Microphone/Boom Mike advice needed

Aragorn7884 · Post by **Aragorn7884** » Fri Sep 19, 2003 4:54 am

For using a sound recording device in a camcorder can I use a regular microphone or do I have to buy a special camcorder microphone?

I know that boom mike microphone's are better then regular one's but is the difference significant enough that I would have to shell out the extra dough for it? Thanks.

Brent · Post by **Brent** » Fri Sep 19, 2003 6:12 am

I am assuming your camera has a mic in port then you just need a mic that has a 1/8" mono jack or the right convertion adapter for your mic (eg. XLR to 1/4" converter then 1/4" to 1/8", not the most ideal set up but it would work)

TommyPollock · Post by **TommyPollock** » Fri Sep 19, 2003 4:51 pm

I have a Ã‚Â£16 microphone for general PC stuff, and tested it with the camcorder. With the external microphone, sound was about 1/2 the volume of the internal mic. and actually had more motor noise! So I stick with the internal microphone.

Carnage7p · Post by **Carnage7p** » Fri Sep 19, 2003 8:27 pm

well that is kind of stupid. a pc mic is made FOR A PC!!! geez. mics are not that expensive, what i would suggest is getting a shotgun mic. it's quite a step up from the internal mic but not near as expensive as a boom mic. and you shouldn't have to buy an adapter for it. a shotgun mic can be used in many different conditions, even heavy wind because it has different settings.

BrownCowStudios · Post by **BrownCowStudios** » Fri Sep 19, 2003 9:09 pm

Not very many shotgun mics have multiple settings, at least the good ones don't. Those settings just boost your audio and make it sound worse. If you're shooting in windy conditions, buy or make an industrial wind screen.

Here's one of my posts from another thread about this. And yes, a shotgun mic is worth the extra cash!

Best option is to buy an external mic. I would suggest the Azden SGM-1X. It's around $150, but the audio quality is excellent. However, this is an XLR microphone, so you'll need and XLR to 1/8" adaptor. For this, go with the Shure A96F ($40). It matches the impedance of the mic, so you're set. The plus of buying this is the option to buy an XLR cable and turn it into a boom. Although if you want to keep it camera mounted, then go with the SGM-X ($120), which is the same thing basically, but with a 1/8" connector rather than XLR. XLR will deliver better sound quality.

Both of these mics are made by Azden, and can be purchased from B&H Photo for a reasonable price.

Oh, and here's a link to a short article on audio from my website.

http://www.geocities.com/browncowstudios/audio.html

[Edited on 9-19 -0303 by BrownCowStudios]

Carnage7p · Post by **Carnage7p** » Fri Sep 19, 2003 11:18 pm

Those settings just boost your audio and make it sound worse

actually if focuses more rather than getting sound from a whole area.

BrownCowStudios · Post by **BrownCowStudios** » Sat Sep 20, 2003 2:15 am

Well, that's what it claims. What does it have to do to "focus" the audio? Exactly - All it does is make your audio sound hollow. Some mics have "long" and "short" settings, but the "long" setting sucks from what I've heard. They're mostly put on to trick consumers into thinking it's better (not saying it's bad, just that one setting is generally better than the other). Likewise, some manufacturers put two antenas on a VHF wireless receiver to make it appear to be a UHF system (not an issue when dealing with wired shotgun mics). It's important to know the specs. Don't let manufacturers make you think they know what they're talking about unless you know what they're talking about. All the technical stuff - it's important to know.

Which shotgun mic(s) are you talking about specifically?

Oh, and one last though. Shotgun mics have a hypercardioid pickup pattern, which means their pickup is narrow, rather than broad as you described. So that basically deems the multiple settings pointless.