Is my audio as bad as they say it is?

Lil Chillbil

Lil Chillbil

Member
So on my youtube channel I have been using a internal mic on my t3i for a few months and the audio has been meh for the most part. I went from the xl1 to the t3i and while the video has gotten better the lack of a decent shotgun/recorder has left me in a bit of a tight spot. I need new lighting, but I also need a half decent mic, I have shot weddings on the internal audio and the people say it sounds fine. Some people would flat out slap me in the face with a fs700 if it means it would get me to stop using internal audio. I am hopefully getting the zoom h1 with a dslr mount tomorrow. Unless anyone else has a bright idea for a mic that I can use sub $150.

Here is an example of what i'm talking about, most people don't talk with a boomy voice so internal sounds worse but i've got the house to myself when I film. but still the second I go outside I can hear EVERYTHING except me

Inside

But once we get outside


Any input on whether I should be ashamed of myself for going so long with internal audio, or advice on other options besides the zoom h1 would be much appreciated.
 
I'd never rely on an internal mic on any camera for any professional application. Audio quality is just as important as video quality, if not more important.

Get yourself either an off-camera shotgun mic or a decent lav. General rule of thumb is you want to get the mic as close as the source of your audio (your mouth) as possible without being in the shot.
 
Mike Lorushe said:
I'd never rely on an internal mic on any camera for any professional application. Audio quality is just as important as video quality, if not more important.

Get yourself either an off-camera shotgun mic or a decent lav. General rule of thumb is you want to get the mic as close as the source of your audio (your mouth) as possible without being in the shot.
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Thanks for the advice Mike, would you recomend the h1 mounted on a makeshhift pvc boom?
 
Mike Lorushe said:
Yeah, that would yield considerable better results. The Zoom H1 utilises a stereo mic though, so it won't eliminate background noise as well as a shotgun mic would.
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Hopefully will be able to pick up the zoom h1 tomorrow. i'll mess around with it, is there anyway to sync up audio in premiere CC and cs2 without having to manually do it?
 
You could get a cheap wired lav mic and plug it into your phone or camera - no actual need for a recorder (at this point)
 
It's not dreadful - we can hear your voice, but we're hearing so much else too - that's it really. One question - in US v UK English, is there some differences between refrigerator (fridge) and freezer? I've never heard of anyone freezing film, keeping it chilled, yes. What would ice do inside the film container on any moisture? Probably an old problem never coming back, but intriguing!
 
I would call the fridge the thing you keep your fruit, veggies, stuff you don't need super cold in, whereas the freezer freezes the **** out of anything and that food will require defrosting (your meats you're not planning to eat immediately, your mother's head that you've kept for 20 years, etc.)
 
There are some extra steps in order to keep your films for years in the freezer, you don't just throw it in there lol. But anyway yes I got the zoom h1, and I think I may be a bit in over my head for run and gun syncing audio in premiere. The audio sounds fantastic but my issue is that syncing it is utter hell lol. Is there any tips for syncing audio?
 
Lil Chillbil said:
The audio sounds fantastic but my issue is that syncing it is utter hell lol. Is there any tips for syncing audio?
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Tip 1: Use plural eyes.

Tip 2: If you're shooting in a controlled environment (actually even if you're not) click your fingers or clap your hands once in front of the camera right at the beginning of each take. That will make manual syncing a lot easier.

Tip 3 (my favourite): Plug your zoom directly into your T3i by using a male to male mini jack cable from the zoom's headphone output to the camera's mic input. You can use magic lantern to disable the T3i's auto gain control and also to check your levels. I don't know if the T3i has a headphone jack, but if it doesn't use a splitter like this. I use to do this all the time with my old T2i and Zoom H4N and had great results.
 
morgan_moore said:
You could get a cheap wired lav mic and plug it into your phone or camera - no actual need for a recorder (at this point)
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Azden makes an affordable model, but it requires plug-in power. But it sells for like 20$. I own one and I'm satisfied with it.
 
I am very satisfied with my new zoom h1, I made a diy boom pole out of pvc and even was able to use it on the set of my latest short film. Though my own issue is that when recording live stuff its quite hard because i'm not going to be the only idiot at the camera convention sitting there clapping every 13 minutes during the keynote.
 
If you're planning on running your mic directly into your camera, you may also want to look into getting a juiced link. It's got a much better preamp than the one in your camera and it makes for much better audio. I use one at my job for almost every shoot.
 
There's so much more to sound than "which recorder to buy" and "how close to get it to the action." I would highly recommend that you check out the Sound for Film and Television tutorial. It will be money well spent on a useful and foundational course. Understanding sound takes time and practice, but starts with a little knowledge.
 
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