GH2 Ext mic/Ext recorder or Ext audio recorder connected to mic in?

T

TheCameraLens

Member
I have an audio question. I current have a Zoom H2 that I have used a couple of times as an ext mic on my GH2 by connecting the output from it to my mic input on the GH2. It works OK but it is awkward getting the levels right. I was thinking of getting a Rode Stereo Video Mic Pro to use instead. Will I get better results with that directly connected to the GH2, the H2 connected as I have been using it, or the H2 as a separate audio source synced later? I am mostly looking for good ambient sound recording rather than needing a shotgun or close mic'd solution for voice recording. My aim is for capturing natural scenes with their full ambiance (think Sunrise Earth videos). What record level setting should I use on the GH2? I was thinking level 2 with the mic output louder. Is that what you would recommend?

TIA

Colin
 
Without hearing it, it's hard to judge but if you're recording ambient sounds then it doesn't matter if you're using a camera mounted mic or your zoom since your enviromental source is at a distance and both recording are just going to sound bad. If levels are your only concern then yes, just record with a camera mounted mic and sync your sources in post. I'm assuming your camera mounted mic is simply a backup audio sourse?

Personally though, if quality is your main concern, then buy a GOOD MIC and field mixer to get the best recording in your zoom OR just purchase foley audio then you don't have to worry about spending $$$ on audio gear.

As a sggection for audio, my audio tech uses a PreMix D field mixer, Tascam recorder and NTG-3 & Audio Technica mics. We use a Sennheiser wireless transmitter to send the secondary audio to the GH3 as a backup but it never sounds nearly as good as the primary Tascam audio.
 
Kindredmachine said:
Without hearing it, it's hard to judge but if you're recording ambient sounds then it doesn't matter if you're using a camera mounted mic or your zoom since your enviromental source is at a distance and both recording are just going to sound bad. If levels are your only concern then yes, just record with a camera mounted mic and sync your sources in post. I'm assuming your camera mounted mic is simply a backup audio sourse?

Personally though, if quality is your main concern, then buy a GOOD MIC and field mixer to get the best recording in your zoom OR just purchase foley audio then you don't have to worry about spending $$$ on audio gear.

As a sggection for audio, my audio tech uses a PreMix D field mixer, Tascam recorder and NTG-3 & Audio Technica mics. We use a Sennheiser wireless transmitter to send the secondary audio to the GH3 as a backup but it never sounds nearly as good as the primary Tascam audio.
Click to expand...

Thanks Brent,

It sounds like I would be best off getting something other than the Rode mic at the moment. I will try some tests with the zoom and internal mics and see what kind of results I get before I make a final decision. I was mostly hoping to get better wind reduction and the winjammer I tried before didn't work too well with the zoom as it either covered the unit or left a gap.
 
Wind Reduction really requires a good blimp and/or a dead wombat. A camera mounted rode mic with foam and a cover should give you better wind reduction that the zoom for sure.. You can also clean it up a bit in post. Again though, the idea audio would be an good external mic with a Rode blimp and dead wombat...

Blimp
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/746075-REG/Rode_BLIMPB_Blimp_B_H_Signature.html

Wambat
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/809793-REG/Rode_DEADWOMBAT_DeadWombat_Windshield_for_Rode.html
 
Kindredmachine said:
Wind Reduction really requires a good blimp and/or a dead wombat. A camera mounted rode mic with foam and a cover should give you better wind reduction that the zoom for sure.. You can also clean it up a bit in post. Again though, the idea audio would be an good external mic with a Rode blimp and dead wombat...

Blimp
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/746075-REG/Rode_BLIMPB_Blimp_B_H_Signature.html

Wambat
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/809793-REG/Rode_DEADWOMBAT_DeadWombat_Windshield_for_Rode.html
Click to expand...

Thanks
 
look into the sescom cables, they have several different types for use with different recorders and cams, you can also monitor audio with this cable as it splits to a headphone jack while the other end goes to the camera. their about 35.00 bucks on amazon or ebay. Although if your able to monitor audio with your recorder, you might just need a cable to run to the camera. I had a zoom a awhile back but for the life of me can't remember how I set it up, but I did get good results with the zoom./
 
TheCameraLens said:
I was thinking of getting a Rode Stereo Video Mic Pro to use instead. Will I get better results with that directly connected to the GH2, the H2 connected as I have been using it, or the H2 as a separate audio source synced later?
Click to expand...

As has already been answered in this thread, the separate audio recorder will have better sounding audio, because you can set it to record at a higher sampling frequency and bit rate than the camera is capable of (most people set to record 48kHz 24-bit WAV files).

So in your case, you're looking at spending $324 for a Rode Stereo Video Mic Pro with a Dead Kitten windscreen. So when you're out recording in nature, you'll have a separate recorder and a microphone to set up, in addition to your camera.

Another way you can go is to get a better recorder, with better sounding built-in mics. The Sony PCM-D50 is the obvious choice here. For a long time it was $500, but I just checked it, and it's now $400. You can get the PCM-D50 and the Sony AD-PCM1 windscreen for around $445. With this gear, you'll only need to set up the recorder in the field in addition to your camera. Plus, you'll be upgrading from one of the cheapest portable digital recorders, to one of the best. The PCM-D50 uses separate circuit boards for the power supply, converters, and analog audio, so it can deliver quiet recordings. People who have owned it have always raved about the sound quality of the mics. It's an often overlooked piece of gear these days.
 
I would agree that an external recorder gives better audio quality than GH2 camera audio unless the recorder is garbage, but I would disagree that it has anything to do with a higher sampling rate or greater bit depth. Instead, I would say the difference is in the AGC in the GH2 which adds noise and makes setting levels much more difficult.

Fran
 
I just ordered a dead kitten that I will place on my H2 and then I will do some testing comparing the files from the H2 with the sound from the GH2 recording the output from the H2 fed into the GH2.
 
Sam Mallery said:
I wrote an article about setting audio levels recently:

http://www.sam-mallery.com/2013/02/how-to-set-audio-levels/
Click to expand...

Do you have recommended setting to deal with the AGC of the GH2? I have seen there are devices from Beach Tek available that fool the AGC with a constant signal that is out of the normal range of hearing. Can't afford to go that route at the moment so wondered if you knew of the best way around that if I want to use the GH2 to record audio for convenience.
 
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