Hi this forum was recommended and the help I need is that I bought a Sony SR90E HDD cam and while very happy with it I like to film music gigs and I would like better quality sound if possible, that's why I need help/tips with what external mics and how they work etc
Living in Dublin which is prob way behind the techy times all I can get my hands on in time (gig is this friday) is

Hama RMV-02 or I have to phone a guy in a Cam shop tommorow that sells Seinnheiser.......

I can get close to stage when recording these gigs too etc

/edit
I really want the bass not to come across distorted like my 1st filming last week and hog the vid sound if you know what I mean, I love bass but not when it drowns out everything else.

/edit II!
I used the search feature and I see the Guru bloke recommend this
http://www.sennheiser.co.uk/uk/icm.nsf/root/0317
MKE 300
Reading reviews now but is this a mono mic as I read "Connector type: Mini-phone mono 3.5 mm "
Hama RMV-02
I would def want stereo for music gigs etc
Jusr read this review :( so looks like I may well have to go for the Hama RMV-02 mic

The guru bloke says...

A really good mono recording will sound much better than a rubbish stereo one.

This doesn't mean that you have to go down the mono route, just that you get what you pay for when it comes to microphones. Sennheiser are great mics, Hama are rubbish, in between are a whole range of makes, types and prices!

For a gig in a pub, I'd honestly suggest you go for a halfway decent condenser cardiod microphone such as a Sennheiser ME62/K6 or an AKG SE300B/CK91, both retailing at the £300-400 mark. Unfortunately you'll have to add on a beachtek or other power supply to get it to work with your camcorder but...

If you don't want to fork out this much then the Audio Technica Pro 24 is a nice microphone which is much better than a Hama or Vivanco and won't cost the earth (less than £100). It also has a 3.5mm connector and (wait for it) is stereo!

That's my suggestion. There are loads of makes, Rode seems to be very popular, but I have no experience with Rode mics, so I don't want to suggest something which might not be what you want.

Cheers for the reply, lots in it for me to chew over, I am in Ireland as I said b4 and need this mic for friday.....
I will knock the Hamo on the head so and phone the gyu in the morning from the otehr Cam shop and see what Seinnheiser he has, ideally one for about 100-200 euro.


Audio Technica Pro 24 I wouldn't be able to get here
in like 3-4 days here :(


GOnna send to UK
hope it comes in time!

(20:58:19) (Janer-) gonna order the audio technica online
(20:58:51) (Rocket-away) does it fit the shoe?
(20:58:54) (Rocket-away) check that first.
(20:59:07) (Rocket-away) I couldn't see any ref to the shoe.
(21:00:26) (Janer-) i assume shoe is a universal size
(21:00:41) (Rocket-away) you're sure it has a fitting to clip in?
(21:00:46) (Rocket-away) I just can't see it
(21:00:52) (Rocket-away) and they do sell mounts for them

soz for the irc log but er

Audio Technica AT2020 Condenser Mic (also does it fit the shoe)
Is that similar to the pro24 model? as having trouble getting that on a decent UK site.

The at2020 is more of a studio microphone than something you could use for everyday filming. It's also mono and has an xlr conector, neither of which are what you wanted.

A quick guide to microphone manufacturers...

Neumann & Schoeps: very expensive, superb quality, you need to know what your doing tho'.
Sennheiser: top quality, quite expensive, the K6 range is their "semi-pro" stuff.
AKG & Audio Technica: Excellent quality, tends to be cheaper than Sennheiser.

Rode: New kids on the block, good price/quality ratio. I personally have never used them so can't comment.

Hama, Vivanco, or any microphone under £50: steer well clear.

I don't know what your price range is. If you're going to buy new (and can deal with an XLR connector) then I would suggest looking at the AKG SE 391B Condenser Microphone from the Blueline series rather than a Sennheiser equivelant which is more expensive.
It seems though, you need a microphone with a 3.5mm connector. Since today's only Tuesday and your gig's on Friday, you should be able to get an Audio Technica from an internet site somewhere in Europe who can guarantee delivery by Friday.

TY for replies
I will let u know further on in the week as I get on but not gonna rush now and make sure I get a proper mic in my budget (about €200)
I read the manual and there was a volume feature I had not used, I had it on normal and the manual had recommended low for music, so I try that friday if I have no mic in place to see what it's like.

Again thanks for all help, I never realised mics were so dear or such a serious business, fascinating tbh.

Sorry to butt in here, but my suggestion is this - IF the band / artist uses a sound desk, and they are 'mic'd up' ask to get a feed or a recording from that. Now, the main thing is this, the sound from a desk is dry in as much as there is no mic (usually) directed at the audience and that sort of live ambient sound doesn't therefore come over from a desk recording.

What I do is this. Get the recording from the desk (bands usually have a recorder of some type and they will most likely let you have a copy), do the filming just using the normal everyday mics on the camera and mix the two together in your editor. I find the ratio is around 90% desk, 10% camera mic.

The result is a good, clean sound in terms of vocals, drums, bass and guitars, and a nice backdrop of echoey room sound, applause and reaction. Another benefit is that they will have soundchecked and mixed it for you already, so a huge chunk of work has been done for you.

One thing though is this. On your camera, as you move about getting your shots close to stage, the sound will alter dramatically as you roam. If you're in front of the bassist, it'll be all bass etc. The answer is to lock off a camera at the back of the room and use that as the 10% feed.

Hopefully, this way will save you a ton of money in the mic department and give you better results.

Remember, no matter how damn good a mic is, if you stand if front of a guitarist, pretty much all you'll hear is his guitar. Stand in front of the PA and you'll get a huge distorted mess. Having said that, even a great mic at the back of the room won't give you a soundtrack as good as the above method when done properly.

Just a suggestion, but as you've gathered, the Guru knows his eggs when it comes to mics, so if you have to go that way, do listen to his advice.

__________________
www.playpauseclick.com

Ta
I will be fiming just for fun mostly and solo so wouldn't be asking the sound guy etc but I do get your point.

Phoned the guy in the shop and basically for a lazy type like me who just wants the mic to fit in the shoe (onbaord) I ended up ordering the ECMHST1
http://www.sony.ie/view/ShowProduct....AC+Microphones
while I don't expect it to be groundbreaking it is at least a start.
Will let you know in the future if it "added" anything to sound etc

At the risk of forming a mutual appreciation society...

Listen to Turnmedia, he does this sort of thing for a living and knows what he's talking about. I assumed that it was just you with a small band in a pub (ie no "proper" sound PA apart from guitar amps, the singers and so on.) If there is a sound desk then Turnmedia's suggestion is much, much better than getting a mic and recording yourself.

A word of warning, just having an on-camera microphone on a mobile camera is the worst thing you can do, unless you're just going to have the camcorder in one position, locked off. You're far better off getting a mic on a cable positioned in front of the band (but not too close) which stays in the same position throughout the gig.

Best of all, try to do what Turnmedia says on this one!