Audio Mix a7s

[Jarbil]

Hello Everyone,

 

I have searched this question in the forum, but couldn't find any solution.

 

 

Is there a way, Without any other equipment than the camera and External mic, to create a mix between the internal audio of the camera and the audio comes from the external mic (Even if the stereo audio of the external becomes mono).

 

The final result should be - 

Channel 1 - external

Channel 2 - internal

 

Thanks

[dandman3039]

There is no way to do that within the camera.

 

Best option is get a second recorder for your external mic at that point.

 

If you want a backwards, and likely low quality way to get it inside the camera, you would need to have a stereo out from the headphone jack of the camera, in to a portable mixer, combine it with the separate channel from your external mic, and put out a 2 channel stereo signal back in to the mic jack of the camera with another 3.5mm stereo cable.

[VTC]

Why do it this way? You could end up with botched audio and the entire shoot ends up worthless. If I wanted to sabotage a shoot your approach is exactly the way I'd do it. Send the external mic into its own recorder then you have a better chance of rescuing a shoot where audio on one capture is unusable. On my one man, 3 camera band shoots I have 2 locked down cameras and the mobile one giving me 3 separate audio tracks PLUS the board audio captured from the sound mans mixer. Synch all using PluralEyes (board audio for main quality and on-board camera audio at much lower volume for event ambiance) and it's off to the races. Your way introduces so many variables that may not be correctable in post. Bad audio will ruin the greatest of video (except for porn).

[Golem]

There is no way to do that within the camera.

 

Best option is get a second recorder for your external mic at that point.

 

If you want a backwards, and likely low quality way to get it inside the camera,

you would need to have a stereo out from the headphone jack of the camera,

in to a portable mixer, combine it with the separate channel from your external

mic, and put out a 2 channel stereo signal back in to the mic jack of the camera

with another 3.5mm stereo cable. 

  

 

Despite that the signal is passing thru extra devices, you are nevertheless

sending the camera's output back into the camera's input without involving

any time delay. Looks like a feedback loop to me.

[Golem]

I isolation-mount a handheld-type stereo field recorder

onto a bracket above the camera, which acoarst feeds

into the camera's "mic in" jack. This recorder has very

decent built-in mics [typical of such recorders].

 

Some of these recorders will allow mixing their built-in

mics with external mics connected thru the recorder's

"mic in" ... and allow balancing between. 

  

This involves less hardware compared to involving an

external mixer, cuz the mic on the camera bracket has

its own internal mixing capability between its built-in

mics and additional outboard mics.

    

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No "Geek Warning" here ... this is the Good Stuff :

    

One major bonus here is that you are using a recorder

as a mic, so you can either leave it on "standby", such

that it's just a mic, or you can hit "record" and record a

back-up audio track.

  

Another bonus, regardless of whether you hit "record",

is that a recorder-used-as-mic has it's own record-gain

and output level controls, with its own small LCD panel

displaying record level etc. You can match the output

level of the recorder and the input gain of the camera

such that you will no longer need to further refer to the

camera's audio menu. You control your audio from the

field recorder ... using its input and output dials and its

LCD readout for recording level and operational status.

[dandman3039]

Despite that the signal is passing thru extra devices, you are nevertheless

sending the camera's output back into the camera's input without involving

any time delay. Looks like a feedback loop to me.

Yep, you are right. that wouldn't work either. Would still have to just be in to the external recorder. No way for the a7s to record both internal and external audio. Might sound interesting though!

[Golem]

I can't see going to much effort to set up

a rig that blends an external mic with the

camera's internal mics. If the camera had

a quick-and-dirty click-the-menu method,  

then I can see some uses for it, but even

if the internal mics were much better than

they typically are, you still have handling

noise and such.

    

============================= 

      

Altho quite useable for some stuff, I don't

care much for internal camera mics, but

then my standard is music. My own use

is strictly personal, and for my purpose I

care much more about audio than visual  

content. Basically, my video is rather like 

"home movies" that accompany a decent

"reference recording". This is common in

club level performances, so common that

GoPro now provides a special musician's

model with premium sound ! 

  

Anywho, I don't own or want any sort of

GoPro, but have various field recorders

on hand that I'd acquired for audio-only,

and lately I've hooked them up to SLRs

for "music video". NO relation to MTV, or

YooToob or etc. And yes, I said, "SLRs".

So sue me. It's just cuz they have those

BIG batteries :-) Size DOES matter here.

    

============================= 

  

If you wanna try "recorder-as-mic", the

smallest and least expensive is a Zoom

H-1 at $100, sometimes less. It doesn't

offer mixing between its onboard mics

and its "mic in" jack, but it does provide

the advantage of a decent stereo mic

with adjustable record level and output

level and a record level meter. It has a

1/4-20 thread for mounting to whatever. 

  

It goes directly into Record Standby as

soon as you power it on, which allows

you to immediately use it as a mic. Hit  

the red button and it records. You can

set all your levels in Record Standby.

   

If you want in-recorder mixing between

the recorder's own mics and its "mic in"

jacks, count on tripling the price and the

size. Most of the size increase is due to

bigger onboard stereo mic array. Also

the LCD panel is wider and offers more

info. Also, buttons, dials, etc are bigger  

and better arranged.

  

Even with the tiny Zoom H-1, I'm using

a bracket [an adapted Olde Skool flash

bracket], and I can easily put one of the

larger field recorders onto it. Every field

recorder I've seen has a 1/4-20 socket. 

  

P.S.

It's worth looking for a bracket that does

NOT cover your battery door, if you use 

'Individual-Snack-Size' Sony batteries :-)

[Jarbil]

Thank you all for your answers

Thank Golem for the detailed answer and the valuable information !

 

Jarbil