How to get good sound on a consumer camcorder? Mic recommendations?

[Craig Alan]

Yes I believe you will get significantly better audio. The preamp is of a better quality than you’ll find in most prosumer level cams. As is many other features such as built in limiters and filters. But perhaps even more important — it will be way easier to monitor and control the levels. If you mount the mixpre-d under your cam after calibrating correctly and taking a sound check, you need only ride one or two knobs that are fat and easy to manipulate even in the dark. Most of the knobs on prosumer cams are awkward to ride. The meters hard to read in the middle of a shoot. The LED meters on SD mixers are easy to read and you can control how much headroom you want to leave depending on what you are shooting. You will also have a good quality port for a good set of headphones. Most headphone outs on less expensive cams are so poor that it is hard to judge quality. With SD mixers you can control the output level to play well with your camera. You can control the input levels. Doing the camera work and riding audio levels is less than ideal except perhaps when you are shooting a static scene that you frame once and set the exposure once. Explaining what a good mixer does from just a technical pov is less than complete answer. Let’s just say once you shoot with one you will not want to go without it. A good mixer and the right mike for the right production is on par with using professional lights compared to whatever lights happen to be overhead. Can you shoot without it? Sure. But a decent prosumer level cam starts at about $3000. At that price point you have pretty good ergonomics and lots of features and an incredible image compared to what we all had few years ago. Audio – not so different. Bad sound renders more shots unusable than bad video (visuals) by far. The manufacturers are putting the largest portion of their research, development, and quality control on the visual side of things. Audio is just as important. It’s an audiovisual medium. As end users, we need to even this out if we want quality product.

OSX 10.5.8; MacBookPro4,1 Intel Core 2 Duo 2.5 GHz MacPro4,1 2.66GHz 8 core 12gigs of ram. GPU: Nvidia Geoforce GT120 with Vram 512. OS X 10.6.x; Camcorders: Sony Z7U, Canon HV30/40, Sony vx2000/PD170; FCP 6 certified; write professionally for a variety of media; teach video production in L.A.

[Vic Noseworthy]

Thanks, Craig. Good info, and I appreciate it! I especially like the SD MixPre-D box. I know exactly what you mean when you say that tech specs are only part of the equation. I’ve gone from a camcorder that had real buttons to touch screen… and, all I can say is “Yuck”! So, I appreciated that SD has made their equipment very “hands on”.
Anyways, it’s all good to know. Thank you again!
Vic

[Ty Ford]

OK, Vic, what’s the make and model of the camera?

Ty

Want better production audio?: Ty Ford’s Audio Bootcamp Field Guide
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[Vic Noseworthy]

Hey, Ty:
The camcorder is a Canon Vixia HF M400.
Vic

[Al Bergstein]

While all these are great posts, I’ll add my .02.

I have a lot of great mics for use in the field and studio, for my Panasonic TM900, I’ve taken to using a Sennheiser ME-2 Omnidirectional Condenser Lavalier Microphone for Use with the Evolution Wireless Series Transmitters. This mic plugs directly into my camera, I have an extension for it so I can run it to the talent, and it works just great. While I thought it was only for their wireless units the guy at our local video store in Seattle (Glazer’s) told me they had good success with them, and sure enough, it’s great. Not cheap, but not high priced either. Add a 10′ extension cable.

I have used this successfully with a Zoom, etc.

I too recommend that you save up to get a field recorder, like a Zoom or other high quality recorder (since the Zoom doesn’t have true line in, if I had to do it over I’d now get the Marantz 661
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/594741-REG/Marantz_PMD661_PMD661_Professional_Portable_Flash.html

and the Mixpre-D
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/764543-REG/Sound_Devices_MIXPRE_D_MixPre_D_Compact_Field_Mixer.html

These tools (while limited to 2 XLR inputs) can get you a good basic sound, without knowing your actual needs beyond what you have stated.

By the way, I really like the Panasonic camera, and have added the Panny wide angle lens attachment. This is my ‘go to’ camera when I don’t want to lug the 7D or XF305. In other words, not my professional setup.

Al

[Craig Alan]

Really? You can use the Sennheiser G2/G3 compatible lavs directly into the mini-port of the camera? If so I like the countryman lavs for that system a bit more but yeah should be quite usable. However, you do need to provide phantom power, right? His Canon cannot provide that though the mixpre-d can. What did you use for the 10 ft extension? A female/female adapter plug plus the cable or female to male cable? Have you tried it going to an xlr input?

OSX 10.5.8; MacBookPro4,1 Intel Core 2 Duo 2.5 GHz MacPro4,1 2.66GHz 8 core 12gigs of ram. GPU: Nvidia Geoforce GT120 with Vram 512. OS X 10.6.x; Camcorders: Sony Z7U, Canon HV30/40, Sony vx2000/PD170; FCP 6 certified; write professionally for a variety of media; teach video production in L.A.

[Eric Toline]

Lav mics do not use “phantom” power which is 48v. They use a power source of about 3volts which most consumer cameras provide at the 3.5mm mic in jack.

Eric

[Al Bergstein]

right. I agree with that. I’m going to post the photos of what I have tomorrow. No phantom was needed. I just plugged it in.Some lavs appear to need phantom, some don’t. Go to B&H.

Al

[Craig Alan]

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/217474-REG/Sennheiser_ME2_ME2_Lavalier_Mic_for.html#Specification

says Phantom Power Provided by Wireless Transmitter

but I guess that is what you describe since everyone says it works.

so do you have a link for extension cable and mini female to xlr cable that will allow me to use mine wired to different cams? if xlr what to use for power?

OSX 10.5.8; MacBookPro4,1 Intel Core 2 Duo 2.5 GHz MacPro4,1 2.66GHz 8 core 12gigs of ram. GPU: Nvidia Geoforce GT120 with Vram 512. OS X 10.6.x; Camcorders: Sony Z7U, Canon HV30/40, Sony vx2000/PD170; FCP 6 certified; write professionally for a variety of media; teach video production in L.A.

[Al Bergstein]

Craig, these are not XLR based mics. They have 1/8th in jacks on them. I wanted to make sure that I had said the right mic, because there are no labels on this mic. But what I quoted is what the receipt from Glazer’s said. So I’m pretty sure this is what it is (G). If you look at the illustration, you’ll see that there is no XLR on this mic.

The extension cables are simply 1/8th in jack extensions, female (which plugs into the male jack end of the cable) to male. They should be available on B&H as well as any major vendor. Mine was coiled, which I like.

Al