External Mic Recommendations

[John Macri]

I ordered a GS400 which I will use largely to record my daughter's performances. She's the singer in Pop/Rock and Swing bands in various venues. For the most part, I'll be recording from 10-20 feet away, although on New Year's Eve I'll be shooting from a balcony 70 feet distant.

I'm considering the Sony ECM-MS908C stereo microphone and like it's compact size. Unobtrusiveness is desired if possible since my videotaping is frequently not "preauthorized" by the club, etc.
In fact that's why I picked the GS400 over the GL2 - portability and unobtrusiveness (among other things).

Am I on the right track and/or what other mics should I consider?

Thanks for your assistance.

[Jesse Bekas]

I got a unidirectional Azden SGM-X for my PV-DV851 and I really like the quality, although I put it on a flash bracket shoe mount to avoid transport vibrations being recorded. I think the DV851, DV953, and GS400 share the same, or similar audio input specs.

[Ole Petter Nordahl]

If you want a top quality microphone.

Buy Ambient Tiny Mike (www.ambient.de).

This is a small shotgun microphone which fits perfectly on top of the camera. (You don't need the Tiny Mix)

The mic drags the power from the mic-in (plug in power) from the camera.

http://www.sounddevices.com/ is the distributor in the US

[Carlos E. Martinez]

<<<-- Originally posted by John Macri : I ordered a GS400 which I will use largely to record my daughter's performances. She's the singer in Pop/Rock and Swing bands in various venues. For the most part, I'll be recording from 10-20 feet away, although on New Year's Eve I'll be shooting from a balcony 70 feet distant.

I'm considering the Sony ECM-MS908C stereo microphone and like it's compact size. Unobtrusiveness is desired if possible since my videotaping is frequently not "preauthorized" by the club, etc.
In fact that's why I picked the GS400 over the GL2 - portability and unobtrusiveness (among other things).

Am I on the right track and/or what other mics should I consider?
-->>>

Everything will depend on how serious an editing you wish to do with those recordings later on.

Taping from a distance and recording from the sound coming from speakers (which is what you would actually be doing) won't get too much of a quality sound. You will basically be recording amplified sound.

So I don't think a quality mic will make much of a difference.

Do it as a pro should: ask your daughter if she can provide at least a mini-disc recording of each presentation. Then when editing you will only use the sound of your camera as a guide to the better quality audio from the MD. That is the correct way to go about such project.

Also pick one or two of the songs you will not use to make close ups of each member of the band, that you will need when editing. You can usually repeat those close ups and no one will notice. Try to get different angles for them, if possible.


Carlos

[John Macri]

Thanks for all the great recommendations. One question though, for my purposes (live band), would a shotgun or stereo mike be better?

[Carlos E. Martinez]

<<<-- Originally posted by John Macri : Thanks for all the great recommendations. One question though, for my purposes (live band), would a shotgun or stereo mike be better? -->>>

Probably a stereo mic, but if you are too far away you should get a stereo shotgun. There are some AT models that might fit your bill.


Carlos