Using Canon GL1 in concert hall for classical music, what kind of mic should I get?

[Tim Spencer]

I have a Canon GL1, boght it new a few years ago. Still like it very much. I've used it from the top of Europe(Jungfraujoch, Switzerland), to Siberia, and even Chile.
(plus several places in between)


However, my video recording lately has been limited to strictly the classical concerts performed by my granddaughter's orchestra. They perform in concert halls and I usually prefer to place my camcorder on the balcony.

My GL1 gets me pretty good picture for my needs. However, I would like to know if there are any microphones that will give me better sound. I don't want to drag my sound recording gear bag with me(with contains two pro mics, digital mixer, and a Marantz digital audio recorder)

I have two candidates so far. The Sennheiser MKE300 and the Rode Videomic. I haven't found any company(online or brick&motar) that has a money back return policy, so I have yet to try either one.

However, I'm not sure if those mics are suitable for recording live music. If I'm not mistaken, they are both mono mics, no?

Any advice appreciated!

[Douglas Spotted Eagle]

They're both mono mics, yes.

For a good low cost stereo mic, look at the AT 822 or 825.
Another nice mic in that same range is the Rode NT4. I recently did roughly 200 convolution reverb captures with both the AT and the Rode, and each has very nice qualities. The AT's are slightly less sensitive, but more "sweet" to my ear.
Both mics will work well with your GL.

[Chris Scharff]

Hi Douglas,
I have a similar question regarding the best mic(s) to use fior live concert sound, which I plan to do. Would one get better sound quality by using a setup like two Rode NT3 mics setup in an X-Y pattern, or by simply using one of the aforementioned stereo mics (AT822, AT825, NT4)? My main concern of course is price and since i dont know anything about sound recording I would love to know what is recommended. Thanks for your time.

(I also plan to mix that sound with a recording of the live feed from the board, you can see my other post here:
http://dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=55463

[Steve House]

Originally Posted by Chris Scharff

Hi Douglas,
...using one of the aforementioned stereo mics (AT822, AT825, NT4)? ....

FYI - the Rode NT4 is two NT5 capsules -permanently mounted in an X/Y array.