"Shepard Tate" <shepard97504@yahoo.com>

wrote in message news:cb111cfb.0402061210.414e9a3b@posting.google.com...

> I record a lot of high school and college music performances with a

> Panasonic mini dv camcorder. We have not been happy with the audio

> portion of these recordings, although the video is great.

>

> I have been told that the solution is to get a good eternal

> microphone. Most of the recommendations I can find are for recording

> talking at the front of a meeting, etc. Our problem has to do with a

> large, often loud group of instruments in a concert hall. The video

> camera is usually toward the rear or side of the hall. The sound is

> great to the ear, but on playback it is not very good at all.

>

> Does anyone have a recommendation for a microphone for this sort of

> use?

The "trick" is to get a decent stereo mic closer to the music

source, while keeping the camera where it is (if that is

necessary - but you can move the camera with its own

mic much closer [and use a wide-angle lens converter, if

necessary] to get better sound). If you need to place the mic

far from the camera (a Sony 908c works well for this, and

it can likely plug into the camera's mic input, which disconnects

the built-in mic), you can "hard-wire" the mic placed near

the stage to the camera (use only very well shielded extension

cable for this!), but you risk problems with noise, disconnects,

and tripping people. You can also use adapters and a pair

of decent wireless units (some come with acceptable mics),

though this solution is much more expensive and risks

interference noises. Easiest: just get the camera (with attached

external mic, or the built-in mic) MUCH closer to the sound

source...

--

David Ruether

d_ruether@hotmail.com

http://www.David-Ruether-Photography.com