Sound Track: 10 Tips for Better Sound

Anyone can pull a camcorder out of the closet and shoot bad video. That's simple. It's shooting good video that takes a bit more effort. The fact that you're reading this column indicates that you'd rather shoot good video than bad video.

Audio is half of the video equation--your camcorder is both an image gatherer and a sound gatherer. And while it's relatively simple to imagine how the tiny image in the viewfinder will look on your 27-inch TV, it's not so easy to predict what your video is going to sound like. That's where we can help.

This month, we'll cover 10 tips for better sound. These are suggestions designed to make sure your audio is clean, powerful and intelligible. You can benefit from these tips even if you have no special knowledge or equipment--all you need is a camcorder and a desire to make your video sound better.

1) Keep quiet when you shoot.
Behind the camcorder, you're usually much closer to its microphone than whatever you're shooting. Even though the camcorder's mike may be pointing away from you, your proximity makes the camcorder prone to pick up any sound you make. And the quieter your subject is, the more sensitive your camcorder's mike becomes.

There's nothing more embarrassing than playing back a video to hear every cough, sniffle and sneeze you made while taping. Even moderately heavy breathing on your part will be painfully audible with some camcorders. If you must make some sort of noise, try to remember to pause the camcorder first.

Some people feel compelled to blather from behind the camcorder, keeping up a running commentary of everything that's happening in front of the lens. Unless off-camera commentary is necessary for explanation, this kind of chatter quickly grows tiring for the viewer. Finally, be careful what you mutter under your breath while taping--you may discover that your comment is perfectly audible when you play back the tape.

2) Keep your camcorder quiet.
Ever thought of your camcorder itself as a sound source? It is--that little technological marvel is full of motors and gears and goodies that go whir in the night. If your camcorder is straining its mike to pick up sound in a quiet location, it may pick up plenty of its own internal noises instead.

The quieter the subject, the quieter you and your camcorder need to be. When shooting in near-silence, minimize the number of motors at work in your camcorder. Shut off autofocus (set focus manually) and avoid zooming when the camera is recording. Pushing buttons can sound like a tap-dance competition, so try to avoid changing camcorder functions until you pause the tape.

3) Don't cut off the speaker's first word.
When you're recording someone talking towards the lens, remember that most camcorders take a moment to actually begin recording after you press the pause button. If your subject begins speaking the instant you press the button, you may cut off part of his first word. This is annoying and there's no way to go back and fix the problem. Your viewers may enjoy playing "guess the first word," but it's a better idea to begin recording a second or two before someone starts speaking. An easy way to coordinate the proper time to start speaking is to use hand signals between you and your subject.

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