first interview for documentary with H4n, need help

[Regnis]

Hi, firstly just want to let you know that i have a very limited understanding of audio (but do want to get much better at it)

I'm starting a documentary for my soccer club tomorrow and just want to know a few things about recording with the H4n...

*Should i record in wav. or mp3. format?
*and if in wav. what kHz/bit?
*if in mp3 how many Kbps?
*what recording level (mic level) should i record at (i'm guessing this is up to me to figure out)
*how far should i have the zoom underneath the person begin interviewed? (i will be shooting the interview with the h4n on a mic stand but need it out of the shot. Interview will be recorded on canon 7d with 50mm lens)

A couple of things you should know:
*will be recording in stereo format (as i don't have any external mics)
*interviews will be recorded indoors and outdoors
*wil be editing in FCP 7

thanks for any help you can give guys
reg

 

[galbach]

OK, Record in .wav format at 48/24
Try to get the Mic as close as possible to the subject.. a lav or boom or both would be IDEAL
you might want to set the h4n to mono mix... to keep your audio centered..

Good Luck,
-G

 

[Steve House]

Amplifying galbach's response a bit ...when recording normal speech levels cardioid mics such as on the H4n need to be within about 12 to 18 inches of the speaker's mouth. If at all possible you shouldn't have the Zoom 'underneath' the subject at all - the best position is above and in front of the subject directly over the camera line so when the mic is pointeding at their mouth it makes about a 45 degree angle with the horizontal. Never, ever, record your originals in mp3 ... that's a distribution format, not a recording format. The only benefit mp3 gives you is smaller file sizes but storage is cheaper 'n dirt and the lossy compression of mp3 is always a compromise on quality.