Best sound video camera

Retlaw · Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2009 3:45 am Post subject: Best sound video camera

I want to record musicians playing for Youtube clips etc... I realize that an external mic is best but for quick and easy what is the best sound available without going to a pro camera?

What do you guys use ...samples...?

Walter

MikeyMike · Heavyweight Member Joined: 06 Nov 2007 Posts: 836

No such thing. Record audio externally on a digital device and sync it when you edit.

Smokin Joe · Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2009 6:07 am Post subject:

I just went to my local music store and picked up an audio-technica external mic. You will probably have to get an adapter to fit your camera but they should have that to if they sell mics.

I taped my son's high school Jazz band, concert band etc. using this mic.

It does not produce a professional sound but it is a lot better than the mic that is built into the camcorder. Something in the $50 range should suffice. The guy at the store told me you can get a lot more expensive mic but that it is not really going to produce anything better than the cheaper mic since it is going to be used in a camcorder.

It does bring in the sound better, so give it a try with a cheaper model, you might like it, if not you'll have to get some professional equipment.

Joe

Pino · Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2009 7:07 am Post subject:

Check out the Zoom Q3 it's amazing! I just picked one up a few weeks ago. If you want to check out the audio/video quality go to my web site linked below and watch the 1st video on there. That's recorded with the zoom q3. It was dark in the club so the video quality isn't as great as it could of been, but over all it's a cool toy!

Best.
Joe
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Don Herman rev2 · Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2009 8:32 am Post subject:

Standard or high-definition? Price range?

For YouTube I would not think high quality would be all that big a deal. As has been said, the most significant improvement you can make in the middle to upper side of the consumer recorders is to get an external mic. The pro units often include a decent mic, but again the biggest upgrade for them is to buy a good external mic (e.g. my friend has a pro Canon with a Rode NT4).

On the upper side of the consumer/prosumer line, I would look for one with a stereo mic input and decent frequency. The Sony, Canon, and Panasonic are all pretty decent; I haven't really tried any of the others. For video quality and ease of use, the Panasonic 300 series has been top dog for the past few months. Good low-light video is one of my criteria (always seem to be recording concerts from just a little too far away) and the Panasonic is best in that area (for now). It's also small and lightweight, especially in the flash version, for a hi-def camera. It is on my list (Christmas is coming, though so is the next round of college tuition for my son..)

HTH - Don

p.s. Here are some review sites:
http://www.camcorderinfo.com/ratings.php
http://www.consumersearch.com/camcorders
http://www.reviewed.com/content.php
_________________
"After silence, that which best expresses the inexpressible, is music" - Aldous Huxley

Retlaw · Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2009 9:19 am Post subject:

Retlaw · Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2009 9:31 am Post subject:

Just found this recording with the Zoom Q3......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdXbQLXw_lI

Video is not great but perhaps some better technique might help..

Walter

Bob Stevenson · Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2009 9:48 am Post subject:

Walter,

It really depends on how much you want to spend. A pro camera will be about £1500 minimum and that is for a low level 'pro' model.

The video world is in a state of flux at the moment with the intro of HD video (high definition) However, your biggest concern is likely to be which model camcorder has a jack plug for exterior mic,..at a price you like. At teh moment in the UK camcorder models only seem to offer the all important mic plug socket on models over the £700 level,...Panasonic are particularly good.

Assuming that you have got your camcorder, you can fit a stereo mic or alternatively, you can easlily cobble together two good mics into a stereo jack. I use two Senneheiser MK300 mics pluged into a double jack plug converter (a couple of quid)...I angle the mics so that they pick up to left and right of picture. The MK300 mics are relatively cheap camcorderr mics but give and excellent sound reproduction.

You might also be interested to know that some of the older analogue video systems such as Hi8 gave comparable recorded sound to CD and there were actually Hi8 sound recorders using the same tape. You can now find these camcorders for very low prices and in some ways they are better than the current digital models although they are usually quite a bit larger. With a suitable plug in lead with converter you can now load analogue video and sound straight into your computer,..the lead/converter/software is about £20 to £50.

As a quite separate consideration to the above, there are increasing numbers of still cameras with built in HD video,.....most are too simple for what you require at the moment, however, one camera, the panasonic GH1 is a genuine dual purpose machine that offers excellent still photography with 12 mill pixels and also real HD video with stereo sound using exterior mic(s), flip out viewfinder, incremental zooming while recording etc This camera is very small for it's capability and is about £1200.

Smokin Joe · Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2009 9:49 am Post subject:

The Zoom Q3 recording above is definately better than what you will get with the external mic on a regular camcorder.

My only question is there a zoom for the video. I have been using my camera from the back of a high school auditorium. I have a 120x digital zoom for video which gets me nice close ups from a far range, and with the external mic the sound does come in better.

With the ZoomQ3 it seems you are going to get a better sound but not as good picture quality from a distance. That seems like the trade off. Am I correct.

