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I'm shooting with a SONY cx570 and want a quality external mic for a tight budget. Any suggestions?
Thanks.
Thanks.
external microphones
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The Sony ECM-CG1 looks pretty good. But pricey. Here's the best deal I've found:
http://xeon.audiogoshop.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=5921?currency=EUR
http://xeon.audiogoshop.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=5921?currency=EUR
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WARNING: the above link looks like a total scam. Also I can't seem to find the ECM-CG1 anywhere. Did they discontinue this? What else could I use for my cx570?
qq - At the $100 price point, I use the $85 Azden SMX-10 . It is well-reviewed and does a good job for me on my camcorder and DSLRs (pictured below). At the $200 price point, I recommend the well-reviewed $229 Rode VideoMic Pro .
Hope this is helpful,
Bill
Hybrid Camera Revolution
qq - At the $100 price point, I use the $85 Azden SMX-10 . It is well-reviewed and does a good job for me on my camcorder and DSLRs (pictured below). At the $200 price point, I recommend the well-reviewed $229 Rode VideoMic Pro .
Hope this is helpful,
Bill
Hybrid Camera Revolution
I highly recommend both the Rode Videomic and the Rode Videomic Pro. I have both of them. The Pro is much smaller which is nice but getting to the battery compartment is a pain. I tend to use the older regular Videomic more. It is only about $149. We do Weddings and I keep the Videomic on my backup camera that is locked on a wide shot. It does so well there are times where it has absoutely saved our butts if there was an unexpected issue with our wirless mics.
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The Rode Stereo VideoMic Pro http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/839897-REG/Rode_STEREO_VIDEOMIC_PRO_Sterei_VideoMic_Pro.html is specifically designed for DSLRs.
For a few more $$ you could look at the Sony PCM-D50 Professional Portable Stereo Digital Audio Recorder http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/524130-REG/Sony_PCM_D50_PCM_D50_Professional_Portable.html a bit difficult to mount though,
or, if money is tight, try the $100 ZOOM H1 (I have one of these) http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/699403-REG/Zoom_H1_H1_Ultra_Portable_Digital_Audio.html
works pretty good. I mount it on top of a 60D DSLR on a RODE SM3 shock mount http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?Ntt=rode+sm3&N=0&InitialSearch=yes&sts=ta
the only con with the H1 is the 120dB max SPL (the other 2 mikes are much higher) and the H1 can be overloaded and load transients (close drums, drag cars, jet planes etc, can sound flat).
All these mikes are STEREO
Mono mikes are only really good for a multi miked mix.
Use STEREO for a lone VIDEO guy.
For a few more $$ you could look at the Sony PCM-D50 Professional Portable Stereo Digital Audio Recorder http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/524130-REG/Sony_PCM_D50_PCM_D50_Professional_Portable.html a bit difficult to mount though,
or, if money is tight, try the $100 ZOOM H1 (I have one of these) http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/699403-REG/Zoom_H1_H1_Ultra_Portable_Digital_Audio.html
works pretty good. I mount it on top of a 60D DSLR on a RODE SM3 shock mount http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?Ntt=rode+sm3&N=0&InitialSearch=yes&sts=ta
the only con with the H1 is the 120dB max SPL (the other 2 mikes are much higher) and the H1 can be overloaded and load transients (close drums, drag cars, jet planes etc, can sound flat).
All these mikes are STEREO
Mono mikes are only really good for a multi miked mix.
Use STEREO for a lone VIDEO guy.
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Great tip about mono versus stereo mics. I really appreciate that. Seems like if I'm thinking to try to get some gigs with other camera guys i better go mono for now. or if i'm thinking to mix music in during the edit, mono would be good, yeah?
qq - if you use a mono mic, you'll want a $4 3.5mm stereo male to mono female adapter . This will lay down two matching tracks on your camcorder.
If you decide to use the Zoom H1 as your external mic, as the Pepster suggests, you should also record a backup track on your camcorder. You can do that with a $27 Sescom LN2MIC-ZMH4 cable . I wrote a blog post on that here .
Again, hope this is helpful.
Bill
Hybrid Camera Revolution
If you decide to use the Zoom H1 as your external mic, as the Pepster suggests, you should also record a backup track on your camcorder. You can do that with a $27 Sescom LN2MIC-ZMH4 cable . I wrote a blog post on that here .
Again, hope this is helpful.
Bill
Hybrid Camera Revolution
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Bill - please remedy my ignorance! With the adapter, why is it beneficial to have the two matching tracks when using a mono mic? Is that so the mono doesn't pipe through only one speaker during playback?
Same thing with the Sescom cable you mention, can you explain the benefit of recording a backup track on the camcorder? I really appreciate it.
