Noob advice please

R

Radikal

Member
My camera does not have a microphone input (Nikon D90).

I'd like a solution that will record the audio for later synching with the video.

Budget is as low as can be for audio; goal is to make believable, short artsy home movies. Mostly indoors.

Please let me know where to start. Thanks!
 
Zoom H4N would be a good, low-budget recorder. But you still need to get a couple of mics and a boom pole system.

Start with a Rode NTG-2 package (mic, pole, mount, windscreen, cables):
http://www.dvcreators.net/dvcreator-location-sound-package-1/

That will cover you for outdoors, and adding an Oktava MK-012 hypercardioid, which can mount in the shockmount from the NTG-2 package, will cover you for interiors.

The Zoom H4 is cheaper than the H4N, but the pre-amps in the H4 are noisy... supposed to be much improved in the H4N. You could add a Sound Devices MixPre to get better pre-amps. Be absolutely sure to get good headphones, too. Sony MDR-7506.

Sound is an investment. Even a budget-minded sound package is going to cost a bit.
 
I have one of the Edirol R09 recorders. My biggest gripe is the lack of XLR inputs (and phantom power for the matter). It only accepts 1/8" mic and line level. The pre-amps on this model are also on the weak side so there is a higher noise floor. Not sure if this has been fixed in the newer model. Having a external pre amp/mixer would be fantastic but in a way it would defeat the purpose of such a small recorder. I mostly use it for gathering ambient and other sound for the mix but have never tried using it for synced dialogue (but I do like having it around as a backup in case the unforseeable happens to my DVX).

My suggestion would be to go for one of the recorders that can handle XLR. There's the Zoom (which I still think looks like a taser), and for a few hundred more the Marantz PMD660. Here's a comparison chart I looked at while shopping around.

http://transom.org/tools/recording_interviewing/200703_recorder_reviews/

I second the use of the 7506's. Good headphones are indespensible.
 
Radikal said:
My camera does not have a microphone input (Nikon D90).

I'd like a solution that will record the audio for later synching with the video.

Budget is as low as can be for audio; goal is to make believable, short artsy home movies. Mostly indoors.

Please let me know where to start. Thanks!
Click to expand...

Although not ideal, you can actually use the internal mics in the Zoom -- for now. Though you will DEFINITELY get FAR better sound quality if you spring for the Rode and/or Oktava mics. But to practice in the beginning, you can play with the Zoom's internals. I own an H4, and have also used the Zoom H2. (Get the H4N. No XLR's or phantom power on the H2.)

I've even seen a Zoom H4 strapped to the end of a boom pole, being used as a poor man's boom mic. Again, NOT ideal by a long long shot -- but if your budget is extremely tight, it's a start.

Good luck!
 
I own an H4n and it's preamps are good, but i admit I haven't had time to really try pushing them yet. The display and features on it are great though. And 4 track recording is awesome if you want to record ambient noise and close-up mic material at the same time.

The only downside I've run into with it is that it can't record a line level signal, so buying a Mixpre down the road isn't an option for that device.
 
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