External Microphone for Canon GL2
I have recently spent a fair amount of time researching which mic I should get for my Canon GL2. It is amazing how much information there is on the web - there a lot of people with a lot more time on their hands than I have! (You snicker as you note that I have time to blog this!) Anyway, I finally settled on the Rode NTG-2. I debated between that and the Audio Technica AT897. At the end of this article I'm going to list the sites I used to research this - there's a wealth of information out there. I will give you the brief reasons why I decided on this mix though. Cost - it is slightly cheaper than the AT897, and a really good mic for the money (about $249 retail.)
Performance - I was looking for a shotgun mic to concentrate the audio on what I was shooting at, eliminate the camera noise (although the GL2 does a great job with this already), and I wanted a mic I could position anywher by running XLR cables. I did look long and hard into XLR to mini-jack adapter unit, like the beatchtek dxa-6 (far superior to Canon's MA-300 for about the same cost) but in the end ended up just getting a simple XLR to mini-jack cable, mainly to cut costs (it was $13.00 as opposed to around $260 for a powered adapter that mounts to the camera).
I eventually will probably get a product like the beachtek dxa-6 for a couple of reasons. It will be nice to have the ability to supply phantom power for one. Also, I'd have the ability to have more than one mic and adjust each mic's levels prior to going into the camera. The Rode NTG-2 tends to overpower the GL2 in noisy situations - I've found that I am occasionally getting distortion, something that never happened using the GL2's mic. I've tried switching to manual levels on the GL2, but then it's a pain to adjust in situations where the noise level is changing (particularly when filming a speaker far away and having applause and laughter interspersed that overwhelms the audio feed). Plus it's near impossible to adjust left and right channels simutaneously on the GL2. The GL2 does a great job with it's automatic audio levels feature though - I just need to take the signal from the NTG-2 down a notch before coming into the camera, something I can do with the DXA-6.
Portability - I'm going to have situations where I need to position a mic near a speaker or stage (like getting wedding vows), and have the camera a fair distance away. For this reason I needed a standard XLR mic that could function as a normal mic, not just a video camera mic. Although if that's what your looking for, the Rode VideoMic is a great, inexpensive ($150) option for the consumer looking to get better sound from his camera and eliminate camera noise.
Well, I've said enough (although there's lots more to say!) Here's a list of links:
TOP 5 SHOTGUNS! (for those with a budget)- READ THIS! - DVXuser.com -- The online community for filmmaking
TOP 5 SHOTGUNS! (for those with a budget)- READ THIS! Audio
Canon Accessory Annex Home Page
"right angle xlr" mini jack - Google Search
Rode VideoMic - Camera Mounted Shotgun Microphone
BeachTek Audio Adapters - DXA-6
Review of the Audio-Technica AT897 Short Shotgun Microphone
A review of the Audio-Technica AT897 short shotgun microphone
Amazon.com: NTG2: Musical Instruments
Amazon.com: NTG2: Musical Instruments
The Must Have's by Martha Smith - The Digital Journalist
4073a
Camcorderinfo.com Message Board - outdoor interview mic? mke-300 vs rode videomic
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Labels: videography equipment
posted by Josh @ 2:48 PM
10 comments
10 Comments:
Thank you. I've been weighing my options for an external mic for my Canon GL2 and found your article very helpful.
Just thought I'd leave a follow up after having owned the Rode NTG-2 for a few months. I have really enjoyed this mic and it's done everything I wanted it to. A couple of tips - use a fresh battery every time if you're not using phantom power. Or if you're only using it for a few minutes, make sure to take the battery out when you're done. There's no on and off switch on the mic, so if you leave the battery in, it will eventually drain it.
Shoot without the windscreen when you are indoors. The windscreen can muffle the sound.
Get an adapter to put multiple mic's on one mic stand. I'm often filming somewhere where I can't plug into the sound system and they've already got a mic on a stand setup.
Get LOTS of XLR cable so you can position the mic pretty much anywhere you want. From my experience, XLR cables are like a lot of cables these days, you can pay a lot, or you can pay a little, and you get pretty much the same performance.
Arrive at the event early enough (or scout it out a day or two early) to assess what you'll need to set up properly. It's very stressful trying to set up the audio right before the event. This should be a no-brainer, but it needs to be said anyway.
Get a good pair of headphones that muffle out everything. You want to be able to monitor the live recording without outside noise interfering with your interpretation of what the camera is getting.
