GH4 Best audio option for GH4?

T

trw_mavrik

Active member
Hi

I'm just about to buy a GH4 and just wanted to get some advise on the best audio solution for the camera. I primarily use AF100s and wanted to know the best way to get good audio into the camera as I m a single shooter that produces short films and corporate videos.

I'd like to run my XLR mics into the gh4 and was wondering if it as best to do so by using either a Beachtek DXA-SLR-ULTRA or by running them into a Tascam DR70-d and then into the camera. Ideally I'd like to record in camera rather than trying to sync in post.

Many thanks

T
 
I run the GH4 at -12 audio level, with the limiter off. I have a Sennheiser shotgun mic which I run into a juicedlink pre-amp, then into the GH4 mic input. I used to go into a zoom recorder then into the camera, but have found the audio quality for interviews is just fine and have stopped using a separate recorder. YMMV
 
I'll give another nod to the Tascam DR-60D. It's cheap and let's you get into multi channel audio. Only thing is the battery life really sucks!
 
I use a juicedLink Riggy micro 333. It has 3 XLR inputs. It has the ability to record a safety track on a second audio channel in the camera if desired. It has analog potentiometers for smooth level changes. It is very small and very well built. The preamps are quiet which results in excellent in camera audio. It can also provide phantom power.
Battery life is very good.
http://www.juicedlink.com/collections/riggy-micro
 
I would look at the Zoom H6 6-Channel Audio Recorder. It's a bit more expensive and larger, but can record internally as well as send a line out signal to the camera, depending on your situation. Has 4 XLR Inputs with analog level dials, and a built in detachable mic.
 
trw_mavrik said:
...or by running them into a Tascam DR70-d and then into the camera. Ideally I'd like to record in camera rather than trying to sync in post.
Click to expand...

First, DR70-D is excellent. Recording 2nd system is an excellent way to go. Syncing in post is easy. Nothing to be afraid of. This is why Hollywood invented clapperboards with the advent of "talkies", been working like a charm for 100 years.

But if you just refuse to record second system and insist on using the crappy audio chips in your camera, then you might as well skip the recording hardware and just use a field mixer direct into the camera. I've used an SD MixPre-D like this (it has an unbalanced stereo output aimed specifically for feeding mic-level input to a DSLR), and the improvement in sound quality is excellent and well worth the price. But you have to find a way to take your camera audio manual, so you can turn off the "automatic gain control" and turn down the gain on the camera to cut down as much as possible on noise from the camera's crappy chips. So turn down the camera, turn up the mixer. Just sayin'.
 
Hi Guys

Many thanks for all the responses! Im going to go down the external recorder route and feed it into the camera and record their too I have Pluraleyes and use it to sync multi camera weddings that I film, the only pain in the butt being the long way of dong it in Avid.

Regards

T
 
Bruce Watson said:
First, DR70-D is excellent. Recording 2nd system is an excellent way to go. Syncing in post is easy. Nothing to be afraid of. This is why Hollywood invented clapperboards with the advent of "talkies", been working like a charm for 100 years.

But if you just refuse to record second system and insist on using the crappy audio chips in your camera, then you might as well skip the recording hardware and just use a field mixer direct into the camera. I've used an SD MixPre-D like this (it has an unbalanced stereo output aimed specifically for feeding mic-level input to a DSLR), and the improvement in sound quality is excellent and well worth the price. But you have to find a way to take your camera audio manual, so you can turn off the "automatic gain control" and turn down the gain on the camera to cut down as much as possible on noise from the camera's crappy chips. So turn down the camera, turn up the mixer. Just sayin'.
Click to expand...
Could'nt agree more!
 
I've been using a Tascam DR-40 as an adapter to connect XLR inputs into my GH4. Works like a charm, though I am lusting after the new DR-70 to be able to connect 4 XLR lines into the camera.
 
Anyone have a suggestion for those of us without an interface for XLR? I'm looking into the Rode Videomic Pro and the Panasonic DMW-MS2 but I really just have no idea. I am sick of hauling a a seperate recorder and shotgun mic to do shoots just to get a little extra sound design. I specifically had to haul an HMC-150 (to record through) with a AT-835b shotty just to get some foley sound for one of the last shoots I did. It was awful.
 
For ultra-low-budget/ultra-low-profile stuff, I've been using a Beachtek MCC-2 passive 1/8" XLR adapter with a Rode VMP and Sennheiser G2 wireless. The resulting sound isn't flawless, but it's not bad and the operational footprint could barely be smaller.

If no wireless is needed, I often just go with the VMP
 
BSandburg said:
Anyone have a suggestion for those of us without an interface for XLR? I'm looking into the Rode Videomic Pro and the Panasonic DMW-MS2 but I really just have no idea. I am sick of hauling a a seperate recorder and shotgun mic to do shoots just to get a little extra sound design. I specifically had to haul an HMC-150 (to record through) with a AT-835b shotty just to get some foley sound for one of the last shoots I did. It was awful.
Click to expand...
The MixPre D underneath the GH4 works like a charm. The mixpreD has a mic level output design for DSLR.
 
If you're desperate for a small footprint, go for the Rode Videomic Pro. It doesn't sound as good as a Sennheiser, but then it costs significantly less and for interviews, it's good enough imho
 
BSandburg said:
Anyone have a suggestion for those of us without an interface for XLR?
Click to expand...

You've got three options available to you...

1- XLR pre-amp and pro mic
2- External recorder
3- Self-contained external mic

I would choose either of the first two options because I find that they sound better than an external self-contained mic.
 
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