Audio equipment for beginner?

B

BBFilm

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Hey, I'm starting a very small cinematography service in my town, mainly for practice and to hopefully earn a bit of money, and my main problem as of right now is recording sound for my Canon DSLR productions. I'm a student cinematographer so I'm not taking any complex projects (most of my work will be simple commercials, recording local bands live, trying to put together a simple music video, Youtube advertisements, maybe recording a dance recital here and there, stuff like that) and I'm looking to record clear professional sound, just on a budget. Very honestly I only have around $200 to spend at most, so I'm really looking for advice on what are the absolute cheapest ways I can achieve this and with what sound recorder and microphones?

The only thing is that any sort of person who records audio is probably going to want a sound recorder with at least a headphone jack, and obviously the ability to play with the levels to at least a minimal extent. Other than that, you know... I don't know. Whatevers cheapest and will allow me to get the job done with good positioning of the microphones. Also, concerning the microphone, most of my work will be talking and maybe recording live music/events. Just looking, for first, just something that can cover a few different needs in one, something that gives rich sound without sounding too flat, too blown, or too powerful natively.

I really have no clue, but it kills me every day that I'm not out learning about sound because it's something I think is really important. All the things I read on the net really is all a bit dated other than the basic stuff and it seems like newer cheaper things come out every day so... please and thank you! For me personally, it seems a bit much to spend over $75 on a sound recorder with level and headphone options, and same for the microphone, but I do have around $200 to spend I think so... please recommend whatever you think is really a great deal for my needs!
 
and I'm looking to record clear professional sound, just on a budget.
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"Professional sound" will probably not come out of a microphone and recorder at your price range. Better sound than what your camera offers can be achieved, though.

The only thing is that any sort of person who records audio is probably going to want a sound recorder with at least a headphone jack, and obviously the ability to play with the levels to at least a minimal extent. Other than that, you know... I don't know. Whatevers cheapest and will allow me to get the job done with good positioning of the microphones. Also, concerning the microphone, most of my work will be talking and maybe recording live music/events. Just looking, for first, just something that can cover a few different needs in one, something that gives rich sound without sounding too flat, too blown, or too powerful natively.
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If you're recording a live band, you might want to connect the recorder directly to the mixing board as it will probably achieve better sound than what you are aiming to do. For interviews, you'll want to use a boompole or handheld mic. A boompole can be made cheaply, but you'll be hurting for mic selection with the money that's leftover after paying for a recorder. There are tons of recorders in the $1-200 dollar range and they each offer their own positives and negatives.

personally, it seems a bit much to spend over $75 on a sound recorder with level and headphone options, and same for the microphone
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$75 is just scratching the surface on the most basic of recorders, the same for mics.

On the cheap, still might break your budget though:
Tascam DR-05 Handheld digital recorder. $100 http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/757065-REG/Tascam_DR_05_DR_05_Portable_Handheld_Digital.html

or

Zoom H-1 $90. (Amazon has a used one for $84 and free shipping). http://www.amazon.com/Zoom-H1-Portable-Digital-Recorder/dp/B003QKBVYK/ref=pd_cp_MI_3

I haven't used either one so I can't vouch for the quality of their inputs, but at this price you won't be getting class A preamps. It is what it is, but read the reviews and find which cheap recorder is the most usable for this purpose.

Audio-Technica AT835B. It's AA battery-powered so you don't need phantom mic power on your recorder. One used will run you from $1-175 Here's one on ebay for $165 http://www.ebay.com/itm/Audio-Techn...787?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item43b2a13f53
Build a boom pole. There a lot of tutorials on the internet on how to do it for free or cheap, depending on what you have around your house.
Build or buy a shockmount for the mic. A basic shockmount starts at around $30-40.
Buy/acquire/borrow an XLR-1/8" cable. The mic output is XLR female and the input on most recorders in this price range is 1/8" (otherwise known as "headphone jack-sized"). $7-10. Here's one: http://www.amazon.com/Hosa-XVM-110M-Right-Angle-3-5mm/dp/B000K6B2DI/ref=pd_cp_e_1
Headphones. You might have some around. Ideally I'd say borrow or use the best ones you can get. Don't use ones with "super bass" or anything. You want them as flat-sounding as possible.

And finally: do some studying on audio. Practice a lot. And don't forget to clap to sync your audio track and video track for post.
 
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I think te lowest level recorder you should get would be a tascam DR 40. It has a ton of features and I have seen it around 156 bucks before. Seems like it is back to 199 on BH Photo. This amazon seller has a kit for 199.

http://www.amazon.com/Tascam-Record...8&qid=1346216826&sr=8-2&keywords=tascam+dr+40

BHPhoto has a ton of good reviews.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/821259-REG/Tascam_DR_40_DR_40_4_Track_Handheld_Digital.html

I don't think you should get a recorder that cheap because you may want to upgrade down the road. I think if you get the Tascam you could get a mixer/preamp for it later. You could do the same for the cheaper recorders, but I wouldn't. Get decent/good gear from the start if you can.
 
Definitely good/not crap gear from the get-go if you can help it. Anyway to save your pennies and have $3-350 for a budget?
 
If audio is half of video (and it is), then you need to raise your budget since I'm sure you have spent more on your hdslr kit. For a start, you might look into the Rode Videomic. They make both mono and stereo versions and can be plugged directly into cam. Anything in this price range is a significant compromise, but this would be a fair starter mic on a pinched budget.

Grant
 
Off-camera microphones would be your best bet. But you might want to budget a bit extra for a plug-in lav. For the price, it will be hard to beat Giant Squid's mics http://www.giant-squid-audio-lab.com/
You'll hear this often: it's better to have a $50 mic 1 foot away than a $500 mic 10 feet away. Nickpickles gave you some great suggestions. Study up on the techniques for best quality audio capture, and re-invest in higher quality gear when the paying gigs come.
 
Nickpickles said:
...
If you're recording a live band, you might want to connect the recorder directly to the mixing board as it will probably achieve better sound than what you are aiming to do. For interviews, you'll want to use a boompole or handheld mic. ....
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Not true unless the band is mic'ed for recording. In a typical show setup only the vocals and some of the instruments will be mic'ed. Other instruments, such as the drum kit and guitar cabinets, are loud enough on their own without need for reinforcement and so they aren't going through the PA board. As a result, they will only be present in your recording of the PA feed from their bleed into the other mics on stage.
 
Steve House said:
Not true unless the band is mic'ed for recording. In a typical show setup only the vocals and some of the instruments will be mic'ed. Other instruments, such as the drum kit and guitar cabinets, are loud enough on their own without need for reinforcement and so they aren't going through the PA board. As a result, they will only be present in your recording of the PA feed from their bleed into the other mics on stage.
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...And of course, the sound engineer is going to be constantly playing with the levels and the mix, which sounds fine live, but will cause sudden drops in volume in the recording or he might flat-out cut the signal depending on the performance requirements. This is something I've often been warned about by the people manning the mix boards.

All the things I read on the net really is all a bit dated other than the basic stuff and it seems like newer cheaper things come out every day so...
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This holds true largely for digital tech. On the side of things like recorders, which have digital components, you may see reduction in price over time; but mics, mixers, monitors & so on are all pure analog and you'll only see price change if the manufacturing process changes or if it's no longer made. When you purchase audio gear, it is most definitely a long-term investment, whether you buy a $2000 microphone or $100 Sony headphones.

Also, tech changes, but sound physics don't.
 
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