The Last Laugh
3rd Level Green Feather
- Joined
- Apr 21, 2001
- Messages
- 4,588
- Points
- 38
Hello everyone,
While I've been producing tickling videos for the last 8 years, I've never been satisfied with the microphones I've used. So I'm wondering if someone has some advice as to what microphone I could get to replace the one I have now. But first, I'd like to explain the problems I've been having.
When I started shooting videos I used my camcorder's internal mike. Generally speaking, the sound quality wasn't bad. It suited my needs just fine. But the major problem with it is that it easily captures vibration, like mechanical sounds when I zoom in and out, or even when someone laughs loud enough. This is recorded as an audible hum, which can get annoying.
After a while I started experimenting with external microphones. The first two that I tried were mounted on the camcorder. Convenient, but they still captured vibration, no matter how much padding I used. So I eventually tried separate mikes, which was better in some ways, but still disappointing in other ways.
Externals have one big advantage, which is that since they're not in direct contact with the camcorder (a Sony DCR-TRV900, by the way), they don't capture the camcorders' mechanical vibrations. I can mess with it as much as I want. On the other hand, the cord that's plugged into the camcorder does limit my movements. Especially since I discovered that if I use an extension in addition to the mike's cord, the extension acts as an antenna and can capture static and other signals. I even got a radio station once. Even good quality extensions do it. Needless to say, that's something I absolutely don't want, so I have to work with a short length of wire, which is tedious.
Worse than that, not only doesn't the mike I'm currently using (a Sony ECM-MS907) have a better sound quality than the internal one (I actually prefer the sound of the internal one), it also seems more sensitive to sound distortion when the models' laughter is very loud or high-pitched, or scream, squeal, yelp, etc. If the mike is too close or if I set its volume too high, such sounds make the volume bar on the LCD rise into the red zone, and the results aren't pleasant. But if I back up or reduce the mike's volume, then the overall sound it too low and muffled, and loud noises can still cause some distortion sometimes. It's a frustrating exercise in compromise. Thing is, it's not a very expensive mike, and it doesn't have a filtering system to compensate for such noises. It's supposed to be a fairly decent amateur mike, but I don't think the designers had tickling shoots in mind. Especially not with the acoustics of an ordinary apartment.
I'm considering getting a new mike if I can be sure it will be able to handle reasonably loud, sometimes piercing sounds. I mean, people scream in movies, don't they? Then again, the microphones used in movies cost thousands of dollars, and I don't have that much money to invest. There's also the fact that I don't think I'll be shooting more videos for very much longer. Maybe a year or so more, but The Last Laugh is now well beyond half its life. So I find it hard to justify investing in a really good mike if it's only going to be used for a limited number of shoots. Apparently, the ECM-MS907 sells for $100 or less nowadays. Hardly top of the line. But I'd be very hard-pressed to buy one that's much more than $300, and at that price I'm not sure my problems would be solved.
By the way, what's better for my needs? A shotgun mike, or a cardioid one? Mine's a shotgun. And if I use a shotgun, is it best to set it to 90 degrees or 120 degrees?
Anyway, sorry for the really long explanation, but I'm hoping someone might have a mike recommendation, or at least advice to improve my usage of the one I have now. I've always been very much an amateur videographer, with no formal training, so it's entirely possible that I'm overlooking some easy way to improve things. Any help would be welcome. Thanks!
While I've been producing tickling videos for the last 8 years, I've never been satisfied with the microphones I've used. So I'm wondering if someone has some advice as to what microphone I could get to replace the one I have now. But first, I'd like to explain the problems I've been having.
When I started shooting videos I used my camcorder's internal mike. Generally speaking, the sound quality wasn't bad. It suited my needs just fine. But the major problem with it is that it easily captures vibration, like mechanical sounds when I zoom in and out, or even when someone laughs loud enough. This is recorded as an audible hum, which can get annoying.
After a while I started experimenting with external microphones. The first two that I tried were mounted on the camcorder. Convenient, but they still captured vibration, no matter how much padding I used. So I eventually tried separate mikes, which was better in some ways, but still disappointing in other ways.
Externals have one big advantage, which is that since they're not in direct contact with the camcorder (a Sony DCR-TRV900, by the way), they don't capture the camcorders' mechanical vibrations. I can mess with it as much as I want. On the other hand, the cord that's plugged into the camcorder does limit my movements. Especially since I discovered that if I use an extension in addition to the mike's cord, the extension acts as an antenna and can capture static and other signals. I even got a radio station once. Even good quality extensions do it. Needless to say, that's something I absolutely don't want, so I have to work with a short length of wire, which is tedious.
Worse than that, not only doesn't the mike I'm currently using (a Sony ECM-MS907) have a better sound quality than the internal one (I actually prefer the sound of the internal one), it also seems more sensitive to sound distortion when the models' laughter is very loud or high-pitched, or scream, squeal, yelp, etc. If the mike is too close or if I set its volume too high, such sounds make the volume bar on the LCD rise into the red zone, and the results aren't pleasant. But if I back up or reduce the mike's volume, then the overall sound it too low and muffled, and loud noises can still cause some distortion sometimes. It's a frustrating exercise in compromise. Thing is, it's not a very expensive mike, and it doesn't have a filtering system to compensate for such noises. It's supposed to be a fairly decent amateur mike, but I don't think the designers had tickling shoots in mind. Especially not with the acoustics of an ordinary apartment.
I'm considering getting a new mike if I can be sure it will be able to handle reasonably loud, sometimes piercing sounds. I mean, people scream in movies, don't they? Then again, the microphones used in movies cost thousands of dollars, and I don't have that much money to invest. There's also the fact that I don't think I'll be shooting more videos for very much longer. Maybe a year or so more, but The Last Laugh is now well beyond half its life. So I find it hard to justify investing in a really good mike if it's only going to be used for a limited number of shoots. Apparently, the ECM-MS907 sells for $100 or less nowadays. Hardly top of the line. But I'd be very hard-pressed to buy one that's much more than $300, and at that price I'm not sure my problems would be solved.
By the way, what's better for my needs? A shotgun mike, or a cardioid one? Mine's a shotgun. And if I use a shotgun, is it best to set it to 90 degrees or 120 degrees?
Anyway, sorry for the really long explanation, but I'm hoping someone might have a mike recommendation, or at least advice to improve my usage of the one I have now. I've always been very much an amateur videographer, with no formal training, so it's entirely possible that I'm overlooking some easy way to improve things. Any help would be welcome. Thanks!
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