Sound Recording

[Michael_j]

Do you find that the inbuilt mic in the Sony A7 is adequate for general use or do you use an external mic?

 

If separate what do you recommend? 

[Golem]

Adequate is in the ear of the beholder.

   

For those whose ears do require an external mic, I can

recommend the Zoom H1 handheld PCM digital audio  

recorder. It's small, as small as many mics that do not

record audio. It's stereo, runs on 1 AA cell, and unlike

a mic, it has user control for its input and output levels.

 

Input is by its own built-in mics which are excellent and

set to an X-Y pattern. Output is the typical 3.5mm TRS.

  

Soon as it's powered up it's already in Record Standby

mode and you can use the tiny stereo meter in its LCD

panel to set the input [do a sound check]. Then set the  

output level to whatever makes your camera happy, 

guided by the audio level readouts on your camera's

rear monitor [LCD panel]. To use it as a mic, without

recording, just let it remain in standby. Standby does

NOT time out. It will stay in standby forever, waiting for

you to hit the Record button, but it serves as a mic just

running standby mode.

 

This unit has a 1/4-20 thread socket for fixing it to any

tripod or bracket. I use a bracket to the camera, and a

piece of weather stripping foam over the 1/4-20 screw

for isolation against camera handling noise.

 

Acoarst the cool thing is that your mic can also record

a continuous audio track to back up whatever audio is

being recorded with the video. You can start and stop

the camera, which starts-stops the camera audio, but

the back up track is continuous. The H1 can run for

several hours on one AA cell. 

  

`

[Batis]

I just made a post about this. I use the Sony ECMW1M kit with Giant Squid. I use this for my YouTube videos. It is the simplest setup you will find. Quick video here. 

[Batis]

I have now made another post about this in this forum using the RodeLink Filmmaker system. I really like it. Here was my first video (very short) I shot using the system. 

 

https://youtu.be/jUWv3jIVSlM