Digital mics - need some helpful info

sludge21017 wrote:

Magnar W wrote:

Markr041 wrote:

jjdp wrote:

Isn't a "digital mic" just a mic with an A/D converter built-in? Is it correct to assume the only advantage would be if the converter is better than what's in the camera?

As long as the mic/interface can be powered by the camera and pass audio through the shoe. I briefly had a Sony XLR-K2M and it was great in these regards, though I don't think it was digital.

1. No cable, which can pickup noise.

2. No mic battery to die - power is supplied by the camera, so only one battery to watch.

3. The digital mic has both a microphone preamplifier and a A/D converter. Either one could be better than what is in the camera.

That's what I am looking for, so I ordered an ECM-W2BT set, plus a lavalier microphone. Hopefully I can get a first impression at the end of next week.

That one in digital mode will have a hiss since there's no way to set the audio rec level in camera while in digital.

For real world work you rarely get the ideal solution when working fast at a lower level. I am not producing for Netflix.

Probably subtracting a take of room noise or using other filters can help to reduce unwanted noise.

To get around that, use the cable and set the audio rec level in camera a little bit lower.

Tests will show what we get from fully digital input. At least there are three Db levels for input.

Of course, if you are outside and not in a quiet setting, you might not hear it.

Some schools even accept and appreciate some "unwanted" noise, especially for reportage and info media style work, since such flaws will strenghten the impression of realism and anthensity when listening to the message. Of cause too much will be over the top, but I don't think this is a major problem with digital sound capture.