Simple question about sound equipment for VX2100
 

We have recently inherited a brand new VX2100 (long story...and this free camera is going to end up costing us a lot of money, I think). I am an editor but we are going to do a little shooting now that we have the camera.

After reading the recent posts about sound and Beachteks and buzzing and crackling and police radios...I am hinky about the whole sound caper.

Here's the deal. We are going to be doing some instructional video (golf and exercise stuff) so we need wireless mics. We know very little about all of the tech/under the hood stuff. I have read many of the posts and franky it's like reading chinese with all of the tech jargon.

So...

Can somebody recommend the best "sound in" package (wireless mics plus Beachtek...or whatever) for under $8-900 +/-?

Like buy this and that...it's all you'll need... it'll work fine...that's as good as your going to get for that kind of $$$.

Sorry if this is elemtary stuff for Y'all or if we have repeated other threads...it's baffling for us cutters.

MP

As soon as you mention multiple wireless microphones, I think you are out of your budget if you want reliable units (Ignoring how you wire them into the camera).

I haven't looked at current prices but I'd guess that a single Sennheiser wireless with Lav will cost you in the neighborhood of $600 at discount. You should be able to get an output cable from the Senn that will plug directly into the 2100 if you can get by with one wireless. That keeps the Beachtek out of the equation. And by the way, I'd recommend a Studio One adapter box rather than the Beachtek. Only because my experience with that product line has uniformly been better than the users of Beachtek products.

Are you certain you really need wireless and couldn't get by with a wired microphone on a boom pole?

If you get any further into the mic questions, you really should post on the Now Hear This forum, not this one. You will get responses from people who focus on sound, not cameras (even though one cannot divorce one from the other).

If you want to get excellent sound from the VX2100, I'd recommend the Greg Winter audio mod which by-passes the somewhat noisey pre-amps in the camera (mod costs $200). Then I'd recommend one of the Sound Devices mic pre-amps - as you'll now need a hotter input signal. You can get a single channel one for ~$300, a 2 ch for $650, and a 3 ch device for ~$1,200 (I know, out of budget..). I have had the mod done to my VX and the difference in sound quality is amazing..! I use the Sennheiser G2 wireless system, and I use Countryman B3 & B6 mics as well as the supplied ME2 mic which I found rather too noisy for quiet speech. You can get the G2 kit for ~$500, so that plus the pre-amp plus the audio mod is going to push you out of your declared budget range...
As a Post Script: money invested in high quality audio gear is seldom wasted: it tends not to 'wear out' like cameras do, and it manages to retain its value in the secondhand market - should you ever need to sell it later on..
Rgds, Ross.
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Buy one Sennheiser G2 UHF system for $500 for your main wireless
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...ughType=search

and one AT Pro88 VHF System for $170 for a secondary wireless
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...ughType=search

and this beachtek for $170 (or the Studio One equivalent Mike recommends)
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...ughType=search

It's all you need, it will work fine* and it's the best you are going to do within your budget.

* the G2 and Beach will work fine virtually all of the time (and many times you'll need only one wireless, and the AT will work fine most of the time

If you could swing another $140 for a classic Shure handheld dynamic mic and a 25 foot cable, you could handle many situations in a very proferssional way with one wireless and one handheld mic. That approach may sometimes even be preferable. Also, the handheld would be a good backup in the event you got interference on the AT.

Hmm, golf & exercise stuff? So you'll be taping outdoors? Wind --even a slight breeze -- will be a factor and can mess up your audio if you're using bare mikes.

Depending on the audio system, there are different things you can put over the mikes to dampen the wind effect. Common is a 'dead cat' -- which is kind of a furry thing as the name implies.

Where ever you get your audio equipment should be able to give you advice on what will work best with what you're buying.

Azden makes a 2 channel (FMX-20) and a 3 channel (FMX-32) mixer that might be worth looking into - Plus they make a 2 channel wireless system(WR22-PRO) that will allow you 2 mic's at the same time with one receiver. The mic is probably pro-sumer, but the FMX mixers seem like pro quality. Anyone use the FMX-20 or FMX-32 ??

Ezra