GH3 GH3 Audio - Can I now effectively record internally (coming from a GH2)

J

JamesL

Member
Hi,

For some reason I can't seem to find a good thread on this topic...

I have a GH2, and hate having to record using my Zoom and then sync. Adds so much time to my workflow.

I did see that the GH3 has a headphone jack. Is it going to be as simple now as plugging in my nice lav mic, or is the quality still sub-par?

Thanks for any and all feedback. I appreciate it.

JL
 
The GH3 has an undefeatable AGC circuit in it's audio chain, so the only way to get good low-noise audio with almost no AGC corruption is to record with your GH3 at it's lowest audio level, which is 1. At level 1 you need to feed your GH3 a strong -20 dB audio signal to record clean sound, which means that your lav mic will need to go through an external preamp ( like a JuicedLink Riggy unit ) to produce a strong enough signal that records well with your GH3 camera.

I haven't been able to test things with a GH4 camera with the factory installed audio fix, but it looks like the GH4 camera will be able to produce a good recording from a regular MIC level -50 dB audio signal, so no external preamp will be necessary. I plan on testing this out when I finally get my hands on an audio fixed GH4 camera. (Henry's told me new GH4s should be in this week, but Vistek told me no more GH4s in Canada until the end of September )
 
I recorded an orchestral performance not too long ago using the GH2 and my Zoom H4n. The camera was hacked to up the audio bitrate to 448 Kb/s. The Zoom was recording .wav files at 24/48.

I synced the two in my NLE, then cut up the tracks to switch back and forth between the camera audio and the zoom audio. I then exported that to another 24/48 .wav file and played it back on my Denon/Paradigm sound system. (It's not audiphile caliber, I'll grant you, but it is a cut above average.)

I could not tell where the cuts were. The GH2's AC3 sounded every bit at good as the Zoom's .wav files.

My advice, if you're recording nat sound, skip the Zoom and just use the GH2. If you're recording mics that need an XLR input, send the output of the Zoom into the GH2. In either case, chances are the camera version will be perfectly usable, making post a whole lot easier.
 
Thank you both for your helpful replies. Based on your feedback I did a bit more research. I'm a bit hopeful I'll be able to conduct interviews and connect directly to the GH3. For the first try I'll probably use the zoom as a backup.

A few vids I found regarding the subject:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHnVc_xJj5I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWLXLuz081c
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIJdNs9z6Ww
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I'm also now considering the GH4 as well, but not sure if I can swing it into the budget yet.
 
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