Audio for filming with T5i: My external RODE microphone is producing a lot of hiss despite trying various remedies , so I have a question : With the built in camera microphone which is...

machia Loc: NJ

My external RODE microphone is producing a lot of hiss despite trying various remedies , so I have a question :
With the built in camera microphone which is producing no hiss , can I record a normal voice from approximately 20 feet away ?
I'll be using an STM 18-135mm so the video will be fine , just concerned about the audio . I'll be shooting in automatic as well . Thank you in advance !

Al Beatty Loc: Boise, Idaho

I shoot a lot of video with my D750. I get the best sound from a stereo wired lav mic. I also use a mono radio lav mic. When I use it I have to duplicate the left sound track to the right in post. I have never gotten top quality audio from the on board camera mic but if you have to use it you make it a bit better in post but it is still not great. Good luck! Take care...

machia Loc: NJ

Al Beatty wrote:

I shoot a lot of video with my D750. I get the best sound from a stereo wired lav mic. I also use a mono radio lav mic. When I use it I have to duplicate the left sound track to the right in post. I have never gotten top quality audio from the on board camera mic but if you have to use it you make it a bit better in post but it is still not great. Good luck! Take care...

I'll have to take my chances w/ the onboard mic . The external RODE mic that was lent to me produces a lot of hiss and I can't remove it despite everything I do .
Thank you for the response .

aellman Loc: Boston MA

machia wrote:

I'll have to take my chances w/ the onboard mic . The external RODE mic that was lent to me produces a lot of hiss and I can't remove it despite everything I do .
Thank you for the response .

The on camera mic quality is always going to be bad, unless you are very close to the person s[peaking. The hiss could be from local rf interference. Do you get the hiss in different locations?

Vladimir200 Loc: Beaumont, Ca.

I too do some video with my Nikon D750 and get my best audio from a wired lav mic XLR connected to separate Zoom H5 recorder. Most pros and semi pros will tell you that the camera mic is good for backup only.

blackest Loc: Ireland

Vladimir200 wrote:

I too do some video with my Nikon D750 and get my best audio from a wired lav mic XLR connected to separate Zoom H5 recorder. Most pros and semi pros will tell you that the camera mic is good for backup only.

I have a zoom h2 it is incredibly sensitive, the negative with it is any vibration that gets through to the body is picked up by the microphones. rubber mounting helps a lot. Like light there is an inverse square law so the nearer the mic to your sound source the better the signal. The internal mic is useful though hopefully you capture a better sound with an external audio set up. syncing it to the video is hard but the internal audio can help you line it up. The clapperboard is pretty handy if you have one the peak when it closes is easy to identify and line up both audio sources. A simple clap can also work.

machia Loc: NJ

I appreciate all of your answers , but I'm up against time and I will shoot w/ the onboard mic . I'll post again next week and let you know the results . Thank you again .😃

aellman Loc: Boston MA

machia wrote:

I appreciate all of your answers , but I'm up against time and I will shoot w/ the onboard mic . I'll post again next week and let you know the results . Thank you again .😃

The closer you get to your subject with the on-camera mic, the better your sound will be. If you're too far away, it will sound like s/he is talking in a cave.
In either case, it's never going to be what I would consider professional quality audio. It's a shame when good quality video is dragged down by the audio. (Seen that movie before.) A wired lavalier mic is avail from Amazon for about 15 bucks in as little as one day delivery. Not sure if that is the same setup that gave you the hiss, or if yours was wireless. As I mentioned, hiss can be caused by outside RF interference, but also by a mismatch in specs between the mic and the camera audio input. Whether before or after the upcoming shoot, it would be helpful to do a series of tests of all the options in a couple of different locations. (My credit: video producer/director with 25+ years experience.) Oh, I forgot one more thing: during the tests, cover your head with an aluminum foil hat to eliminate any spurious radiation. >Alan

blackest Loc: Ireland

machia wrote:

I appreciate all of your answers , but I'm up against time and I will shoot w/ the onboard mic . I'll post again next week and let you know the results . Thank you again .😃

unless this is a theatre production you need an audio recorder near your subjects.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/699403-REG/Zoom_H1_H1_Ultra_Portable_Digital_Audio.html

The demo on there is excellent, everything he says is 100% true $100 + $25 for the starter kit is excellent value for what really is a portable sound studio.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLFNtNBh7zc is worth watching :)

aellman Loc: Boston MA

Adding a stand-alone audio recorder on the set is not necessarily the solution. In general it's a good idea, but the same hiss problem could occur with the audio recorder as has been experienced with the camera, depending on the source of the hiss and other variables. It still requires testing with whatever combination of gear is involved. Renting a digital audio recorder for a day (or half day) for testing coulod be a good option. >Alan

aellman Loc: Boston MA

blackest wrote:

I have a zoom h2 it is incredibly sensitive, the n... (show quote)

With contemporary video editing systems, matching audio and video is a no-brainer. The main advantage of a "clapperboard," (slate), is that you can write scene information on it.

blackest Loc: Ireland

aellman wrote:

With contemporary video editing systems, matching audio and video is a no-brainer. The main advantage of a "clapperboard," (slate), is that you can write scene information on it.

This is true , also why its pretty normal to say scene 1 take 3 it makes it much easier to identify the clips but the sharp peak of a clap is a great sync mark nonetheless. The video i linked too has a great comparison between the rode mike the H1 and the built in mic of the camera.

Using it alone or combined it's a fantastic great value bit of kit i've had mine a few years and I do not regret it one bit.

aellman Loc: Boston MA

machia wrote:

My external RODE microphone is producing a lot of hiss despite trying various remedies , so I have a question :
With the built in camera microphone which is producing no hiss , can I record a normal voice from approximately 20 feet away ?
I'll be using an STM 18-135mm so the video will be fine , just concerned about the audio . I'll be shooting in automatic as well . Thank you in advance !

I have sent a couple of posts on this, but I just came back to the original and noted the 20 ft distance. I can guarantee that your audio quality will be HORRIBLE at that distance. In fact, it may sound so distant as to be UNUSABLE. I urge you to get a wired lavaliere mic, as many have suggested, from Amazon. ***NOTE: the mics usually come with a 6 ft. cable, so you will need an extension cable to go the distance. The mics are cheap, and if you order one today, it can be in your hands as soon as tomorrow. ***ALSO, make sure the recording sound level on your camera is NOT set to automatic; another guaranteed disaster. Get a level just before you shoot, and leave it there. Best of luck! >Alan<

JPL

If you have a smartphone try to use that to record the audio and then mix it together afterwards in case the internal camera mic will give you bad results, as I would guess it does. It may be your best option if you have no time to buy new audio gear. Maybe you can even plug the external mic to it.

aellman Loc: Boston MA

JPL wrote:

If you have a smartphone try to use that to record the audio and then mix it together afterwards in case the internal camera mic will give you bad results, as I would guess it does. It may be your best option if you have no time to buy new audio gear. Maybe you can even plug the external mic to it.

Smartphone recording may be of much less than professional quality. Test first. >Alan