Kodak Zi8 Zoom H2 recording tests...

[ljguitar]

Hi all…
Been playing with my Kodak Zi8 video recorder at 720dpi with 30 fps and my Zoom H2 as the mic. Just wanted to share my results...

There are lots of warts in these...sorry! But I don't see putting more time into it at this point, just wanted to get a working arrangement.

Here are the links:
720dpi export/upload
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldNB2jsf9NY

420dpi export/upload
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OP6_3dBDpmo

I spaced the mic (by measure) 18'' out from the neck body joint about 2'' lower than the joint and aimed up at it (the camera is 6 feet away). The volume output of the H2 is set on 40 and the mic is on High input. I'm using the front mics...

The Zi8 audio in is set by first backing it down all the way then increasing it 2 points...(it has to be set every time you turn the main Power switch off and back on).

There are two tests of the same recording:
I recorded it at 720dpi and then in QuicktimeX I trimmed and exported it as both a 720dpi HD recording and a 480dpi HD recording to the desktop.

Then I uploaded these to YouTube from the YouTube upload page-even though it reduces things to 480dpi for it's high def, the 720dpi recording fared better in the conversion-even when both are played at 420dpi.

I didn't realize till later that YouTube will handle full 720dpi...so I logged that for future use.

I hear little if any difference in the audio, but sure see the difference in the video of the two uploads.

Opinions welcome...

I think I may hear a tiny bit of auto induced compression (Zi8) at the beginning of the recording, but none later on...I listen on a Bose Computer speaker setup with a subwoofer...it's really a pretty nice little rig, but nowhere as good as my studio monitors.

[Doug Young]

Nice, Larry. Video looks great. Sound quality is so-so on my end. Not bad, and very natural sounding, but it sounds like youtube's mangling the sound just a bit. They've made such great strides on the video front, I hope someday they do the same for audio! It'd be interesting to compare these same clips uploaded to vimeo, which seems to do a better job of leaving the audio alone.

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by Doug Young

Nice, Larry. Video looks great. Sound quality is so-so on my end. Not bad, and very natural sounding, but it sounds like youtube's mangling the sound just a bit. They've made such great strides on the video front, I hope someday they do the same for audio! It'd be interesting to compare these same clips uploaded to vimeo, which seems to do a better job of leaving the audio alone.

Hi Doug…
Thanks for the feedback - I don't know anything about Vimeo (but it sounds like I need to learn).

Is the upload process there as straightforward?

I'm busy for the next few days (Wed is my day off, so I was free to play today), so I'll have to look at Vimeo after the 20th since I have a major project I'm rehearsing a team for who will be playing that day.

Thanks again...

[ferg]

In the wake of all the new hands-on info on the new Q3HD, I've gone back to try to make a determination as to what I might do for a video solution. I've pretty quickly ruled out getting the Q3HD, as I feel the video is a noticeable step down from the Zi8, which I already have.

The audio, on the other hand, is a big step up. It seems, based on what I've seen, comparable to what the H2 is capable of as an audio-only device.

I just found these videos as a search (and many thanks Larry for posting them...back in April), and it confirmed what I think I already know - the Zi8 is not capable of recording what I consider to be decent audio, even when using a decent mic (such as the H2). This is consistent with my experience attempting to record using an Audio Technica AT822 Stereo mic. It's a little disappointing, because my main reason for choosing the Zi8 over other miniHD options was the fact that it allowed you to use an external mic. Now, given the level of audio compression that you can't turn off (and this is much more dramatic in recordings I've made in a live setting) and the general quality of the audio, I don't really have much use for it (the external mic input). Despite what I consider to be not-great audio, using an external mic simply to get closer to the source will produce much better results, but still not as good as I'd like. Also - since I got this primarily for recording live performances, that doesn't really help...I'm not going to run a cable from somewhere in the middle of the room up closer to the stage - that seems like too much of a hazard.

So, I've determined to stick with what I have - record the audio from my H2 a few feet from one of the speakers, and the video only from the Zi8 and sync them up later. I will probably use the AT822 with the H2, though. I suspect that, even though the mics in the H2 are fine, the AT822 is probably better, but, also - the mic sitting up there is a little less obtrusive, and I can run the mic cable over to the H2 which I can keep by me on stage.

I think I've given up on trying to find an all-in-one solution. I'm happy audio-wise with what the H2 can produce, and I'd eventually like to upgrade my camera to something that does better, particularly in low light.

[knuckle]

Guys, I got a Kodak zi10 today. It's got a mic input. I think it's 1/8" is that right?

Any way to convert a condenser XLR to be able to plug into this mic? I have a rode condenser with internal battery for phantom.

Any help is appreciated. I've been trying to find a decent mic for this unit. Or a way to use my current mics with this device. I think I would need this as well?

http://accessories.musiciansfriend.c...mer?sku=330710

And an adapter, but not sure which. Stinks being clueless.

[Fran Guidry]

Hey, knuckle, I responded in your other thread. The Hosa adapter you pointed to over there looks better than this one. It gets you direct to 1/8" stereo, which is what you need. When I tried connecting an SM57 to my Zi8 via a long chain of adapters I had lots of problems, but the Hosa does all the conversions in one step.

The mic input on the Zi8/Zi10 is really looking for a "minidisc" or "dat" mic - stereo electret condenser using plugin power. I compared a bunch of them in a post for my Homebrewed Music blog (see my sig). But I think your Rode, with battery power, will do a nice job.

Another option would be to plug the mic into a preamp and use an adapter chain go from the preamp to the Zi10, but your adapter will probably be a better solution.

When I was testing I found that I got the best results with very conservative levels on the Zi8 mic input setting.

Fran

[Cue Zephyr]

Nice to see you Larry!

I like the sound of the recording and the guitar itself a lot.
I'd like to hear it close-miked too. I like close-miking on acoustics, sorry. About 8" to 1' should do the trick (it does for me, at least).

The Zi8 is the best cheap camera I've ever come across - it's the first one that caught my eye and I got one right away. My only complaint is that it doesn't have a monitor screen that can be flipped back at me, short battery life and the size of it.
But come on, that's not bad for a camera at that price point.

knuckle,
I use a portable Audio-Technica AT825 (actually listed on the AT website as a DAT field recording mic) XY stereo condenser (it takes a 1.5V AA battery) and use it's 5-pin XLR (no, it's not a DIN) to 2 XLRM cable along with a 2 XLRF to 1/8" TRS. It gives me about 7 yards of cable, but I'd rather have too much than too little cable!

[knuckle]

Here's a recording I did with a Rode M4 and the zi10. No warm up or nothing so the suck factor is high, but I think it sounds decent. It was also a 200M mp4 that I converted to wmv so some of the clarity got lost in that as well. But I am relatively happy with the sound. I haven't really messed with it at all. The good thing is the zi10 saves the mic level setting. This was 1-2 clics above middle

https://www.sugarsync.com/pf/D168806_6645911_03560


Awaiting on arrival of my amp so that will be interesting