixer, recorder, USB audio interface and streamer, as well as a Portacapture X8 8-channel 32-bit float portable audio field recorder at the heart of his workflow.
“I have been using the Mixcast 4 for about 50 episodes of my podcast,” Cardenas says. “It is the easiest system I have ever used. I use the Mixcast with TASCAM TM-70 microphones, and I love how simple the system is to set up and breakdown — it captures dialogue beautifully. I just recently acquired the Portacapture X8. My first project with it is for a short film. I have run a variety of test scenarios at home, and I love it. Like the Mixcast 4, this is a tremendously intuitive piece of equipment to get up and running with. I love the touchscreen and the easy access to presets that work like magic. I also look forward to using my Portacapture on traveling podcast episodes. Its compact size makes it so much easier to take on the road.
“I love that the Mixcast 4 records all tracks separately so that I can adjust the sound accordingly for each guest,” he continues. “I also love the easy set up and colorful display that is easy to read.
“The Portacapture X8’s touchscreen and presets are a lifesaver. I am not a big gearhead, but I do understand the basics, so for me these features are intuitive and work beautifully. The display is big, colorful, and easy to read and likewise, the presets are easy to access and provide a terrific setup for a variety of creative scenarios. Equally important, you can choose a preset and then fine-tune it more to your liking, so they end up being a great starting point. As an example of my work, you can visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIoxXs_yVJc.”
