External Mics- PS I'm back

[Alex]

Here's the quote

Fragile mini audio input socket
Like most consumer camcorders, the VX-1000 has a much-too-fragile mini socket for audio input. With frequent use, this socket can get damaged, resulting in sound cutting in and out. Two solutions:
1. Buy a little black box with two XLR inputs to screw into the bottom of the VX-1000. The box has a little mini audio plug which fits into the input socket of the camera. Any tugging on cords thus pulls on the box itself, not the mini plug on the camera. The box isn't cheap -- around $200. It's available at B&H Photo.
2. Use a piece of tape or hair tie to attach your mini-to-XLR cord to the handle on the top of the camera. Then any tugging on the cords pulls at the handle to the camera, not the fragile mini plug.


Here's the link...Fragile Mini Audio Input Socket...

Do you want me to find like a zillion more of these?

[emjen]

Ok then, I'm not here to continue this argument, but to ask what advice for the sound I need.

I have a sony handycam. I want better and clearer sound, good enough so that when 'broadcasted' on the internet people won't have problems following the dialogue.

I'm thinking a shotgun mic on the cam itself is the easiest way to go. I won't need another sound guy to hold the mic.

But then again, a portable mic does give better quality.

That mic belovedmonster suggested sounds interesting. Is there any site where I could look up for more info?

[belovedmonster]

assuming you want to go for a none XLR mic there are two options...

the Sennheiser MKE300 if you want to go for an on camera shotgun mic. Or the Audio Technica ATR55 if you want something on a boom. These two are the well respected best bang for buck camcorder mics out there.

If you want to go for an XLR mic then im not really the best person to talk to but if you give me a price range i can find out what to look out for.

[Alex]

I just edited some some scenes that were shot with an on camera microphone. To save money, they pre-edited the scenes, actually switching the camera angles when necessary and going on with the scene.

All I really did was clean up and make the cut points pace better. The end result was serviceable for what it was, beginning actors doing scenes with each other.

The two biggest problems with an on board microphone for acting scenes (this does not apply to E.N.G. work) is when the actors speak softly, all the other sounds in the room are louder in relation to the voice. So when you go to increase the voice level in edit, all the other sounds increase also.

The other problem is the camera is at different angles in relation to the performers, so the ambient levels change when you cut to the other performers, and the other persons "off camera" voice hardly ever matches because the mike is pointed at the other actor.

It's a great way to learn, but it's not the best way to learn.

[belovedmonster]

i agree... on camera mics have thier flaws. I would try to use a boom where possible.

[twister!]

Or you could re-record the dialogue later using looping or ADR.

[emjen]

that wireless stuff seems interesting. Anyone got any good/bad experiences with that?

I think I'm going for one of the audio technica booms. The ATR55 seems nice. Now, here's a newbie question. I read its a shotgun mic, so the sound guy just has to stand next to me and aim the mic in the right direction? Or is it better to buy a longer cable (it comes with a 1m cable) and a boom, and hold the mic above the right sounds?

It says unidirectional, but it's also a shotgun mic. I really dont know much about mics, as you can see, so I was hoping you could help me out on this.

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ January 08, 2004 06:52 AM: Message edited by: emjen ]</font>

[belovedmonster]

unidirectional means only in one direction... so where as a musicians mic you can rotate it 360 degrees and it still picks up the sound the shotgun mic has to be pionted at the sound.

[Alex]

The length of the cable has to be more than 1 meter. Way more. Probably at least 15 feet. I'd recommend buying more than one length of audio cable. You never want to use more than you really need when goig non-xlr, but you never want to be caught not having enough cable either.

Make sure you can connect two cables together without a problem. Especially when using a boom operator, you want to make sure the cable never gets so taut to the point where they are tugging on the actual connector to the camera. In fact, it's been recommend that you "tie down" the cable around the tripod so that if the boom operator creates a tugging effect on the cable that the tugging is absorbed by something BEFORE reaching the camera connector.

Of course, you now will need a longer cable. You might want to experiment with using the 1meter cable as a permanent "tie down" that never gets unplugged from the camera, then you connect to that cable with the appropriate additional length.

Otherwise if you change cable lengths during your shoot, you will have to re-tie it down, and that's one thing you don't want to keep reinventing.