GL2 Mics for loud music ??

[John C. Thompson]

Hey guys,

Let me first say thanks to all of the amazing information you guys put on here. It has helped me a great deal in choosing my new camera and accessories. Bravo!!

I just ordered a brand new GL2 and I should have it in my clammy little hands tomorrow. I cant wait to start seeing what kind of quality I get from it. Needless to say, I know it will be great. I have been shotting other formats for years now but I know this camera will blow me away after shooting with it.

A good portion of the work I will be doing is shooting live music. Loud, live music. Can anyone tell me what the best mic for that would be? Tapping into the mixing console is out of the question. I would like something I could strap on the GL2 with the Canon MA-300 XLR adapter. One problem I might be facing, so I hear, is the fact that I may not get the low end I need with some mics. I am far from a mic expert. Can anyone help me out?

[Ken Tanaka]

Welcome John,
I moved your post to our audio forum for better topical exposure.

[John Britt]

The best way to get good live sound is to set up more than one mic, hooked up to a 4-track/8-track/DAT/etc, to be honest. It really depends on what and where you are shooting and what level of quality will be acceptable.

For example, in a mid-sized club, if you are relying solely on an on-cam mic, the sound will be incredibly different from the back of the club than from the front. And an outdoor concert? Sound can get (literally) blown away with the wind.

That's not to say that a quality on-cam mic won't give you good sound. But if you shoot from different angles, each shot will sound different.

What do you plan to do with these live videos? Are they for personal use (and therefore variations in quality won't matter) or are they professional shoots?

[John C. Thompson]

There will not be many angles when shooting. Forward strait shooting with some pans and zooms. This is not your top of the line stuff, just local bands etc... I have all of the equipment to do a few mics with a nice 8 channel board but I dont want to get into all of the running cables through the club or outside and things of that sort for this kind of event I guess. Center stage, tripod, and a mic. Setup will be about 30-40 feet away.

[John Britt]

What kind of mics do you currently have? You might just be better off setting up two of your mics on two tall-ish mic stands a few feet behind you and just running those into the GL2 (via a mixer to XLR adapter or however). Not to contradict your quest, but you may already have the tools you need and be able to set them up with a minimum of "cable mess."

EDIT: Let me add, for the record, that I do not have *professional* experience shooting live acts. I'm just making statements and asking questions based on having worked at and played live in various clubs, done lo-fi remote recording, and from knowing a number of soundpeople and music recording professionals.

[John C. Thompson]

I understand John and yes I do have a few mics but again, Im just not sure if they would do the best job for this. I have a few SM-58's and a couple others that are basicly just like the SM-58's. I suppose I just wanted something I could pic up and go with, without needing a stand or more than one mic.

[John Britt]

I would say that the Shures are not going to be good for capturing good live audio, especially from a distance.

My concern for an on-cam mic would be that if you were to choose, say, a shotgun mic (the typical "on-cam" mic), then it's going to be a very directional mic that will pick up too much bassist, for example, when you pan over to the bassist, and then too much guitarist when you pan over to him.

My personal opinion would be that if you want one mic, then you might want one with a wide, cardioid pattern that you would put on a mic stand that you would have right next to you. This would maintain the same level of quality throughout the shoot regardless of where you point the camera. The mic cable could go straight into your XLR adaptor, then into the cam. That way, you can just carry the cam in one hand and the mic stand in the other and get going. Yes, it's one more thing to carry, but it's still a pretty quick "pack-n-go."

There is a mic that I know would be good for recording in such a set-up, but I can't for the life of me recall it's make/model. I've seen people in town use it at shows (typically setting up in the middle or near the back of the room) If it gets past the tip of my tongue, I'll let you know :)

Anyway, that's enough of my two-cents.

[John C. Thompson]

Thanks John, I really appreciate all of the input. As strange as it sounds, I am a musician and have some knowledge in sound boards and PA but not much in the field of live video sound recording... lol... But, already I have learned a little something. Thanks again for the help !!

Johnny T.

[John Britt]

You know, I feel the same way. I've played and recorded music and worked in clubs and been around more mics than I can remember (and I can't even rememebr their makes) -- but I know nothing about how to buy a proper mic for voiceover work, for example. Luckily, the good folks here at dvinfo.net are huge helps and a great resource! My resolution for this year is to get better sound in my video work, and I would probably be lost without the folks here.

[Brett Pitts]

John, I have done alot of this same type of filming. Through my experience i found the best way to go about recording a band live for video is to set up some of your own mics on the stage and around the venue where needed and record these to an 8 track digital recorder (I use Alesis). In addition to your mics, pull a line our two from the live console and run them to the recorder also. Not only does this allow you to roam freely with your camera an not be attached to the console but it allows you to mix the audio yourself for a better sound. Then, you can use the audio from the camera mic to match up the final mix from the digital recorder.

If you can obtain somthing like an Alesis xt20 you can send the audio to you computer for mixing and editing with a single fiber optic cable. This also allows you to achieve excellent sound. Just take it into any audio editing application add a compressor, maybe a bit of reverb, set your levels, EQ, and you will have a nice audio track.

-brett
http://www.halfwitproductions.com/

[John C. Thompson]

Brett,

Thanks for the info. That also sounds like a great idea. I guess there are many options to choose from, just depends on what you want to achieve as the outcome. I can see myself doing that after getting somewhat distant or crummy audio. As far as the mics set up around the clubs to catch the live music.... what would you recomend? I appreciate your input greatly!

Thanks again,
Johnny T.

[Brett Pitts]

As far as mics and mic placement...

If you don't want to go with a multi track set up mic placement is key. Placement is just as important if not more important than the mic that you choose. The primary mic should be close to the stage. If you get to far from the stage you just get reflections from all over the room and the recording will sound like you recorded from down the hall. If you are only going to use two or three inputs i would place a mic close to the stage if not right up on it, but still near a PA cabinet. Try to avoid picking up stage monitors though. I would also recomend a line from the board if at all possible.

AND FINALLY the mic
If you are looking to spend under a hundred bucks i would either pick up a Shure SM57 (dyanamic) or one of the smalll Octava condensors. The octava does require phantom power though. Neither are intended as camera mics but if you are using them in one possition for recording they will give great sound. If none of these options seem please and you are looking for an on camera mic check out one of the Sennheisers. There is a specific one i had in mind but i cannot seem to find the model number. Ill keep looking though...

Anyways sorry for the dreadfully long response, hope it helps.

[John C. Thompson]

Great, thanks a lot. I appreciate it!!

Johnny T.