Hi all, I'm a hobby videographer who using a VX-2100 and was wondering if anyone can suggest lighting and audio equipment for interview purposes? I'm planning on purchasing a Beachtek XLR adapter, probably the DX4. Price for all this equipment is a concern for me too. The interviews would be indoors and they're for a 90th birthday party. We'd like to tape some of the guests beforehand relating amusing/human interest stories as well as the guest of honor and his wife. Thanks in advance for any recommendations or suggestions you might have!

Tony Cipriano

What's great for interviews is radio mics. They allow you the freedom to be creative with the camera, unencumbered by cables. A Senheisser or Sony tie-clip omni-directional radio mic is just what you need, and the DXA-4 will allow you to have a shotgun in the intelligent shoe for backup. You can never have too much backup.

If you feel the interviewee will be intimidated by having a tie-clip pinned to them do as I do - have the little mic capsule fitted to a copper wire. The transmitter can be hidden on the table top and the bendy copper wire can take the mic capsule closer to the speaker, but be as good as invisible if placed carefully. This works well when you have 4 guests, say, all on the sofa and all airing their views. The omni-direction nature of the capsule will mean they're all picked up equally well.

Have more backup too. A Minidisc recorder is the way to go and this has served me well:

http://www.fortvir.net/gallery/tom-s-photo-album/Mini_recording_studio

tom.
tom.

Thanks Tom for your kind advice. I saw the setup you have using a minidisc recorder and the Senny, very nice. I have a Videomic and I was thinking of doing the same setup. What kind of minidisc recorder do you have and the brand of stand? Also, what type of lighting do you use for indoor interviews, make, model and number of lights. Thanks so much.

Tony Cipriano

Any Minidisc recorder will do, though preferably one with some sort of limiter or AGC so that loud laughter or clapping won't overload and distort. The one in the photo was a Sanyo, but that was stolen at a wedding this year. Yes! lifted from the little tabletop tripod, unplugged from the mic and stolen. I've replaced it with a Sony.

That clamp / table-top tripod is fairly common in photo stores.

Lighting is a whole new story.

tom.

Lighting is a subject that is well covered in the Lighting Forum where this questions has been answered a few dozen time. I recommend you try a search before you ask them this question.

Thanks Mike and Tom. I'll check the lighting site out for info. Sorry to hear about the theft of minidv recorder Tom. And I thought the IPod was the only "hot" item of theives!

Tony Cipriano

I did too. Why steal a Minidisc recorder without FM radio, MP3, cellphone or video display screen? And didn't they think to leave me my recorded Minidisc? After all - it had the speeches and church service recorded on it.

Speaking of MD recorders, make sure you stock up on gum stick batteries (if your model uses them ) as Sony are quitting MD for good.

Mike, I've been searching the DV pages for threads on lighting. Can't find them. Can you tell me where to go to find them? Thanks a lot!

Tony Cipriano

Unless they have been stripped, they are archives under the Photon Managment Forum.

Tom,

I presume the MD's recording compresses the audio. How do you find the quality?

Thanky

It certainly does compress the audio Anthony, and I for one don't mind that. If we take CD as the great all-rounder, then there's those purists that still say vinyl is better, and the realists who say SACD is better. They're both right to a degree.

Then there's the vast majority who listen to compressed music all their lives. Some MP3 teens and twenties have never known anything else, and they find it quite acceptable. Mind you, they're probably listening through ear buds rather than IMF TLS80 floor standing monitors.

There there's the DVD surround sound gang. They listen to highly compressed Dolby digital, and they look happy. And there's me with my ATRAC compressed Minidisc recordings. It's a newer (and supposedly better) compression algorithm than the ancient MP3, so I'd say not to worry. By far the greatest losses will be in the Minidisc's recording pre-amplifier which will have cost the manufacturer 20 cents tops.

But I use Minidisc as backup. As such, and if it's needed, I'll thank the lord I have it, whatever the compression quality sounds like.

tom.

Thank you Tom!

Ahh.. ATRAC..
So would I be restricted to Sony's software? Do you know how I would go with importing the audio to Premiere Pro?

Now, a further bit of advice if you don't mind.
Since I can get either one, new, for about $150 AUD (approx 65 GBP) I'm thinking of buying either an MZN710S or MZN10 (for the purposes you describe)
(wasn't sure if I could post links here.. so didn't)
A simple question, if you're happy to answer it; Which would you get?

Thanking you.

Worth asking me, but I'm afraid I don't know the answer to Premiere Pro imports. As to which Minidisc recorder I'd get, I'd have to say that I'd get one with three recording options - full manual recording, full manual with limiter, and AGC. As MR recorers have about a 10 month lifespan before they're replaced, my particular Sony has long since been deleted.

MD are shortly to be discontinued altogether I suspect, as folk move over to solid state recorders. But right now the MD offers amazing sound quality, perfect sync, low cost and for me, wonderful backup.

tom

Sheesh you're quick!..
Thanks for the advice..
Yeah, these two models are also discontinued I believe..
However I'm yet to find a solid break down of the specs - that I can understand and differentiate between.
For example, the MZN10 costs quite a bit more than the other.. yet I don't really see any advantages, other than cosmetic. And you know how highly Sony value 'the look'..
Anyhow, again, thanks for your advice.

Anthony