What do people recommend for external microphones? You often see people on the tv wearing those little lapel microphones. Has anyone used those for home video? Any links for purchasing something like that. Would it hook up with a Canon HV20? All your help is appreciated.
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Using Microphones
- Thread starter wbennett01
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Which type of microphone to use depends on what you're recording. There are many types of mics available, each with a different purpose in mind. There are different pick-up patterns to mics as well.
Yes.
First determine what it is you want to record and let us know. Then someone might be able to post a relevant link.
Does the HV20 have an external mic input? If you're not sure, look in the owner's manual. If it does, then yes, it can take an external mic.
-DH
Any mic is better then the one in the camera, just because it is closer if nothing else. I don''t know if the HV20 has a mic input but you can record sound on some other device. Many times you might have two or more people and need a mic for each of them and then ideally you's have each mic recording to it's own audio track and you mix in post.
Another way is to mount an external mic on your camera. I have a cheap ($75) mic that I mount on a bracket to the camera. The mic is a bit of a directional pickup and just doing that the sound is 500% better. Night and day better.
Funny thing about sound is that people that nothing will make your work seem more amateurish then bad sound. Viewers will accept poor image quality but not bad sound.
I'm taking a trip to Vietnam in January, and I'd love to get my parents on film explaining the places they used to live, historically significant places, etc. While filming I'd probably want ambient sound and some lapel mic action to get their dialogue more clearly. Then I could mix the two later.
What's a good solution for this? I figure I'd have an external microphone mounted to the camera, using its external input. Would I have a lapel microphone hooked up to a voice recorder or something?
Note: I don't even own a camera yet, though the HF100 is my top pick so far.
What's a good solution for this? I figure I'd have an external microphone mounted to the camera, using its external input. Would I have a lapel microphone hooked up to a voice recorder or something?
Note: I don't even own a camera yet, though the HF100 is my top pick so far.
I would like to have a mic that I can have in windy or lound areas and still get good quality sound. I know that the HV20 has an accessory shoe that can take a larger mic.
Take a look at the Rode Video Mic. I use one on my hv30 and it works great.
For the wind you might need a dead cat.
If it is really loud you might benefit from a lapel mic on an digital voice recorder. Then in editing you can add the voice track.
Finally, you should really take a look at the hv20/30 user forum
I had the Canon XH-A1 and the Sony HC1, and both have gotten damaged in a fire so I need to replace them. On the HC1, I never got around to getting an external mic. on the xh-a1, I had just gotten an AT822 and a Rode shock mount and camera shoe mount to put the mic on the camcorder. I never got a chance to fully examine my results before the fire took all my equipment out, but it had sounded a lot better on my initial test recordings.
Well the best mic for you would be a shotgun mic. Then you can buy a windsock and slip the mic into it and avoid wind sound.
http://www.creativevideo.co.uk/public/view_item_cat.php?catalogue_number=sennheiser_mke400
this would be the best for you if you want to do home videos and get great sound quality. I bought two of these to try them out and they are great for home videos. This miniature shotgun mic are great, cause they mound on top of your camera and you don't have to hold them. It comes with a wind sock, and what i also like it that you can adjust the mic volume right on the mic.
this is how it looks like on a camera
Hope this helps
-Bki
As far as on-camera mics are concerned, my knowledge in videography (my partner's field) is limited. But I know he shoots our weddings with a shotgun and dead cat wind muff. During the ceremony the groom wears the lapel mic, and it does a great job of picking up the dialogue (being wireless & so lightweight, it also tends to pick up some pretty funny unintended bits as well). 
Could SoybeanStasher (assuming a laptop is being brought) use a mike like the Snowball, and mix the vocals in post production?
From Apple's website:
"...With its dual capsule design and unique three-pattern switch (cardioid, cardioid with -10dB pad, and omni), the Snowball can handle everything from soft vocals to the loudest garage band..."
I've recorded everything from my steel-bodied resonator in GarageBand to vocals for a video memorial for my mother, and so far I can attest to the above quote. My Pop records with a $400+ AKG condenser to a Korg 1200, and I swear my setup comes pretty close in quality.
Could SoybeanStasher (assuming a laptop is being brought) use a mike like the Snowball, and mix the vocals in post production?
From Apple's website:
"...With its dual capsule design and unique three-pattern switch (cardioid, cardioid with -10dB pad, and omni), the Snowball can handle everything from soft vocals to the loudest garage band..."
I've recorded everything from my steel-bodied resonator in GarageBand to vocals for a video memorial for my mother, and so far I can attest to the above quote. My Pop records with a $400+ AKG condenser to a Korg 1200, and I swear my setup comes pretty close in quality.
Well the best mic for you would be a shotgun mic. Then you can buy a windsock and slip the mic into it and avoid wind sound.
http://www.creativevideo.co.uk/public/view_item_cat.php?catalogue_number=sennheiser_mke400
this would be the best for you if you want to do home videos and get great sound quality. I bought two of these to try them out and they are great for home videos. This miniature shotgun mic are great, cause they mound on top of your camera and you don't have to hold them. It comes with a wind sock, and what i also like it that you can adjust the mic volume right on the mic.
this is how it looks like on a camera
![mke400.jpg]()
![mke_400_use.jpg]()
Hope this helps
-Bki
This looks like a nice. I'm actually thinking of getting an HV20 or HV30 soon to replace my HC1 which was damaged in a fire (ideally, i'd like a consumer cam that can record to tape and some other flash or hard drive format, but don't think that exists). The only thing I wonder about is wouldn't a stereo mic be better to capture more of everything around you? A shotgun mic would be for getting only what's in front of you, right?