Who is using a wireless mic and which brand/model? I currently have the Samson um1/77. I have a hard time getting it dialed in, even with a beachtek I still get hiss. Now I am not sure if this is something that people clean up in editing? I am just getting into the editing aspect so not much experience there. I also am not a fan of how fast the batterys die. I know you get what you pay for and a wireless mic can be pricey, but I am ready to make the next step and add a decent mic to my canon G30, any advice?
Get a Zoom H1 and a lapel mic and just slice in the audio. My production company has wireless mics, and we've spent a lot of money on them, but we still barely use them. It seems like no matter what we do, at some point we will get a hiss. We've basically bought H1ns, a lapel mic, and stick it in the pocket of whoever is doing the talking, and then synced audio in post. It's much easier to do that then to edit out a hiss cleanly in post. My current mindset is that if I don't need to use wireless mics, I won't. It's just too much work in post, and crappy audio makes a good video crappy. (They say audio is 50% of your video!) I'd always recommend an H4N or H5 by zoom. They are fantastic audio devices, with amps and amazing features that have great high quality audio that you won't get anywhere else for the price. You can even hook it right into the G30. They will fit in a pocket, and will work with dang near any mic, from XLR to 3.5mm. It can even provide power to the mic.
I have thought about getting the Zoom H1 but I know at some point I will turn on my camera and forget to turn on the mic. How long do the batteries last on it? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Could I use the lapel mic that came with my Samson unit? Also interested in battery life. Wish I would have got this advice sooner, thanks!
You WILL forget to turn the mic on, and it's best just to have a check list before you start filming. 1. Is the mic on? 2. Are the batteries charged on the mic? 3. Is the camera battery charged? 4. Is my shot clear and my lens clean? I go through this every time I shoot, no matter what! Also, recording with the audio from the camera AND the H1 is a pretty safe route. Even with a Rode Video Mic, we've managed to get good enough audio from a distance, when someone forgets to turn the H1 or H4 on. The battery life with the Sanyo eneloop is pretty dang long. Longest we've gone without a charge is about 40 hours of on/off time (3 day shoot) with about 12-15 hours of recording time. I'd recommend getting a four pack of the eneloops with the charger and always charge them before you shoot. Also, NEVER LEAVE BATTERIES IN ANY OF YOUR EQUIPMENT! You might find some bad reviews regarding the H1 and battery life, there was a bad batch made back in 2010, they had an issue with a capacitor and it caused battery to drain in 30 mins. A lot of people who didn't get the RMA or realize they had an issue attempted to sell them on ebay and amazon, so watch out, buy directly from a trusted source. Here is a video I did about 2 weeks ago, using the H1. I'm using a $20 lapel mic tucked UNDER my fleece, and the audio is still great. (EDIT: Looks like its $30 now) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CW_4A1__Fc
Sorry I forgot to address this. So long as it's 3.5mm it will work. if not you can put a converter on it. Might cause a buzz if you use cheap adapters. Go gold plated if you can.
I have a Zoom H1 as well and I agree with the above. You will get generally cleaner audio recording to it or any of the Zoom mics than you will with a wireless mic setup. I sometimes use my H1 with my lapel mic from my Sensiesor wireless mic set up and it is always a cleaner recording. It is an extra step though in terms of making sure it is turned on. You also have to drop the audio in in post and sync it, which really isn't too big of deal once you have done it a few times. I always try to clap or make a sharp sound before the meat of the audio recording to give me a sharp sync point in post. My wireless set up is nice but invariably you get a pop or hiss from some interference as the worst possible time it seems and you never realize it until you are in post doing your editing work. They both work but the H1 is going to give you cleaner audio at a very good price point. The H4 steps it up in what you can do with audio sources and mics as well and is an awesome recorder. I have a buddy who uses an H4 and I keep threatening to buy one for myself.
