I am currently trying to use my xl-1 to shoot film. I have tried to use the "on board" mic. with a lightwave equlizer, but have found the audio quality below the level that can be accepted on a film level. After close inspection, the primary reason fo this is that i can hear the camra operation noise while recording in the audio (failt background hummm) at any rate, im looking for adivise on how to use the mic. that comes with the camra (and the one i spend some good cash on a windjammer for) with out the auido garbage, or a good place to start with a blanaced external mic. system. I have to operate under a tight budget, but low audio quality is just not an option.. any advise on a solution would be great !

Thanks, Chris M.

-- chris mismash (cmismash@xmission.com), August 04, 1999

Answers

I would spend the $150 - $200 on a beachtek XLR adapter. Then spend some more money buying a shotgun mic and fishpole, or renting. This is the set up that I have and it works just like a real film shoot. Audio goes from the mic, to a headphone amp on the boom operator, then to a Mackie mixer where a "sound recordist" monitors and adjusts the audio levels, and then into the beachteck mixer and into the camera. If you need to, you can bypass the headphone amp and the mixer. If you do not have someone monitoring the audio levels you will most likely get low levels. the sound recordist is the most inportant audio guy on a film shoot. YOU SHOULD ALWAYS HAVE ONE! With DV he monitors an audio mixer instead of the usual Nagra sound recorder.

For more information, stay tuned for the release of Digital- Filmmaking Magazine at www.digital-filmmaking.com

-- Thomas Koch (coast3@execpc.com), August 08, 1999.

my set up: either a wireless sennheiser or an 816 shotgun, both going in XLR, 16 bit- I keep the recording level on the camera at the 4th notch and make sure the levels are as close to the ZERO db mark as possible. on DATs, the -12 db is a good level to be hitting, but on the canon that's pretty low still. i've found (with the avid i use to edit on) that when you have the levels hitting really close (but not over) zero db, the sound is really clean and strong. the onboard mic sucks. get the mic as close to the subject as possible and keep the rec. level on the canon no higher than the 4th notch- that's my advice!

my other advice is to check out the XIMIX productions website: www.net1plus.com/users/clashua

-- memo salazar (xximixx@juno.com), September 22, 1999.

I think the entire subject of this thread is an oxymoron.

-- chris R (chris@rocketfactory.com), April 07, 2004.