Hi--

>Thanks for the feedback. A few more questions/clarifications, if you do not
>mind.

>>I did buy one. If you do not use a side handle with the TRV900, your fingers
>>hit the mic.

>I don't follow. Are you saying that you must use an auxillary handle or
>tripod so your hands don't hit the 908 mic??

No, the TRV-900 mic - held in the usual way, the fingers touch the mic
area...

>>Also, it is hard to add a wind screen to a built-in mic. The
>>908 solves these problems, though overall its sound is not better than
>>the built-in mic.

>I realize the 908 is not a shotgun mic, but does it seem anymore
>directional than the built in? I just recorded an instrumental recital with
>the on camera mic and the audio is marred with sound from aside and behind
>me. I was hoping it might reduce some of this.

No - it is a similar design. The only mini-plug shotgun left that I know
about is the mono Sennheiser MKE-300 (about $175 - I use two for "stereo"),
but this mic often picks up hum from the TRV-900. Another solution place
a mic close to the musicians, and hard-wire it (or use Azden wireless
system) to the camcorder. BTW, no mic system at any price will remove
all ambient sound (and it would sound unpleasantly dry if it did), but
wireless lavaliers come closest (but you may want to add reberb later,
since room sound is reduced with these if they are close).

>>The 908 can also be used on an extension cord when closer
>>miking is possible/desireable.

>Now there is a point on which I need clarification. According to what I've
>read, unbalanced mics are very prone to signal loss and noise/interference
>when used with extension cords - so much so that one person told me to
>forget it for all but very short distances. Most say to go with balanced
>systems which require the added cost and bulk of XLR adapters/mixers.

A lot of myth here... Low-impedence mics (most are, these days) run fine
on low-capacitance wires, easily up to 50' or so (probably more). If the
mic head is reasonably well designed for sheilding, you use good wire
(RG59U, from Radio Shack) and metal connectors, and keep lines as far from
power lines, dimmers, etc, as possible, there is little problem. I used to
record in the Seattle Opera House with long runs of single-sided cables
(with home-made mics using trippled tiny Panasonic elements and a home-brew
preamp with phantom power), and these are rather nice-sounding recordings
without noise problems. Best try the cheap/easy solution first...

>What is the longest extention cord you have used with the 908? Do you know
>whether you could place the mic at the end of a 50 ft. cord for example?
John Dethoff

I have not tried this, but 8-10' should be OK. The wire is cheap enough
to just try 50' or so, and see... If it doesn't work, the Azden set is
about $150 (two for stereo - there are two frequencies available on each).