Sony Hi-8 camera mic problems
 

I shot a short film with my Sony TRV87 and used an external microphone that we plugged into the camera. It was a regular performance microphone because we were doing interview segments. Anyways, I could only recieve left audio. No right. That was how it was over the headphones while I was recording it and after I had uploaded it. Is this because of the camera or the microphone, and is there a way to fix it? Thanks

Mitch

What kind of adapter were you using to put the mic into the camera? Sounds like since you were only using 1 microphone, 1 channel is correct. You can fix it in post by duplication the audio track.

I am not familiar with the type of jacks that certain plug are, but it was a standard headphone plug, not the 1/4" plug, but the small kind. And then, how do I duplicate audio in the editing software? Thanks again.

Mitch

" but it was a standard headphone plug, not the 1/4" plug, but the small kind."

I'm not familiar with your camera - it's possible that it is only a mono jack. If it can record stereo, and you plug in only 1 mic, it will only place the audio on one track. Take a look at the plug - I'll bet the plug had only 1 ring instead of the 2 you will find on a stereo plug. Go to a Radio Shack and see if they have a Inline Mono Plug Adapter Catalog #: 274-374

http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&product%5Fid=274-374

This will take your mono mic input and distribute it equally to both conductors of your mic jack. Bear in mind that this might open up one more path for interference in an already interference prone setup.

"And then, how do I duplicate audio in the editing software?"

Depends on your particular editing software. In Liquid Edition (what I use) you disband the audio from the video, then copy and paste the audio track. I don't know about others.

Good luck.

In a lot of them you just pan one channel to cover both.