Gregory
Same thing with the Sescom cable you mention, can you explain the benefit of recording a backup track on the camcorder? I really appreciate it.
Gregory
Hi Gregory - No worries. I was 'ignorant' too - until people helped me out on these boards and their blogs. The answer to your first question is yes. Without the adapter, you will record to only one of your CX's two tracks. It sounds weird on playback - unless you go in and copy the mono track to track two in your editing program. Less trouble to just buy the adapter . I have one for each camera.
The answer to second question is - if you record a high quality track to a $98 H1 (or other external recorder like the $170 Tascam DR-40 ) - you will probably get better sound from the recorder's output through the Sescom ( this one for Zoom, this one for Tascam) than from your camcorder's built-in mic. After you are done shooting, you'll have the choice of using either the track on the external recorder (which you will have to sync to the picture in the editing suite) -- or the already-synced internal track, which should sound somewhat better than if you had recorded it using the internal mic.
Hope that's helpful,
Bill
Hybrid Camera Revolution
P.S., here is a picture of two of my cameras with the H1 mounted on top (left) and the DR-40 with a couple of wireless receivers on a $9 Adorama C bracket (right):
Hi Gregory - No worries. I was 'ignorant' too - until people helped me out on these boards and their blogs. The answer to your first question is yes. Without the adapter, you will record to only one of your CX's two tracks. It sounds weird on playback - unless you go in and copy the mono track to track two in your editing program. Less trouble to just buy the adapter . I have one for each camera.
The answer to second question is - if you record a high quality track to a $98 H1 (or other external recorder like the $170 Tascam DR-40 ) - you will probably get better sound from the recorder's output through the Sescom ( this one for Zoom, this one for Tascam) than from your camcorder's built-in mic. After you are done shooting, you'll have the choice of using either the track on the external recorder (which you will have to sync to the picture in the editing suite) -- or the already-synced internal track, which should sound somewhat better than if you had recorded it using the internal mic.
Hope that's helpful,
Bill
Hybrid Camera Revolution
P.S., here is a picture of two of my cameras with the H1 mounted on top (left) and the DR-40 with a couple of wireless receivers on a $9 Adorama C bracket (right):
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Also, if you record audio in-camera AND on a better external 24 bit digital recorder, it makes it far easier to sync the separate audio tracks in post by using the already-synced, but crappier in-camera audio as a guide.
Use a clapper board to put an audio "spike" in the recording at the beginning of the take, if you can. Makes things much easier. Play back both audio tracks and double check that you have no echo, a clear sign the sync isn't perfect.
After syncing up the good audio track with the video in the editing software timeline, then you can delete the in-camera audio tracks and leave the superior track.
Now you have perfect video with quality audio!
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Edit at will.
Use a clapper board to put an audio "spike" in the recording at the beginning of the take, if you can. Makes things much easier. Play back both audio tracks and double check that you have no echo, a clear sign the sync isn't perfect.
After syncing up the good audio track with the video in the editing software timeline, then you can delete the in-camera audio tracks and leave the superior track.
Now you have perfect video with quality audio!
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I went with the RODE Videomic and found that the mounting bracket does not fit with the hdr cx570, so now i have to find a universal adaptor. Looks like this one might work but I can't find anybody that will ship it to Greece.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kiwifotos-Interface-Multipoint-Universal-Converter/dp/B005UF493Y/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1342616403&sr=8-2
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kiwifotos-Interface-Multipoint-Universal-Converter/dp/B005UF493Y/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1342616403&sr=8-2
qq - sorry - I forgot that advise you that Sony and Canon use proprietary shoe mounts on their consumer camcorders - I apologize
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Among the big three, only Panasonic puts a standard shoe on consumer cams - one of the reasons I buy/recommend Panasonic.
That said, this adapter is less expensive than the one you linked to above - and maybe they'll ship it to Greece!
Cheers and good luck!
Bill
Hybrid Camera Revolution
qq - sorry - I forgot that advise you that Sony and Canon use proprietary shoe mounts on their consumer camcorders - I apologize
Among the big three, only Panasonic puts a standard shoe on consumer cams - one of the reasons I buy/recommend Panasonic.
That said, this adapter is less expensive than the one you linked to above - and maybe they'll ship it to Greece!
Cheers and good luck!
Bill
Hybrid Camera Revolution
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2,079 Posts
This mic looks like a great mic
http://www.rodemic.com/mics/nt4
Here's a youtube video and the sound was recorded with this mic.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UntIpIR-lh0
Here's another video of a sound test of this mic
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpcK52yPreY
http://www.rodemic.com/mics/nt4
Here's a youtube video and the sound was recorded with this mic.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UntIpIR-lh0
Here's another video of a sound test of this mic
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpcK52yPreY
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