Audio\Video help...Please

[George Prevo]

Hey all,

Im in the audio business(small audio production) I use pro tools digi 002. I want to start recording video sessions (lets say...a guy playing guitar & singing) with a digital video camcorder.

I would like to run a line out (R&L) from my mixer, into the digital camcorder (in) and have the audio recorded along with the person at the same time on the dv tape.

I would like to get a nice dv camcorder with good audio ins/outs, any suggestions???

Any comments are helpful!

Thanks

[Douglas Spotted Eagle]

If you've already got a Digi002, you've got a far better solution than any DV cam can offer. S/N ratios are much poorer in DV than in pro and semi-pro audio gear, plus you'll be dealing with automatic gain control (soft limiter) on nearly all lower end cams. Are you shooting on or off site from your studio? If on-site, you'll find better quality in recording to your ProTools or other DAW system, and then syncing the audio/video in post in your NLE system.

[George Prevo]

Can you expand on this a bit more??? This is a whole new ball game to me...I will be recording inside. I want the video & audio to sound good on DVD, and when the file is played in windows media player for a web site. Can you suggest a good dv camcorder???

Thanks again for the help!

[Douglas Spotted Eagle]

There are a LOT of good DV camcorders. Your budget will dictate what myself and others would recommend. In the 3K+ category, the PD 150 or XL1 are excellent, sub 3K I really like the Canon GL2. In lower cost camcorders I tend to lean to Canon, and for upper cost, I like Sony, Canon, and Panasonic....
What's your budget?
Regarding recording, recording to a desktop or laptop using your Digibox will be far and away better sounding than anything taht any camcorder is gonna grab.

[Martin Garrison]

I agree that the budget could be all over the place on this.

I've done many of these with PD150s*. No time code, we just sync them up in post using a drum hit at the beginning of the tapes. Be sure you record some audio on the cameras, even if it's just the on-cam mic, it'll be helpful when you sync. Once you get the cameras lined up drop in the audio. You will probably have to cut each song and re-sync since your clock will drift on the protools rig, but it doesn't take too much time to adjust once you get used to looking for clues.

If you have a budget, you can step up to $8000 cameras and run genlock/timecode to keep it all easy to post. But like DSE said you should still use your multitrack if it's available.


*I think the DVC80 is the best buy in this class right now, better audio and better lens. But PD-150s worked great and that's a whole nother discussion.

[Barry Schmetter]

There are 3 main choices for high-quality 3-chip mini-DV camcorders in the $3000 range--the Panasonic DVX-100, Canon XL-1s and the Sony PD-170. Of the three choices, the DVX-100 has the best audio subsystem. All three are good cameras, but the DVX-100 has the cleanest audio as well as built-in dual mic/line switchable XLR inputs.

Barry S.

[Glenn Chan]

dv.com has a review of the DVX100, as well as audio information on all of the cameras mentioned. The DVC80 is the DVX100's little brother and it seems to me that it's probably your best choice. There should be people in the panasonic forum who will have information on the differences between the two. With the DVX100/DVC80 you may not have to do double system sound. According to Jay Rose's review of the DVX100 is as good as DAT... but I'd read the whole article.

http://www.dv.com/features/features_...se_feature1102
http://www.dv.com/dv_login.jhtml?_requestid=12949

For syncing material, it's a bit better to run a line out to your camera instead of using the camera's on-board mic. That way the waveform definitely looks the same, without any differences in mic quality, echoes, etc.

[Cannon Pearson]

I've been playing around with running a line out from my MOTU 896 into a Beachtek adapter on my GL2. I haven't tested it extensively, but it seems to work pretty well.

I read in another forum how someone used a Rosendahl LIF to sync his audio rig to his camera through MIDI. I think that it converts time code to MTC. Sounds interesting, but I don't have any personal experience with it.

[George Prevo]

I looked at the xL1,dvc-80,and others. I would like to stay in the 15-2500 hundred area. Im a little confused with the sync part, programs,NLE??? Sorry im new at this, but i'll get it!

Any comments????

You guy's rule!!!