recording sound directly into AG-DVC7
 

I've been appointed the task of doing a documentary with the AG-DVC7, which is, if you'll excuse me, a piece of junk...It's basically just a huge, hollow, plastic, shoulder mountable, cheap body with a single crappy chip glued somewhere on the inside. The camera isn't mine, so i don't have any hope of exchanging or selling or whatever, so I figure I'll counter with good audio. It is a documentary, where picture quality isn't as neccasary. Now, my question...will the camera's audio recording capability be sufficient enough to get good audio with good mics? There isn't even an XLR in on the thing, so I would have to go from an XLR adapter like the beachtek into the 1/8th. Am I just wasting my time, or should I get an external recorder?
thanks
-alex

Basically, it is never a waste of time using an external mic instead of the onboard sure-fire-formula-for-failure mic sitting atop the camera. If you think they skimped on quality in the rest of the camera, just imagine how few pennies they put into the mic. To say nothing of that's the worst possible location for even a good mic. A BeachTek will solve the minijack problem; however, don't get a condenser mic which requires phantom power--the BeachTek won't provide that.

I try to avoid recording separate audio because it's more extra work in post for lip-syncing "wild sound" (sound that is recorded without any sync reference to the video). If you do, be sure to use a "clapper" to create a reference point on both tapes. A DAT or MD recorder will do fine for doc work, they are both available in battery-powered versions. No need for a Nagra (although wouldn't that be sweet if you had a camera that would send it a time code!)

Lately for independent audio recording I have been using an HHB CDR830 "Burnit"...it records up to 80 minutes on one CD and you can use ordinary 25-cent CD blanks (conversely, consumer-type CD recorders require the "audio" or "music" CDs which are not superior quality, they just have a code to unlock the recorder which is part of the deal with paying the record companies a fee for each CD sold to offset the illegal copying that consumers will presumably do with these machines. Pro machines are exempt.) Unofrtunately this machine is AC-power only, no batteries. And it has no XLRs either, in fact no mic inputs at all, a small mic mixer is needed.

But before going through all that, why not see how well you can record sound on that camera using a decent external mic.