Video and Sound

[Rocknrollampsinc]

Hi
How would one go about recording reasonable video with better audio quality ie. not using a camera's internal mic, but using an external better quality mic? Are there any video cameras that don't cost a fortune that allow external mic inputs? What would you recommend as an entry level camera that does this?
Thanks
JK

[pvalenti]

actually you MAY have better results getting a recording independant of the camera and combining the two later. For a CHEAP option go with the Zoom recorders on a mic stand, experiment with placement for a couple of gigs so you know where it picks everything up the best. OR grab a signal from the mixer (not as good IMO because of the lack of presence or crowd noise). Anyway...that's how I'd do it in your place.

I have an ADAT HD24 that I can use to get my recording and that is ideal, albeit an expensive option.

[straticus]

I use a Sony PCM-D50 for this. I only use the audio that the camera recorded as a guide to help me line things up while editing.

[retro]

Hi
How would one go about recording reasonable video with better audio quality ie. not using a camera's internal mic, but using an external better quality mic? Are there any video cameras that don't cost a fortune that allow external mic inputs? What would you recommend as an entry level camera that does this?
Thanks
JK

What are you trying to record?

[tedzepplin]

I've had issues syncing up external audio with the video.
A live show that lasts about 35 or 40 minutes will be out of sync by the end of the video. I've found I need to shorten the time of the external video by a tiny amount to keep it in sync. The External audio is recorded on a Zoom H2 and the video is recorded with a Kodak Zi6 HD camera.

Does anyone else have this problem? Are there some easy work arounds to help things along?

[michael.e]

I ended up just spending the money on a Sony Hardisk camcorder. It has a mic input and I run my mic's through a preamp, then a small board, then, monitor out to the camera. It cannot take very much in the way of signal, but I can work with it.
No syncing ect...

[jammybastard]

The simple answer is that you need a camera that accepts an external audio input,
then you can run a feed from a microphone, a mixer, whatever you want into the camera.

For small jobs, like a single cam recording of a band or a speaker
I use a Canon HV20. You can get them for around $500 these days and they are the best bang for the buck. (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16830120277)

They shoot both HD and SD, record to miniDV tape, and accept external audio input.
Plus they have firewire and HMDI ports so you can connect them to a computer or an HDTV.

Got a camera? Then you might want to consider is getting one of these or something like it:

http://www.beachtek.com/images/dxa2s.jpg


Here's what you can do with an HV20 and a external interface like the Beachtek...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLxSIOx-SvQ

It's some outtakes from the new season of Pedal Pimp episodes I shot with my HV20 and a Beachtek XA-2s acting as the audio interface between the camera and the studio mixer.
(watch in in High Quality for better sound/video)

That's what you can do with a good camera and external audio.

[LSchefman]

>>I've had issues syncing up external audio with the video.
A live show that lasts about 35 or 40 minutes will be out of sync by the end of the video.<<

This is why on television and movie sets, audio machines are synchronized to video machines via SMPTE (Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers) timecode. This avoids the drift, as the two machines maintain sync.

It's the same kind of signal that synchronizes two analog machines, or an analog machine to a DAW.

One could write a book on the subject of a/v synchronization, and I'm sure that someone has.

The problem is that you do need SMPTE-capable machines to do this, and as far as I know, these machines live in the professional video world, certainly the pro audio world.

In the old days, we used "machine synchronizers" that actually speeded up the reel motors or slowed them down to match timecode. I had one to sync video from my 3/4 inch video deck to my 24 track. They were quite expensive. Now sync is maintained digitally, but SMPTE timecode is still the basis.

[teleking36]

I read something recently about the Blue Eyeball. Looks like an interesting little a/v combo. Anyone use one of these? Doesn't seem bad for $99.

[Rocknrollampsinc]

What are you trying to record?
Actually it's to demonstrate gear that I have built. The video is least important, the sound is the most important.
thanks for all the replies!!!
JK