Bought a new t2i DSLR. best way to record sound with the video?

[ericcsong]

help guys!

I just bought a Canon t2i DSLR camera. it is able to do video and I would love to try to record good sound with it in just a room with a guitar.

Whats the best and cost effective way to get GREAT sound with video for just recording a guitar with the camera?

I have a few mics (Rode nt1a, Neumann KMS105, DPA4099). anyway to get them to work without spending too much more money? Or do i have to buy different kind of mics?

camera only has a 1/8 input and doesn't have phantom supply. I know I'll need something else to get this to work. anyone help would be appreciated!

[Brent Hutto]

See this other thread going on right now. Record the sound separately and sync them up afterwards. That's for "GREAT" sound. For a modest improvement buy an inexpensive battery-powered mic that connects to your 1/8" microphone jack. It will at least let you arrnage the microphone close and the camera far, which is the most basic principle.

[ferg]

Eric,

Congratulations. I have the same camera, and it's truly wonderful for shooting video. I know this isn't what you asked - but I would HIGHLY recommend getting the inexpensive 50mm fixed length lens they sell for it (http://www.amazon.com/Canon-50mm-1-8...5970284&sr=8-9). It is great for video. Since it's low f-stop (1.8), it can shoot in pretty low light.

Anyway - as for the audio - echoing Brent - don't record audio on the camera. Use a separate device and sync them after the fact. The video is so nice off of the t2i, you really can't do it justice with audio from the camera, regardless of the mic you use.

I use a H4n for audio with a pair of Rode NT-3 mics. However, the mics you're using should be fine - you just need a decent audio recorder to plug them into...or an audio interface plugged into your computer, if you're not looking to be mobile with it.

[ericcsong]

got the 50mm fixed. thanks for heads up! picked it up from akivisuals here.

so if I record with a h4n, how do I sync it all together? is it hard?

[ferg]

Originally Posted by ericcsong

got the 50mm fixed. thanks for heads up! picked it up from akivisuals here.

so if I record with a h4n, how do I sync it all together? is it hard?

It's not hard...and how you do it depends on what video editing software you have. I use Sony Vegas, and doing it manually isn't that difficult...it's a good idea to do a few hand claps or something at the beginning to help sync it up. But since you'll have sound from the camera along with the video, syncing the audio is pretty simple, particularly if you're just dealing with 1 video file (with audio) and one audio file...you just slide them around on the timeline till everything is in line, then mute or delete the audio that was recorded by the camera before rendering the clip.

However, I've recently bitten the bullet and bought the PluralEyes plugin for Vegas...it's really pretty amazing. I can dump all of my audio and video clips
into the timeline and click a button and it syncs them automatically.

They also make plugins for Final Cut Pro and Premier. If you're not using any of these packages, they also make a standalone application, called DualEyes....with that, you can just load your video clip and audio clip, and it will sync them for you, with an option to just replace the audio in your video clip.

Again, doing it manually isn't hard...but the pluraleyes and dualeyes things work great, and couldn't be any easier.

[ericcsong]

has anyone used a rode videomic?

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...a_Mounted.html

this might be a more simpler solution and just record. but then just wondering about the quality of audio.

would love to just has some kind of adapter so i could use my rode nt1a. so I guess no simple solution with my own mics except what was stated before?

[ferg]

Originally Posted by ericcsong

has anyone used a rode videomic?

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...a_Mounted.html

this might be a more simpler solution and just record. but then just wondering about the quality of audio.

would love to just has some kind of adapter so i could use my rode nt1a. so I guess no simple solution with my own mics except what was stated before?

You can search YouTube or Vimeo and find examples of people that are using the t2i with the Rode videomic. However, I wouldn't use it for music.

For one thing - the rode videomic is designed to be mounted on the camera. The field of view of the T2i w/ the 50mm lens is pretty narrow, so the camera has to be a ways away to properly frame the shot. This isn't good for audio. Of course, you could put the mic closer.

You CAN use your NT1A...you just need to run it through a mixer or something that terminates in a 1/8" stereo plug...BUT...

The audio recording capabilities of the T2i are garbage. It will sound BETTER with a different mic, but it won't sound good. It will be overcompressed, and will not be nearly as clear as if you use a dedicated recording device.

If you don't already have some sort of field recorder, then try it first - send your NT1a through a mixer directly to the camera. If you're happy with that - you're done.

[Herb Hunter]

Originally Posted by ericcsong

has anyone used a rode videomic?

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...a_Mounted.html

this might be a more simpler solution and just record. but then just wondering about the quality of audio.

would love to just has some kind of adapter so i could use my rode nt1a. so I guess no simple solution with my own mics except what was stated before?

The advantage of the Rode mic above is that it is a shotgun microphone which is highly directional (super-cardioid). It is less likely to pickup ambient noise than the NT1A. The farther back you are forced to position the camera from the sound source, the more significant the directionality becomes.

NT1A:



VideoMic:

[ferg]

Originally Posted by Herb Hunter

The advantage of the Rode mic above is that it is a shotgun microphone which is highly directional (super-cardioid). It is less likely to pickup ambient noise than the NT1A. The farther back you are forced to position the camera from the sound source, the more significant the directionality becomes.

Very true, but based on the examples I've heard, in practice, I personally don't think it works well for music to mic from the necessary distance required with any microphone mounted on the camera. The examples of this mic I've seen/heard with this unit support my feelings.

[Brent Hutto]

Theory and polar patterns are trumpted by the easily observed fact that camera-mounted microphones sound like poo when you try to record music with them. Nowadays we spend so much time watching horrific sounding YouTube clips on 10-cent computer speakers that it's like some folks get inured to almost anything as long as they can make out the words and the melody.

[ferg]

Originally Posted by Brent Hutto

Theory and polar patterns are trumpted by the easily observed fact that camera-mounted microphones sound like poo when you try to record music with them.

Exactly...

It's not that the Rode VideoMic doesn't sound better than the built-in...it does. It's really that when you take video with the t2i, it's SO good...you bought the t2i to make GREAT videos... Since you're shooting the video of music - the sound is just as important.

I've linked to this video before...but this was shot with a T2i and the audio captured with the H4n. This is a 5 piece band. Audio was captured in 1 take with the H4n using the built-in mics. Video was done in 2 takes.

THIS is what convinced me to get the T2i & H4n in the first place. Aside from the female vocal being a little drowned out, I think it's fantastic.

[ericcsong]

Originally Posted by ferg

I've linked to this video before...but this was shot with a T2i and the audio captured with the H4n. This is a 5 piece band. Audio was captured in 1 take with the H4n using the built-in mics. Video was done in 2 takes.

which video?

[ferg]

Originally Posted by ericcsong

which video?

Sorry...

THIS VIDEO

[ericcsong]

has anyone ever used a beachtek adapter?

http://www.beachtek.com/dxaslr.html

review here:

http://philipbloom.net/2010/02/19/beachtek/

has phantom supply. seems like this could do the trick?

or even juiced link:

http://www.juicedlink.com/audio-prea...-c-66/jl-dt454

[Brent Hutto]

I must say, ferg, that you're right about the video. That's some gorgeous image and the colors really pop. Audio's good, too.