Achieving Professional Sound
with a Consumer Video Camera
By Sam Mallery, Courtesy B&H PhotoVideo
It's not uncommon for
video camera owners to reach the realization
that the sound quality of their footage is
insufficient. The simple truth is that all
consumer and professional-level video
cameras come with low-quality, built-in
microphones. When you buy a video camera you
are essentially paying for a device that
delivers visual performance. If these
manufacturers installed high-quality
microphones into their cameras, the price
tag would balloon and the unit could not
compete with less expensive models.
Economics and the bottom line have left us
all with inferior microphones in our video
cameras.
Thankfully, there are
tools available to remedy this situation. In
this article we're going to show you what
you need to capture professional-quality
sound with your video camera. In the
process, we're going to learn about products
called "Camcorder XLR Adapters," and we're
going to show you some of the different
kinds of microphones you can use to vastly
improve the audio quality of your
productions.
The goal here is to use
different microphones than what came with
your camera. Good quality microphones
connect using 3-pin XLR cables, and a
consumer video camera only has a single
mini-plug input. In order to use
professional quality microphones with your
consumer video camera, you're going to need
a piece of equipment called a Camcorder XLR
Adapter. It's a small, lightweight box that
attaches to your camera and enables you to
plug in professional microphones.
Most Camcorder XLR
Adapters mount onto the tripod thread on the
bottom of the camera. Your camera can still
be mounted to a tripod because there is an
additional tripod thread underneath the
Camcorder XLR Adapter.
The Camcorder XLR Adapter
box also corrects the audio signal's
impedance; in other words, it ensures that
the microphones that you plug in will
deliver their optimum level of sound
quality.
People tend to think they
can accomplish the same tasks by purchasing
a few inexpensive audio adapter plugs. This
is not the case. Most Camcorder XLR Adapters
feature two separate microphone inputs.
Using an inexpensive splitter cable to
accomplish this will not work. Many
Camcorder XLR Adapters also enable you to
plug in the feed from a soundboard. For
example, if you were shooting a wedding, you
could take the direct signal from the
DJ or the live band's
mixing board. This is also impossible if
you just used inexpensive plug-style audio
adapters. Those standard audio adapters
degrade the audio quality, especially if you
have to use more than one. As they stack up
and protrude from your camera, they can
easily stress and damage your camera's
inputs and its internal electronics. None of
these pitfalls occurs when using a Camcorder
XLR Adapter.
Important Note:
There are a number of
different Camcorder XLR Adapters available
at B&H, and which one you need often depends
on what model video camera you're using. The
sales experts here at B&H are your best
resource to determine which model is best
for your camera.
Inspect Your Camera
It's vitally important to
determine if your video camera has a
microphone input or not. Unfortunately, not
all video cameras feature microphone inputs.
Look at the connectors on your camera. The
microphone input is small and usually
labeled "mic." Sometimes these inputs are
hidden behind little doors, so be thorough
when you're looking. If you still can't find
the microphone input on your camera, check
your camera's operating manual to see if it
has one. If you determine that your camera
doesn't have a microphone input, there is
nothing you can do to improve your sound
quality.
If you do have a
microphone input, a Camcorder XLR Adapter
will allow you to use numerous kinds of
microphones with your camera. A common
combination for the two inputs of the
Camcorder XLR Adapter is to use a clip-on
lavalier microphone and a
shotgun microphone either mounted on the
camera, or on a
boompole over the subject's head.
Some microphones run on
off their own battery power, but if you're
using microphones that require phantom
power, there are Camcorder XLR Adapters like
the
Beachtek DXA-6 that could power them.
By improving the audio on
your camera, you will be able to communicate
ideas in your video work much more
effectively.
