Best External Mic for the JVC GR-HD1 Camera

[marklight]

I'm looking into buying a Mic for the JVC GR-HD1. I am an amateur filmmaker, but I am not too knowledgeable about audio. I was wondering if anyone had suggestions as to what mic would be good and compatible with the GR-HD1. I do not want a mic that must be mounted to the camera- I need it to be able to extend away from the camcorder so I can be away from the action, yet still be able to get the mic close to it to hear what's going on. Questions that I have are: Will the mic need an external power source? How does that work, or does the mic use the camera's power source? Thanks for any help. - Also, if anyone knows what size the mic jack is, that would be helpful. I've looked in the manual to find what size it is, but I can't find anything. One more thing- would using a DAT machine/mic be a better combo in terms of easiness to use and quality of sound- rather than trying to find a Mic for that camera?

 

[marklight]

Ok well I guess this brings me to another question.
I was looking at this mic-

Sennheiser ME66/K6P - Super-Cardioid Short Shotgun Condenser Microphone Capsule with K6P (Phantom Only) Power Supply

Does my camcorder supply phantom power? (GR-HD1) If not - I know that Sennheiser makes a similar mic that can be powered another way. IF my mic doesn't supply phantom power, then how would I go about powering the other mic? Does that mean that I wouldn't be able to connect it to my camera's input? - meaning would I have to use a DAT machine or another recorder and then in post-editing match up the sound.

 

[DerekEastham]

This means that you'll need something else to power the mic...

You don't have to record elsewhere...
you could always get a field mixer (they have phantom power)... and send the output from that into your camera.

 

[marklight]

Ok so let me get this all down in one thought:

If my camcorder does not supply phantom power to the mic, then I can buy a field mixer which will supply power to the mic- and I'll still be able to directly plug the mic into the camcorder?

 

[Nexus]

You can use a cable to connect the field mixer to the camera, depending on what ports are available for audio input.

It all depends on what type of audio you are wanting... If you want regular "Nature" noise, such as birds and the wind in the trees in the background, a Shotgun mic would be good. If you are wanting to get dialog, either a lapel mic (may not necessarily be in the shot) or the more preferred method would be to use a Boom mic. I would prefer the boom mic, unless you are doing an interview of some sort.

 

[marklight]

Sorry I didn't specify this earlier- It will be used mainly for picking up voices with background noise coming in as a second priority- I'm not a big fan of the lapels though.

 

[Nexus]

The best thing I would say to use would be a Boom Mic on a boom pole with the windscreens and such. Your camcorder would take a mini(3.5mm plug) mic input, a standard for most pro-sumer camcorders. Depending on your budget, and if you would be willing, I would put together a sample list of the products you might want to get. which as I said before, is a quality retailer.

A little bit off the original topic, but going towards your camera of choice. It seems like a good camera, but I have had a few picture quality problems with JVC camcorders before. The cameras weren't as "pricey," and they weren't 3CCD, which makes these close to the same. For that price, you should be getting a 3CCD camcorder. IMO, a camcorder around that same price that would be awesome for any shoot you did would be the Sony VX-2100. I have yet to work with it personally, but I trust Sony more than JVC. In a Consumer Reports issue that dealt with camcorders, Sony was ranked at the top with picture quality along with Canon. The only problem with Canon is their repair rep. I have dealt with this as well. I hope to get one or two of the VX-2100s eventually. This is only an opinion.

 

[marklight]

Hey I totally agree with you on the camera. I can say that the camera produces some fantastic quality video- but there are better cameras that aren't as expensive. This camera was actually a present - I think it was bought mainly due to the HD feature. I am not the biggest fan of JVC. Their customer support is VERY bad, and I've had a few problems also with some of their cameras. Sony I would agree is putting out some amazing pieces of equipment.


Can you tell me if this camera supplies phantom power to its mics?

 

[marklight]

One more question - where are the boom mics at on the site that you gave me? I've looked around for them- but I can't find any category that's for "boom mics"

 

[Nexus]

It does not. As far as I can tell, the only cameras that would possibly supply phantom power would be the "Professional" grade cameras. These will have XLR ports built in to the camera somewhere. Some "Prosumer" cameras have the XLR ports and possibly have phantom power, such as the Canon XL-1S.

What you can do is purchase a phantom power supply. I found a dual channel for as low as $49.00 plus shipping. A single channel one for $39. The mic you are using is a XLR wired mic, so these should work. If you are wanting to put this directly to a camera, you can get a special converter, or just make multiple connections with different connectors to get to the 3.5mm mini plug. A Dual Channel Camcorder XLR Adapter would run you approx. $100, a large payment for not being used often. If you were to get a Low to High Impedance Transformer, fancy name for a connector that will go from an XLR connection to the mini plug you will need is no more than $40. This is the one I would prefer for a smaller budget, and would actually get myself.


The categories are based upon section. All of these items are in the Audio Professional section off of the main page.[/EDIT]