Use audio auto-levels on your camera if you have them. Audiences clapping, laughing, coughs, etc. can all distort your audio if not doing audio levels.
Lastly, don't overuse the mic - it's not a catch all. For most events where you are moving around, getting ambient noise, etc. (like at a wedding party or reception) the mic on the GL2 is far better. You often WANT to get noise from behind you and to the side of you. A shotgun mic has its place - like a controlled event where all the audio you want is coming from a central location, like a stage.
Is the CANON DM-50 not even worth talking about? I just found one on ebay for about one hundred bucks. But, am wondering why it hasn't even gotten a mention in your research.
When it comes down to it, I think I want to get a wireless clip on style mic...
For my particular needs, no, the Canon DM-50 is not worth talking about, and here's why (quote from original article):
Portability - I'm going to have situations where I need to position a mic near a speaker or stage (like getting wedding vows), and have the camera a fair distance away. For this reason I needed a standard XLR mic that could function as a normal mic, not just a video camera mic. Although if that's what your looking for, the Rode VideoMic is a great, inexpensive ($150) option for the consumer looking to get better sound from his camera and eliminate camera noise.
If you are looking for an on-camera mic, I'd go with the Rode VideoMic. It's about the same price, and from what I've read (see the reviews on amazon.com for both mics for an example), the rode mic is far superior. Yes, you lose the camera integration and need to use a 9-volt battery, but you get a much better mic - high pass filter, wider field range, durable construction, and just better quality in general. Don't get me wrong, I love Canon (as far as accessories are concerned I own the Canon Video light and the Canon wide angle lens), but I just think the Rode is a better mic (granted, I'm not speaking from experience).
Rode videomic at amazon.com
Canon DM-50 on amazon.com
Great article.
Have you used the NTG-2 with a shockmount directly on the GL-2? I'm debating between the rode videomic and the NTG-2. There's not a lot of situations where I wouldn't want the camera mounted on the mic, but there might be some.
Yes, using the NTG-2 with a shockmount directly on the GL2 is almost always how I use the mic - it works great. The NTG-2 is typically $100 - $150 more than the Rode VideoMic, so the question is: is phantom power, the ability to easily use the mic off the camera, and having a slightly better quality mic (that's debatable, and the difference is probably negligible to all but the most avid audiophiles) worth the extra money?
One other thing I'd like to say about this mic - I find myself using it a lot for voice overs. It works GREAT for that. When you are putting voice on top of background music, that's where having a good mic with absolutely no noise makes a huge difference.
Hello, I am using the Canon GL2 with the beachtek adaptor and the Rode NTG-2 shotgun.
I have been having really BAD HUM feedback which I just noticed (should have bought quality speakers sooner). You can hear it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeGa1skFyDE
Any ideas what is causing the HUM? Ever experienced it yourself?
You can't hear it with headphones but you can hear it when you digitize the footage and play it back through good speakers.
Any ideas are appreciated! THANKS!
If the noise is not present until you capture the footage, then is it possible that the hum is actually coming from your speakers? Do you get the hum when you capture the footage and listen to it off the computer with headphones in the computer? Do you have the camera and mic hooked up to the computer when playing it back, so that you may be creating a feedback loop? It sounds like some simple trial and error may be helpful:
Hook up some decent headphones to the camera and play back some footage. Do you get the noise?
Capture the footage, disconnect and power off the camera/mic, and play it back from your computer through headphones.
Then play it back through the speakers.
If you get it in the speakers but not the headphones coming from the computer than I'd say there's an issue with your speakers or placement of the speakers or possibly sound card. Maybe it's as simple as making sure the speakers are plugged in all the way? Are you using any type of splitter or adapter between the speakers and the computer? Just some thoughts.
You and your readers may be interested in a new product I developed. It's a XLR adapter, that includes a low-noise preamp (something that passive-type adapters don’t have). It allows you to reduce the camcorder hiss while recording fine audio detail:
www.juicedlink.com
Hi! Thank you so much for your generosity in this blog!!
I had a question about the Rode VideoMic on Amazon (now selling at a verrry good price.) I was just about to purchase it when I realized that it seemed to have a small wire for connected it to the camera. ...*The question: Does that mean that I need to buy an adapter to use this mic, or can I just plug and go?
I have a very limited income and have been slowly buying pieces to this camera and I just don't want to have to spent all the money for added equipment. However, I do not want to sacrifice quality. So, I did a bunch of research and found your blog. I have a canon gl2 as well and thought that you could have some good insight.
Thank you once again!
Frank
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