[konakazi]

I'm producing a public access show that features live music (ie. rock shows).

I use a small handheld ZR40 Canon camera. In an effort to upgrade the sound, I bought a Sennheiser MKE 300 and attached it to a small bracket.

I was excited at the prospect but it seems like it records in mono? When I monitor it on headphones I only hear sound in the right earpiece. Likewise, when I dump it in to iMovie, seems like there's only sound on one speaker.

So...

a) is this mic actually mono or am I making some newbie mistake ?

b) is there a way to tell in a mic's specifications whether or not it would record stereo or mono?

c) are there any other mini-plug camera mountable mics I could look in to that would record stereo?

Any help would be GREATLY appreciated.

thanks!

[scottiB]

From quickly looking at the specs, I don't believe it's a stereo microphone. If it's a stereo mic, the spes would say so.

When I shoot my band live with my ZR-10 (not for broadcast--just for the hell of it), I use an AudioTechnica ATR-25. This isn't as nice as the Sennheiser (it costs less than half as much), but it works well for my needs.

AudioTechnica has a little enumeration for stereo mikes in its listing:

http://www.audiotechnica.com/guide/t...smallCondenser .. scroll down

Most video mics aren't stereo, I don't think, because most of the time dialogue is being caught, and you'd want mono to mix it in Final Cut or whatever. Pros could give better explanations, I'm sure.

Having consumer camcorders, we're a bit limited in having the 1/8" mini-plug. Most nice mics are XLR.

[hadocon]

Originally posted by konakazi:
I'm producing a public access show that features live music (ie. rock shows).

I use a small handheld ZR40 Canon camera. In an effort to upgrade the sound, I bought a Sennheiser MKE 300 and attached it to a small bracket.

I was excited at the prospect but it seems like it records in mono? When I monitor it on headphones I only hear sound in the right earpiece. Likewise, when I dump it in to iMovie, seems like there's only sound on one speaker.

So...

a) is this mic actually mono or am I making some newbie mistake ?

b) is there a way to tell in a mic's specifications whether or not it would record stereo or mono?

c) are there any other mini-plug camera mountable mics I could look in to that would record stereo?

Any help would be GREATLY appreciated.

thanks!

If you are recording the music you would be better off not getting source sound from a mic attached to a camera - do you have access to the mixer? Why not patch into that? It will give much better sound - When you edit you wont really have to match the audio with the video - as it is just music, make sure that you do synch if you have face shots with moving lips though.

If this is not an option I would set up a few stationary mics in acoustically good locations, if you attach it to the camera when you move around the sound quality will change making the final product typical public access quality (ie crap).

If you can only get on mic get a stero cardioid and place it in the absolute middle between all band players. You wont really be able to deal with levels as you will only have one mic, but make sure that you test the sound quality with headphones before you being to shoot.


But heck, public access is supposed to be $hit right?

[Duozona]

Check out a Rode NT-4. It is a stereo condenser mic permanently fixed in an xy micing position, it works on either phantom power OR batteries, and has plugs for both dual xlr or
1/8" stereo mini. Should do the job quite nicley and they can be found on eBay for about 300 instead of the 450 new.

Chuck

[konakazi]

I can't get sound off the mixer because I'm pulling a handheld camera out of bag right before a band goes on and recording it guerilla style.

I want something compact with decent sound, and I'm buffering it with an Azden mixer.

People have pushed me towards a Sony mic ECMMS908C which I'll probably go for because it's more within my budget for now. Thanks !