Is the mic that comes with the XL1s really good for anything? Luckily with the stuff I'm working on I can add all the sound in later, but so far I am woefully disappointed with the standard mic.

Also I'll be doing a shoot in about a month of a bunch of friends in a living room situation and was wondering the best way to get the audio (keep it simple please). The tip on unplugging the fridge is a great start, Thanks.

Chris

Don't let the heat or AC come on either. Flouresent light can cause a hum, so try to use balanced audio if your using an off cmaera mic.

Jeff

As standard camcorder mics gom the XL1s mike is decent at the price point. Keep in mind that no mic will give good sound if more than a few feet from the talent.

For best results, get the mic close to the talent.

Out of all the cams in this price class, I believe the XL-1 (and the S) have the best stock mic.

People who are not satisfied with this mic (and there are many) replace it with some of the better mics available. A search of this site will give you the ones most people recommend.

Didn't mean to sound negative about the mic, just wondering if it had any professional applications or if it's going to be pretty much useless when I get my other mics. (It'll probably be the one I use in the rain)

Chris

That's what I do. The stock mic is the one that goes in harms way.

Jeff

Chris,
I hope I didn't sound like I was fussing about it. A number of people such as myself find the mic useful. I have built an extension cord that works fine with the mic which allows a cheap way to use it as boom mic. However, I wouldn't want to use it on a real critical shoot as the mic is unbalanced.

I'm sure you will be much happier with a better shotgun and that's what its all about isn't it?

Happy Holidays,

Nathan,

I'm glad to hear that you are getting use out of it. That means that I can think of it more as something that has applications as opposed to something that just needs to be replaced.

Chris

Nathan,
Mind explaining the pieces used to make the extension cable?
I don't have access to the Sennheiser we've been using this weekend & would like to get the stock mic off camera as a work-around. I do have a MA200 but no mics with internal power for this weekend.

You get the plugs and sockets at Radio Shack. Then go get some really, high quality audio cable. Cut the cable into two equal lengths. Put heat shrink tubing every few feet to keep the cables together and untangled. Solder the sockets onto one end, the plugs on the other and you are done.

You should also get some cable clamps to reduce the stress on the mic mounts and you may need to grind the plugs and sockets to the correct spacing for the mic.