Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Record The Best Sound With A Camcorder

The best way to improve sound is to be familiar with your camcorder.


Good sound is just as important to quality video as keeping the picture in focus or the subject in frame. But while many camcorders have placed a special emphasis on picture quality, zooms and other such visual elements, often the built-in microphone and audio hardware aren't as fancy. When shooting outdoors or in a loud area (such as a concert or performance venue), the background noise can drown out the recording's sound, or the microphone may not be able to pick up the sound. In some cases, the best sound comes from using better equipment.


Instructions


1. Examine and familiarize yourself with the camcorder. Know where your camera's built-in microphone is located. Imagine how the sound travels to reach that position on the camera and move to allow an easier path for the sound to reach the microphone.


2. Position yourself in the right place. For outdoor recording, be aware of wind and other noises and adjust your position to block out noises. For indoor or loud areas, stand close enough to the source for the sound to reach the microphone, but not so close that it distorts. Moving a few steps can make the difference between clear audio and static or silence.


3. Use headphones or an external mic. If the camcorder has a headphone jack, plug in a set of headphones to hear exactly how the audio is coming through while recording. If the camcorder has an external microphone jack, consider adding one to feed directly into the camera. Equipment specifically made to improve audio performance vastly improves sound quality.







Tags: built-in microphone, reach microphone, sound reach, sound reach microphone