Video/Audio recording

[adddibrux]

Good day gentleman. I have a pro-sumer HD vid camera, I wanna use external mics with. I understand the stereo audio of the camera has "active-gain", which is not disconnectable. Now, I have a stereo mic, that has a -20db cut switch, and a stereo pair, that each have a -10db cut switch. Is this the application I would use the cut switch in? To record into an active-gain device? Panasonic seems to have deliberately been obtuse in this regard, trying to keep peeps from using other manufactures mics.

[Silent Bob]

Well, "active" just means it uses power to do what it does.  Anything that uses gain by nature has to be active.  Virtually all microphones require additional gain in order to be recorded.
Anyway, if you're talking about auto-gain, you're in trouble because nothing will get around it.  Using the attenuators (cut switches) will just increase noise because the auto-gain will have to use even more power to bring up the lower level signal.  This is an issue even on some professional cameras.  I just use an external recording device and plug the mic into that.  I used to record location audio on HiFi VHS and dumped it to computer to match to the video, then I experimented with DAT and HDD but now I use a Zoom H4.  The H4n is better though.

Out of curiosity, which camera is it?

[adddibrux]

Thanks S.B., can't tell you how many times your posts have answered issues for me. Mucho respect. It's a Lumix GH-1. Fit the bill for me, for music vids, with the exception of XLR in's. That was easily countered, with adaptors, my hope being not to have seperate audio to synch. That said, in keeping the set-up portable, I wanted to use a Sony PCM-D50 recorder, for it's own mic's, as I find them gorgouse for accoustic instruments. It has a mic out line, to connect to the camera, but that auto-gain seems to peak constantly. Would the -20db setting on the Sony get me around this? Again, I could record on the Sony, but as you prolly know, post-a/v synch is a pain. And if one is gonna do that, then f@ck the Sony, and I could just use my full blown studio gear for audio, portability be damned. Tell me how to marry the Sony to the Panasonic camera, and my first-born is yours.

[Silent Bob]

Well if you like the Sony's mics and it's a superior recording device, I'd just record on that.  Sync shouldn't be anything difficult if you slate your takes properly.

[vinyl69]

Well if you like the Sony's mics and it's a superior recording device, I'd just record on that.  Sync shouldn't be anything difficult if you slate your takes properly.

And even if you don't slate it properly it's not impossible. Any respectable audio or video editing software ought to have pretty flexible tools for nudging audio or video forward or backward by single frames or ticks. It might take a few minutes to get it perfect, but it's certainly doable.

Be mindful of starting the video and the recording as close to simultaneously as possible and that can help minimize the amount of after-the-fact piddling it takes to get it synced. Those Sony recorders sound great, so I'd just record the video on the camera, use the Sony for audio and sync them up later (and trash the audio captured by the camera).

[Silent Bob]

Oh, it's a DSLR.  Then DEFINITELY record on the Sony.  Seriously, if you slate your takes, it'll take seconds to align the audio with the video.  The improvement in audio will be well worth the minor inconvenience.

[dinog]

I have'nt tried double system recording with my D50 because I have a sound devices recorder at work, but from what I understand you should have no sync issues with short takes. I seem to remember someone saying they were only a few frames off after an hours worth of recording. If that's true you should be fine...d