Joe

Don Herman rev2 · Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2009 9:53 am Post subject:

Retlaw · Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2009 10:09 am Post subject:

I was initially thinking I would have to spend more..... the Q3 is definitely a trade off and the picture quality does not look great but for close work I think it could fit the bill ...especially for sound. I doubt that it would work very well from the back of a hall but smaller rooms and front seat gigs might be ok.

I want to promote a local jam and a band with little clips on Facebook and YouTube .... probably just right.

Thanks for all the ideas guys...really helpful..

Walter

tom turner · Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2009 2:38 pm Post subject:

Hi,

Some of the "prosumer" high definition video cameras actually have decent audio quality now, and appear to finally lack the built-in audio compression that plagues many video camera from the past.

Here's what a Rode stereo "videomic" $249) sounds like . . . fed directly into the mic input of a JVC first-generation Everio high definition camera, a GZ-HD7.

The mic is shock-mounted; isolates well from the camera when mounted on the camera's cold shoe; has a -10db pad when needed (for recording really loud events, plus a toggle switch to roll off the bottom end when encountering a boomy room. I really, really like this mic a lot . . . and you should hear it record an acapella 4-part harmony group!!

BTW, an early "review" of this Rode mic states that it is only good for up-close recording purposes. BULLFEATHERS! Don't let crapola like that influence your opinion of this mic. "T'aint true. This recording was made in the BACK balcony of a restored, 100 year-old opera house.

Make sure to listen to the clip in "HD" mode on youtube . . . although youtube does NOT have good sound quality after the videos are compressed using their method. The original sounds great. Too bad I can't put it up online!

BTW, ONLY this single Rode stereo videomic was used making this recording.

http://www.youtube.com/user/GeorgiaBigBand#p/u/4/YH3WI3dPq84

PS: The following cut was uploaded to youtube at a higher quality level, though it only runs for 52 seconds:

http://www.youtube.com/user/GeorgiaBigBand#p/u/0/chHC898_N8w

Smokin Joe · Posted: Sun Nov 01, 2009 4:36 am Post subject:

Thanks Tom,

That's what I was looking for in the first place. I now have a Rode Stereo Videomic on my Christmas list.

Joe

tom turner · Posted: Sun Nov 01, 2009 6:18 am Post subject:

Joe,

I really think you'll love it.

Sometimes I use it "off camera" via a couple of stereo mini-plug extension cords purchased from Radio Shack. No hum, noise or buzz at all.

The base of the videomic's mount has a female thread to screw onto top of a mic stand! Yes, this thread size WILL require you to purchase an adapter that reduces your mic stand's large diameter threads down to the small threaded post atop some mic stands, but it is a simple thing to order.

I've used this mic in all sorts of video shoots I've done for my company and it never fails to impress me. Ditto on use recording various types of musical events . . . from close-mic stereo recordings of a group of vocalists to big band rehearsals and gigs. It is a great mic for the money.

A BETTER SOUND CLIP . . .
Here's a video clip of a REHEARSAL of the same big band, with the mic closer up, as it should be, rather than in a back balcony.

This REALLY shows how wonderful the mic sounds. I put this one up on a little side-account I've got on youtube without tags, so that band members could listen to it.

The guitarist in the solo is the WONDERFUL Rob Waker, guitarist for a very popular Southern Rock band called "Stillwater" back during the time of Capricorn Records in Macon. Rob has been an Air Force musician for many years now.

I think you'll enjoy this recording, AND the guitar of Rob Walker!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvr42w3IMF4

PS: Here's a Wikipedia link to the Stillwater Band. They'd have probably soared to the heights of the Alman Bros. if Capricorn hadn't folded:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stillwater_(band)

Tom

Smokin Joe · Posted: Sun Nov 01, 2009 9:43 am Post subject:

Tom ,

My camera is just a Sony mini dvd cam nothing special. Will that Rode mic give me the same sound as a more expensive camera like yours?

Joe

Smokin Joe · Posted: Sun Nov 01, 2009 9:44 am Post subject:

By the way the guitar solo was great!

Joe

tom turner · Posted: Sun Nov 01, 2009 10:55 am Post subject:

MikeyMike · Heavyweight Member Joined: 06 Nov 2007 Posts: 836

Smokin Joe · Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2009 12:48 pm Post subject:

It seems the people using the Rode Videomic are using professinal type cameras. I went to the Rode website and thats what the majority of the people were using who made comments under the "reviews" section.

It got very good reviews, but I am beginning to think my camera cannot support all the technical offerings of the Rode making it on a par as the external mic I am now using.

Thats probably why the salesperson told me to get the cheaper mic rather than the more expensive one. I brought the camera with me and the salesperson looked at it and told me a more expensive mic wouldn't do any better than the cheaper one with my particular camera.

The external mic I am now using does sound better than the built in mic so maybe I should just use that for now.

Maybe I should use the $250 and upgrade to a HD camera.

Joe

michaeljones36 · Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 7:47 am Post subject: Re: Best sound video camera

The best solution I've seen is the Zoom Q3. It is designed exactly for your application.