Filming a ultra low/no budget short using VX2100 & RODE VideoMic

[Travis Johnson]

Just wondering if going directly to the camera via 1/8th plug and using a homemade boom pole (painters pole) with the RODE mic at 16 bit would cut it or should I go through my IBM Thinkpad mic input and use audacity to record?

Edit: if there are any add ons that I could buy to allow better quality please make suggestions.

Edit2: How about this? http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...d_i=B00067KZJI

[Travis Johnson]

50 views and....... nothing :(

[Jay Cowley]

if you can get things to work with the camera directly then I'd go for that. I'm not familiar with too many cameras, including yours, does it have audio control, attenator....etc. I would think that a camera would record a fairly nice sound if this are set/hooked up right, probably not any noticably less high quality sounding than a laptop. It's also nice when you already have the audio sync'd up.

i tried plugging in the Rode to my camera once and I recall having an issue with the extention cable, it seemed to add all this noise to the line, especially when the camera was plugged into the power.

[Jonathan Jones]

Originally Posted by Travis Johnson

50 views and....... nothing :(

Hi Travis,
I wouldn't sweat the 50 views and no response thing just yet, its only been 7 hours on a week day. Lots of folks check in to see the posts, but often don't respond if they don't think they have any viable input to offer.

Lots of others who could respond also work during the day and can't check posts till the evening. It can often be at least a few days before helpful responses are presented.

The nature of your post almost seems slightly confusing. Are you going for zero budget or are you going for decent audio? The two are often not very compatible.

If you are shooting for the best sounding audio given the gear you mentioned, I haven't got any experience with either the Video Mic or the Creative box you linked to, but given your presented scenario with no added gear intervention, my gut is just to go straight from the mic to the camera via the 1/8" plug.

I think the biggest hit you're taking in the first place is the inherent restrictions of using the 1/8" minijack plug. XLR is preferable if that is ever an option. If 1/8" is the only option going out of the Video Mic then it probably scopes the output with that in mind such as a specially engineered onboard low-noise filter - so your next concern will be the length of audio cable running the mic signal. With 1/8" unbalanced line, you'll want to use the shortest run possible to alleviate the introduction of line noise or interference.

Since you are planning on mounting the mic on a boom, then you are going to run a length of cable whether you are going to use the Creative box or straight to the camera. It looks like the Creative box uses 1/8" minijack input, so it probably won't require jack adapters from mic out to Creative in, but it is important to note that running a length of such unbalanced line will potentially intruduce unwanted line noise or interference. Maybe the Creative box records 24 bit audio, but if the incoming signal is noisy, than the higher bit rate is almost irrelevant.

The Rode Videomic is best suited for mounting directly to the camera where using the minijack cable will only require a few inches of line. If you are intent on using the Videomic on a boom, then I recommend getting some adapters and running your length with balanced XLR cable.

I hear that the Videomic is a good sounding mic, but I haven't heard much about using it on a boom, since it is generally used as a on-camera stereo mic.

For better results, I would recommend looking into a mid-range shotgun mic and/or a Beachtek unit. But in that case, it pretty much shoots your zero budget plan out of the water.

Finally, you'll also want to consider your approach based on the nature of the content you are intending to record. Live music, near-field interview, or live dialogue (to name a few) all require different sensitivies and approaches. Use the right gear and the best approach within your means to achieve the results according to your expectations.

Regarding the Home Depot boom pole....hey, it works for me. It can't even compare to a 'real' boom pole in terms of comfort, handling, or sound deadning, but I made one using a Home Depot lightbulb changing pole on an extreme budget. It gave me 11 feet of reach and it works great for short sessions.

Longer sessions with such a pole could mean sweaty palms and slippery grip, necessitating the movement of hands on the pole, with resulting handling noise and possibilty of the cable hitting or rubbing against the pole, all of which is horribly amplified up the pole to the mic.

Your mileage may vary.

Hope this helps.

Good luck.

-Jon

[Travis Johnson]

Hey, thanks for the reply. I understand about the time and reply thing. I've just been bored and was wandering about the boards for hours thats why i posted that.

The project that I'm shooting is a short crime drama being shot completely in a local bar.

I have actually used the Rode Videomic with a external Edirol R-09 which was sold not too long ago because I desperately needed some cash at the time. However I am expecting some money in soon from a editing project so I'm looking to get a M-Audio 24/96 Recorder. The sound from the R-09 to the video mic wasn't all that bad but I would like to improve the sound a bit if possible and i'm sure investing in the mid-range shotgun mic would do it. Sorry for having a confusing post. I am going for good audio but i have a limited budget. With my Sony VX2100 I seem to be getting OK sound but I'd like better of course. With the XLR adapters for the camera would that make a difference? Also just to note I have a 10 foot cable for the 1/8th plug attached to the boom pole.