<p>I was wondering if anyone had a recommendation for a videocamera (digital and economical) that had the kind of sound/video quality one would want for making audition DVD's? The ones I've tried don't seem to capture the vocals very well?..</p>
<p>The only way that you are going to get decent sound is to get a camera with an external microphone jack. You will have to pay a bit more for a camera that has one but for what you are doing they are nearly a must. I think I paid about $400 for ours which is a Sony mini DVD format. It is a sweet camera. Then you hook it up with a wireless microphone that you can clip on your shirt or put on the table in front of you, etc. Like these;</p>
<p>Hi,</p>
<p>You could check consumer reports on this, but all digital cameras - mini-dv, direct to disk, or hard drive - record the sound they receive with the digital quality we have come to expect in media these days. Ther are some slight differences model to model - but its all pretty darn good if its digital sound. The real difference is the quality of how the sound gets to the media. This is why you want to be careful about the external mic you use. Most mics worth buying are probably out of your price range. I suggest talking to whoever does the sound at your high school - see if they have good wireless mics - if not, a high quality hard wired mic will work as well. They might, for example, have good area mics they use if your school has a show choir. </p>
<p>I think, as long as you are going with digital recording - the video quality should be fine for what you are doing - provided you have good lighting. You need key, fill, and back light to look good. If you do not know what that means, ask your school's AV people - if they can't help you - PM me and I will try to get back to you in a timely fashion.</p>
<p>Again, I am always in favor of making campus visits and auditioning live at the campus - but Iknow sometimes you can't do that - so make the best video possible!</p>
<p>Check with your school to see if you can access more sophisticated equipment. With "multimedia" classes incuding digital editing, the school equipment can be pretty good.</p>
<p>I agree- we made a dvd with school equipment, and it came out great.</p>
<p>The school idea is a good one. I know ours has some pretty good stuff. Dont know how up for letting a student use it they would be but worth asking.
Mtdog said
[quote]
The real difference is the quality of how the sound gets to the media
[/quote]
that is true and it is why sometimes, depending on the camera, even a less expensive wireless mic produces better sound. On some cameras the location of the mic is poor so the sound of the camera motor raises the ambiant noise level of the recording and reduces the sound quality. Depending on the camera the remote mic can help that. I also agree that there is a huge difference between the mics I linked to and professional ones and they are out of most peoples price range. </p>
<p>Are there any film schools around you? Maybe you could hire some students who have the equipment and know how to use it for a lot less than it would cost to buy equipment?</p>
<p>Our HS has an excellent Media Dept. They would not let just anyone borrow their equipment - but they are more than happy to assign a student to record the project for you. They even tape senior projects and recitals for showing on the local cable access channel.</p>
<p>Exactly MusThCC. My S went back to school tonight to tape 3 kids for summer theatre program auditions. He's taken a few multimedia courses, and has a documentary project going on right now, so he has access to the equipment and has permission. He'll lay down the tape for the students too.</p>
<p>Thank you so much -- this has been very helpful. We ultimately went with the mini-DVD option. Thanks so much. Now to see if we can actually learn how to use it in time... Thanks again...</p>
<p>All of the posts suggesting the use of school equipment and separate mics is helpful, but many schools/programs and competitions explicitly state that no separate mics are to be used in preparing a DVD for submission. In talking with several sales people regarding the audio quality of camcorders, NONE of the many people I spoke with had any idea of the AUDIO quality of the equipment that was being sold. </p>
<p>So, if anybody does have any experience/suggestions regarding camcorders with good BUILT-IN mic(s) and audio quality, it would be very helpful.</p>
<p>Thanks for any input,</p>
<p>vocaldad</p>
<p>We LOVE our SONY - Handycam (mini - DCR-HC42) & the Dual Double Layer RECORDER (to copy on to DVD or CDR). It's only less than a year old, and the sound quality is VERY exact. Good luck!</p>