Gemini Mic for Boom Mic?

1. svtcobraltd
   Member

   

   I have a Gemini DJM-2 mic (http://www.geminidj.com/djm2.html) which i put on the end of by boom pole.  I then ran the wire to my laptop which was recording using AudaCity yet the sound was extremely low.  The mic volume on the laptop was at 100 so I do not believe that is the problem.  Anyone have any ideas?

   Posted 2 years ago #

2. BruceMol
   Member

   

   There are a few things you would want to check. First, does the part about the boom pole have any relevance? Probably not - unless you are using an extension cable If you plug the mic into your laptop and the signal is always low, you need a preamp to use that mic, or another mic that has a higher signal output. If you are using an extension, the cable may be too long (incurring too much impedance and signal loss) or the connector may be faulty. generally you loose about 3db per extra connector. With Audacity you can increase the signal level of your recording - I suspect you know that and realized the noise increases too. The noise reduction option in Audacity works OK so you may want to try that feature. You may wish to run the signal directly to your camera - if you have the option - or an accessory recording device. There have been some recent posting of handheld recorders in the $200 range. I've used a cassette recorder in the past and used noise reduction software to get rid of the hiss.

   Posted 2 years ago #

3. XTR-91
   Member

   

   Computers tend to lack compatibility with many types of microphones. When using a mic with my PC, I've had experience with very little gain, extra noise added, or no gain at all. With a set of NADY professional microphones, I had to turn up the receiver gain to MAX, amplify the computer sensativity to MAX, and amplify the resulting sound in Audacity to get reasonably good audio, which added some hiss. All of these issues mostly deal with impedance. It seems that the audio input on most PCs has an odd impedance or signal frequency.

   I'd recommend an external pre-amplifyer or audio recorder.

   Posted 2 years ago #

4. svtcobraltd
   Member

   

   The wire runs directly from the back of the mic to a 1/4" to 1/8" adapter which is directly into the laptop.  I didnt want to record the sound onto my GL2 because I might want to use the sound on there too.  So I guess I will need to invest in a good sound recorder and probably a better mic?  Any ideas on recorders or where to look?

   Posted 2 years ago #

5. XTR-91
   Member

   

   I've recently been searching for digital audio recorders (ignoring "voice" recorders). The results were fairly pricy, though. Recorders that appear to be good quality for most types of recordings (voice, instrumental, etc.) range between $200-$400. A cassette tape recorder might also work, but may result in quality loss or extra noise.

   Here's a link to some digital recorders:
   http://digitalmedia.oreilly.com/audio/portable-recorder-comparison/

   >> "I didnt want to record the sound onto my GL2 because I might want to use the sound on there too."

   Your camcorder may have an option for mixing the camera mic's audio along with an external audio source.

   Posted 2 years ago #

6. svtcobraltd
   Member

   

   So something like this http://digitalmedia.oreilly.com/2008/11/26/TASCAM-GT-R1-review.html I could just plug the wire from the mic into it and it will record and then I can get the files off later on?  Seems to be what I want since I do not need anything super fancy.  Just want to get some better sound then just from the camera and the shotgun mic i have.

   Posted 2 years ago #

7. XTR-91
   Member

   

   Very nice professional recorder - pro sound quality, frequency pickup, muli-track overdubbing. This recorder has its own microphone along with an audio and line input. The files are recorded digitally (WAV or MP3) and then copied to computer via USB.

   I would recommend this type of audio recorder (only that its $245) for your situation.

   Posted 2 years ago #

8. svtcobraltd
   Member

   

   I would like a cheaper alterative but that seems to be a decent one since the recorder can carry it in his/her pocket while recording.  Originally I wanted to record it directly onto the laptop that was going to be in a backpack on the back of the person recording.

   Posted 2 years ago #

9. svtcobraltd
   Member

   

   Is there any other options for recording sounds from a boom mic becides directly into the camera?

   Posted 2 years ago #

RSS feed for this topic

Supported video provider:

youtube, myvideo, funnyordie, gametrailers, collegehumor, dailymotion, glumbert, liveleak, redtube, googlevideo, sevenload, metacafe, clipfish, vimeo