"someone"
<mike@xyz.com> wrote in message
news:bp6hlt0nec@enews3.newsguy.com...
(I'm
going to pretend that I'm fully awake while responding, but
I may
not succeed - which has been a problem lately...)
>
You cannot get good sound by recording from the back of the room.
This is
literally true, but a short shotgun mic and some sound processing
afterwards
can get acceptable (as in, "intelligible") sound in the situation
described
- remember that the picture is unlikely to be first-rate either,
so
spending far more on the sound gear than the camera may not make
sense...
>
Wireless microphone system that are likely to work cost in the neighborhood
> of
$400 and up.
The
$150 Azden WMS-Pro set offers acceptable performance for
a heck
of a lot less...
>
The run from the front of the room to the back is too long to avoid noise
>
with a setup that does not use balanced audio connections. Your camera will
>
not accept input from a balanced microphone without an adapter. XLR
>
adapters cost around $100 and up.
Simple
XLR adapters are far cheaper; runs of 50' with single-ended
lines
(what the camcorder uses) can work fine if the wire is good; I don't
recommend
method this due to the danger of tripping over the wire.
Standard
gear for classroom shooting here: a wireless mic on the speaker
on one
channel; a short shotgun on the other channel; a $5 Radio
Shack
dual-mono-to-stereo mini-plug adapter to get into the camera;
AGC
used; adjust levels and mix the channels while making dubs. The
Sennheiser
MKE-300 is an acceptable short-shotgun, and it is around
$175...
> A
lavaliere microphone that can be unobtrusively attached to her blouse will
>
cost somewhere around $150 up.
Ummm,
acceptable ones are as cheap as $15 (one comes with the
Azden
set...).
>
Figure $250 for the microphone and adapter and another $60-$100 for the
>
balanced cable required to run from the front to the rear of the classroom.
Too
much gear for the job, unless fully professional results are expected - but
then
the camera should be replaced, also...
>
All of a sudden, the cost of a wireless microphone isn't too bad in
>
comparison. A good wireless microphone
setup that will also connect to your
>
camera can be had from Sennheiser. The
bodypack transmitter and receiver
>
along with the lav microphone should be just under $400 if you shop around.
> It
is what I use in my video business.
The
Senn. Evolution 100 appears to be good, but I can't find it
for
under $500...
>
There are less expensive wireless microphones available and they may or may
>
not work well in this situation. Make
certain you select a wireless
>
microphone that uses the UHF bands, not the VHF bands (far less noise).
>
Make certain you can return the kit if it suffers poor performance.
That
last line is always good advice with video/audio gear...
--
David Ruether
d_ruether@hotmail.com
http://www.David-Ruether-Photography.com
>
"MarkW" <markwco(removenospam)@comcast.net> wrote in message
>
news:rurcrvgn1utupq3ttvln137t39emr3ve17@4ax.com...
>
> I own a ZR-70MC and my fiance will be teaching classes shortly and I
>
> have offered to videotape them for her.
I want a good microphone that
>
> will pick up her voice well (as well as students) from the back of the
>
> classroom which is probably about 25-30 feet back.
>
>
>
> I know Canon makes a microphone that fits on top of the camcorder
>
> itself. Would this microphone pick up well from the front of the
>
> classroom or would I want a plug in microphone that she can have at
>
> the front of the classroom?
>
>
>
> As well, I know there are a variety of microphones available if I get
>
> an external plug in mic but I know very little about them. I'd need a
>
> long cord (to go around the side of the classroom to avoid a tripping
>
> hazard) but if cordless mics are good (good quality as well as a long
>
> life battery) I would prefer cordless mics. As well, I'd like
>
> somethign that is a clipon that could go on her shirt so she doesn't
>
> have to hold a mic. I'm willing to
pay in the $50-$125 range for
>
> this.