About additional microphone for handycam

HDR-AX2000 / HXR-NX5 (2010).
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FoxAdriano
Posts: 50
Joined: 08 Dec 2010 01:27
Location: Rome, Italy

About additional microphone for handycam

Post by FoxAdriano »

In some days I will get Sony AX100 and it has has these audio info:

Rec audio
Dolby® Digital 2 canali stereo, Dolby® Digital Stereo Creator [solo AVCHD],
Dolby® Digital a 5.1 canali, Dolby® Digital 5.1 Creator [solo AVCHD], MPEG-4
AAC-LC 2ch, MPEG-4 PCM Lineare 2 canali (48 kHz/16 bit) [XAVC S solo 4K]

I'm thinking to buy RODE VideoMic Pro Compact, this is the link: http://www.ebay.it/itm/RODE-VideoMic-Pr ... 3cdf45bde3
But a friend of mine has just told me I will get no better audio with a additional mic, only a little bit. He tells my camera has a good mic but it is small. What is your opinion? Do you have experience about addicional microphones?
Thanks
steve
Posts: 74
Joined: 28 May 2010 10:04
Location: UK

Re: About additional microphone for handycam

Post by steve »

Depending on the intended use of your camera, the use of an external microphone may well improve the recorded sound quality as follows:

1) If your shooting location is where the sound is all ambient in nature, e.g. a street scene or in open countryside, you may want the recorded sound to recreate the ambience. Here the camera's in built microphones will probably give a fair performance. I have not yet handled the AX100, but it appears to have a similar 5.1 surround sound recording mode similar to the HDR-CX730E, which I own. The on-board microphones do produce a surprisingly good surround sound recording, however, any auto-recording level facility may affect the dynamics of sounds with sudden changes of level. The 5.1 channel recording is only available with HD AVCHD during recording and can be switched to normal 2 channel if desired. In 4K mode, only 2 channel sound can be recorded although the option of uncompressed PCM is available for a higher quality.

2) For certain types of shooting, the wanted sound source may be a person speaking a few metres from the camera. In this scenario, a directional microphone may give better recorded sound by reducing the level of ambient sound intrusion. The camera has a 3.5mm external microphone socket for connecting microphones (stereo or mono) such as the Rode type that you linked to. It also has a proprietary 'Multi Interface Shoe' onto which a Sony proprietary microphone such as the ECM-XYST1M stereo mic. can be fitted. Better still, the XLR-K1M XLR Adapter Kit includes the long established ECM-XM1 mono microphone. The adapter also allows remote connection via its 2 XLR connections. Here you can use professional microphones of all kinds with cables up to 100 metres or more without significant loss of sound quality.

So your friend was only partially correct for the scenario 1) above. Anyone serious about the sound quality recorded with their video will use separate and remote microphone where appropriate, i.e. as for scenario 2).

Hope that helps
FoxAdriano
Posts: 50
Joined: 08 Dec 2010 01:27
Location: Rome, Italy

Re: About additional microphone for handycam

Post by FoxAdriano »

I thank you for your interesting reply. I will use it in my trip in rainforest. Do you have a mic to suggest me?
FoxAdriano
Posts: 50
Joined: 08 Dec 2010 01:27
Location: Rome, Italy

Re: About additional microphone for handycam

Post by FoxAdriano »

I'm thinking to buy Shure VP83 LensHopper microphone. It is the shortest and lightest among good microphones. But I'm afraid it will be too much big for AX100 and I'm afraid it will lose its balance. I need to record in wild enviroments and create more sound pathos (rainforest sounds and indigenous peoples songs). What is your thoughts?
steve
Posts: 74
Joined: 28 May 2010 10:04
Location: UK

Re: About additional microphone for handycam

Post by steve »

I don't have much specific mic. experience. I have used Sennheiser ME6 series remote from that camera via XLR cables and a Rode Videomic on the hot shoe of a FX1. Each mic. has it's own uses. The Shure that you mention seems fairly compact for a quality device. If you want more control over your sound, why not use a digital recorder, e.g. a Zoom type. Most of them can also be used with separate mics including lavaliers which are probably the smallest types available in high quality.
FoxAdriano
Posts: 50
Joined: 08 Dec 2010 01:27
Location: Rome, Italy

Re: About additional microphone for handycam

Post by FoxAdriano »

Zoom H1, is a good idea. Have you used it? But I'm afraid its audio is not better than a good microphone of a good camcorder. What is your thought? Thanks
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