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#274130 - 10/19/09 06:28 AM Video sound quality Q
Jerry T Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 09/23/05
Posts: 1002
Loc: Phila. 'burbs, Pa. USA
Hello All,
It just occurred to me that poster, “—Mac” may be the same person whose posts I’ve been reading for years on the pg forums. This has moved me ask a question about recording a video. Like most everyone, I have one of those small video cameras and the sound that is reproduced with the little mic in the camera is not good. Does anyone have a method of recording to the video camera that will produce better quality sound?
Ciao,
Jerry

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#274131 - 10/19/09 07:13 AM Re: Video sound quality Q
travlin'easy Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 12/08/02
Posts: 15556
Loc: Forest Hill, MD USA
Jerry,

Most video cameras have an auxiliary audio/mic input, which allows you to use a high-quality mic, or connect the camera to an audio mixer output, while recording. Usually, it's a tiny 1/8-inch mono input somewhere on the side of the camera, and sometimes it's hidden beneath a tiny rubber button or cover. If it's available for your camera, there should be something in the camera's user manual about this.

Gary
_________________________
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K+E=W (Knowledge Plus Experience = Wisdom.)

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#274132 - 10/19/09 09:52 AM Re: Video sound quality Q
captain Russ Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 01/02/04
Posts: 7285
Loc: Lexington, Ky, USA
Actually, Jerry, live sound recorded on video equipment is pretty thin. On good productions, the first thing you do is use quality microphones and pre-amps. You never rely on the internal microphone on the camera.

For top quality productions, you time code and synch a high quality audio machine with the video machine. That'a not a big deal, but, as you have probably noticed, occasionally, it's not done right and you see the results on TV or elsewhere... the audio and video don't match.

On thing I've never understood is the lack of attention to good audio. I know of video production houses with $500,000 in video equipmwent and a little 4 channel Radio Shack mixer.

The use of high quality audio is one thing we offer our clients. The importance of the quality of audio was really brought to the forefront in the late 80's an the show "Miami Vice". There was not a note of "live audio". Everything was overdubbed at the highest quality. The audio waa probably 25% of the production budget. Check out the old shows to see the difference!


Paid off for the producers. Generally, film producers can't go wrong concentrating on improving the audio on their productions.


Russ

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#274133 - 10/19/09 12:42 PM Re: Video sound quality Q
Diki Offline


Registered: 04/25/05
Posts: 14182
Loc: NW Florida
We had this discussion several times (a forum search will bring up the posts), but it boils down to, few budget consumer camcorders even HAVE a line in for audio...

What a few have done, and this is pretty easy with a digital camcorder, no sync issues at all, hardly, is to run a digital pocket recorder (like a Zoom H2/H4n) either line in from the arranger, or using its' own mikes or external mikes and a preamp if you are recording acoustic sources, and then edit the recorded audio IN REPLACE MODE of the camcorder audio with a simple video editor. Because modern digital gear has almost immeasurable wow and flutter, sync should be of no concern.

I believe Frankieve used this system for his excellent Audya styles demonstration videos.

You can pay a lot of money for a camcorder with external ins (plus you need a field preamp and good mikes). This solution is far less expensive and you can still use the audio recorder separately when you want to...
_________________________
An arranger is just a tool. What matters is what you build with it..!

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