Mic ?'s

Nick Niehaus · #1 (**permalink**) 05-30-2004, 12:22 AM

I always tend to go on and on and on in my posts, so just bear with me here.

My family bought a cheap Panasonic GS50S a while ago, before I really got into video. Now, I desperately want to upgrade to a better camera - even something inexpensive, like the TRV33. Alas, I am 13 and don't make enough money to buy a camera. My parents won't buy me one because they think the GS50S is fine.

My primary complaint with the GS50S is that the internal microphone is totally worthless. The camcorder's internal motors are so loud that they are quite noticable in the background (this may be a malfunction, though - I haven't been around enough camcorders to know!).

To at least help the audio problem, I've been looking into getting an external mic. The problem is, I've only got about $40 (I know, I'm so poor) and mics range from $80 to $300 on Ebay.

I do, however, have the kind of mic (don't know what it's called) that's used by news reporters, on podiums, etc - the kind in this picture.

I want to use this mic to record sound in my video, but from my experience you have to get incredibly close to that kind of mic in order for it to pick up anything.

So, finally, I get to my questions:

1. Although I have all the cables/adaptors I need, can I even use this mic for video? Would it pick up the audio at a decent volume? I'm thinking of putting it just outside the camera's field of view on a mic stand (which I'd have to get/borrow). The reason why I don't just go and try it now is because the camera in question is actually at a service center for maintanence for a few weeks (7 year old sister + fragile video equipment = broken camera)

2. What about those little lapel mics? Do they record good audio? I can get pretty creative when it comes to concealing cables, so that's not a problem.

3. Would it be a better investment just not to buy anything now, and wait until I can afford a nice $100 boom mic or something like that?

Thanks in advance to anyone who actually read through the whole post and answered any questions.

Marc Peters · #2 (**permalink**) 05-30-2004, 12:36 AM

You're not imagining things - the noise of the motors is indeed an unfortunate feature fo some cams internal mics. Connecting an external mic will, as you imagined, help. However, the mics used in cams are omni directional and pick up everthing (this is why when filming speaches for example, mics will pick up the slightest thing in the background and "focus" on that rather than the actual speaker). They also "zoom in" as the picture zooms in.

Again, as you thought, the kind of mic you describe needs to be relatively close to the subject to pick it up. You can use lapel mics, but remember they have to be cabled to the cam (radio mics would prove more expensive than a new cam). You can also get desk mics that sit on tables to pick up everything around them.

But your best bet is to get something mic that attaches to you cam like the Sennheiser MKE 300D.

MoJoe · #3 (**permalink**) 05-30-2004, 01:54 AM

for really good sound try to use that mic as a boom mic. When you're making a movie have someone hold the mic over the heads of the actors with the mic ductaped to a broomstick or something.

Nick Niehaus · #4 (**permalink**) 05-30-2004, 05:05 AM

Thanks! When my camera gets back from the service center I'll try the boom mic thing -- I've got a really light monopod that might work well as the boom pole.