Hello, all. Just a quick question. If I'm shooting a feature using a Glidecam V8, and recording the audio through a boom mic, will it be a real pain to connect the XLR cables directly to the camera and still have the Glidecam operate effectively. Or will it be easier to use an external recording device (HHB PortaDisc) and sync in post?

I will be using a Panasonic DVX100, which I understand has great audio built-in, but if plugging the XLR cables to the camera will affect the glidecam's performance, I might be better off using an external sound recorder. Assuming that the $$ is not an issue, and that I don't want to go the wireless route, which do you think will work best for this project: in-camera XLR inputs, or separate audio recording device?

Thanks in advance!

Jaime:

Cables will most certainly impair the performance of any camera stabilizer. You are right in thinking that shooting "double system" with an external recorder will make it much easier to achieve the results you are looking for. In addition, it can certainly speed things up on set by eliminating the cable tangle when moving between setups, even when on a tripod. I would recommend using a wireless setup to transmit the audio from the outboard recorder to the camera as a reference track (the onboard mike of the camera will work in a pinch but not particularly useful if the dialogue is distant) which will aid in syncing later, if there is a missed slate for instance.

As long as there is no aversion to post-syncing, I think it's a great way to go. Best of luck with your feature.

Thanks, Charles. That's pretty much what I thought. I'm not too jazzed about having to sync in post, but I'll deal. It's an independent feature, so I'm not in any rush to edit the thing. I'm thinking about the wireless thing as a back-up... we'll see what I can ultimately afford and still stay within budget.

Thanks for the input!