As Good As It Gets Sound with the HV20
 

Working with the HV20 I often work alone and don’t need a long mike run so the XLR connection has not been vital, and have therefore been using a Rode Videomic mainly. All the same, wanting to keep options open I tried a Beachtek DVX -6 and Rode NTG 1 and really didn’t find there to be a massive improvement in the sound, as the inherent hiss of the HV20 (not mic noise) was still heard. Now what I am really getting to is sound-wise, do you think the Videomic is the best sound you’re going to get out of the HV20? If I added a high-end shotgun do you think it would make a great deal of difference to the sound? This is a consumer cam and therefore has its limits – is this as good as it gets sound-wise?

I get pretty decent sound using a Mackie 1202 mixer going into the HV20 and an Oktava MK012 mic on a boom.
Very clear, I'm quite happy with it.

Isn't it a matter of how serious you are about the audio? If you're doing a one man, shoot and run kind of thing, and don't want to be weighed down by extra equipment, then I think you get what you get with a consumer camera.

But I never even record my sound in the camera. In fact, I couldn't care less if the camera has a audio in port at all. I always record my sound separately. And for the best quality sound and the most control over it, that's simply how you'll have to do it.

I use an audio technica shotgun mic (the 835b i think) and ive been very happy with the sound and as large as the mic is it doesnt get in frame and is shoe mounted via a cheap shock/shoe mount

I find that sound recorded on Rode Stereo VideoMic mounted on HV20 camera is even worse than internal microphone sound.

When I start recording I can also hear some buzz.

If I move SVM from the camera, it improves sound,but a bit of hiss is still present unfortunately (almost not noticable though).

I am looking at buying Rode NTG-2 to use it on a boom.
Is NTG-1 visible in the frame?
NTG-2 is even longer
;-(

I was told by Rode guys that XLR adapter like Beachtek wouldn't do that much difference (especially for a consumer)

What do you record on? What method(s) do you use to help you in syncing the sound once in the editor?

Thanks!

Ntg 1
 

Slava,
The NTG 1 keeps well out of frame, but obviusly you need an xlr beachtek for this. Not shure about the Ntg 2 though.

NTG-2 is longer by a AA batery length
It has a dual power - phantom or AA battery.

Rode guys said I will do OK with an XLR-to-3.5mm jack

I think BeachTek is very handy to mix sound from several microphones and change volume for each channel.

I will get it when I have a bit of money to spare.
;-)

I use several different methods. Sometimes I use a Marantz digital recorder, sometimes mini-disc, other times, for quick and dirty audio, I use an iRiver mp3 encoder. Mic choice usually depends on the unit.

For formal shoots, I use a clapboard for sound sync, but most of the time it's just as easy to record sound with the camera, then match up the separately recorded sound in Vegas using the camera's sound as my guide.

It's extremely easy to do.

The HV20 manual says, meter the cams sound level to peak at -12db. OK so I did that and found the audio to be generally to low in level, I can imagine in many circumstances getting tape hiss in post when raising that low level up to be able to use it.

I now put the mic attenuator in, and meter to zero on the cams meter without any trouble.

Funny tho I haven't seen mention anywhere of the superb limiter in the HV20. I was standing under church bells on the Greek island of Rhodes recently
when the things went off. I had the cam and its mic going and the big bell flattened me, the guide and the tourists.

On playback I can 'see' and hear the limiter crushing the first millisecond of the bell. It sounds very limited, not good recording at all, but it's not distorted and I'm impressed with just that.

It's Canons latest limiter/compressor chip/circuit, circa 2006.

-12db does seem very low doesn't it...
I'm not that impressed with the HV20 audio - it's hiss level is way too high IMHO.
At least there is 'no' tape hiss as such, just digital mush....
Then again it's far better than my Sony HC3's audio which is pure rubbish, very limited frequency and almost no stereo separation.

Graham, I now meter all my HV20 audio to peak at zero. That great limiter will handle the overshoots and the tape noise is non-existant.

One of those things that got past Canon in the rush to get the HV20 out me thinks.

Another thing, the audio quality from HiDef is better, sibilance on voices is much cleaner and downrezed to SD is still better than original SD.
Cheers.

I have heard this on occasion from others using the Videomic with the HV20. It always turned out to be a problem with the Mic (usually the settings). Mine gives much better sound with the Videomic, no noticeable hiss. Try playing with the settings, if you haven't already.

here is some test shots of my rode ntg2 and the beachtek that i use.. the first shot you can hardly hear anything, and the 2nd shot has that hissing or static noise cause i turned up the mic on the camcorder the 2nd shot.. the hissing or static totally ruins the shot for me.
www.masher500.com/NTG2Test.mov

What settings are you talking about?
The hiss is not too bad. Motor noise is worse.