advise on minicam to record bands

Hi Everyone

Thanks in advance for any help!

Here's the deal. I need a mini camcorder for about $500 to create
promotional mini cds for bands. I realize that the quality at this
price is not going to be the best but I do not have much more than 500
to spend.

What I want to do (comments encouraged) is to use the camera for
obviously the video but also the audio. So, a mic input (that defeats
the internal mic) is imperative. I realize that the mic preamps on
cameras of this price will overload easily and will have very little
headroom so my plans are to use a mic mixer to feed the mic input
(hopefully line input but can do with just mic input). 16 bit audio is
good enough but will need firewire output from the camera. I will need
to edit the audio on my pc and I have needed software for this –


Question regarding audio:
Does the firewire output of camcorders have separate audio and video
‘streams' or are they all one? What are the file formats?


I would like to have a camera that has manual focus along with
auto-focus. (I can live without this)


Any suggestions would be great.

Thanks in advance.

Garry

If at all possible, you want to get into a MiniDV format camera. Almost all
editing software now has DV video support and will work seamlessly through
firewire to control the camera and transfer video digitally (note: one of
the most-overlooked benefits of this system is the ability to mark multiple
clip in-and-out points in the software, and then have it do an automated
batch capture of the clips while you go for lunch, instead of having to
transfer ALL the footage in one shot, or manually capture separate clips).

You should find that most MiniDV cameras have external audio inputs -
sometimes separate mic/line, sometimes a single switchable input. Many
actually use the same jacks for analog audio/video in and out, the function
dictated by the mode of the camera (input when in "camera" mode, output when
in "VCR" mode). A better option for the audio, if at all possible, is to
try to get a feed from the mixer, as it will tend to be a straight
line-level signal, no overloading, with a cleaner mix. Some accomodating
house engineers may even give you a separate mix better tuned to recording


When transferring via firewire, you're tranferring the complete MiniDV
stream, which by spec includes 16-bit, 48kHz stereo PCM audio embedded along
with the video - there are no separate audio and video streams.

Going firewire means using a digital format, which means either MiniDV or
Digital-8. You'll probably find far greater selection, and thus lower costs
of both cameras and media, of the former. Also, firewire is a standard
interface in nearly every MiniDV camera (I've seen one or two exceptions),
while I've not actually seen myself a Digital-8 camera that had firewire (I
know they do exist, the ones I've seen are all USB).

--
"Few people are capable of expressing with equanimity opinions which differ
from the prejudices of their social environment. Most people are even
incapable of forming such opinions."
-- Albert Einstein


"gman" wrote in message
om...
Hi Everyone

Thanks in advance for any help!

Here's the deal. I need a mini camcorder for about $500 to create
promotional mini cds for bands. I realize that the quality at this
price is not going to be the best but I do not have much more than 500
to spend.

What I want to do (comments encouraged) is to use the camera for
obviously the video but also the audio. So, a mic input (that defeats
the internal mic) is imperative. I realize that the mic preamps on
cameras of this price will overload easily and will have very little
headroom so my plans are to use a mic mixer to feed the mic input
(hopefully line input but can do with just mic input). 16 bit audio is
good enough but will need firewire output from the camera. I will need
to edit the audio on my pc and I have needed software for this -


Question regarding audio:
Does the firewire output of camcorders have separate audio and video
'streams' or are they all one? What are the file formats?


I would like to have a camera that has manual focus along with
auto-focus. (I can live without this)


Any suggestions would be great.

Thanks in advance.

Garry

If at all possible, you want to get into a MiniDV format camera. Almost all
editing software now has DV video support and will work seamlessly through
firewire to control the camera and transfer video digitally (note: one of
the most-overlooked benefits of this system is the ability to mark multiple
clip in-and-out points in the software, and then have it do an automated
batch capture of the clips while you go for lunch, instead of having to
transfer ALL the footage in one shot, or manually capture separate clips).

You should find that most MiniDV cameras have external audio inputs -
sometimes separate mic/line, sometimes a single switchable input. Many
actually use the same jacks for analog audio/video in and out, the function
dictated by the mode of the camera (input when in "camera" mode, output when
in "VCR" mode). A better option for the audio, if at all possible, is to
try to get a feed from the mixer, as it will tend to be a straight
line-level signal, no overloading, with a cleaner mix. Some accomodating
house engineers may even give you a separate mix better tuned to recording


When transferring via firewire, you're tranferring the complete MiniDV
stream, which by spec includes 16-bit, 48kHz stereo PCM audio embedded along
with the video - there are no separate audio and video streams.

Going firewire means using a digital format, which means either MiniDV or
Digital-8. You'll probably find far greater selection, and thus lower costs
of both cameras and media, of the former. Also, firewire is a standard
interface in nearly every MiniDV camera (I've seen one or two exceptions),
while I've not actually seen myself a Digital-8 camera that had firewire (I
know they do exist, the ones I've seen are all USB).

--
"Few people are capable of expressing with equanimity opinions which differ
from the prejudices of their social environment. Most people are even
incapable of forming such opinions."
-- Albert Einstein


"gman" wrote in message
om...
Hi Everyone

Thanks in advance for any help!

Here's the deal. I need a mini camcorder for about $500 to create
promotional mini cds for bands. I realize that the quality at this
price is not going to be the best but I do not have much more than 500
to spend.

What I want to do (comments encouraged) is to use the camera for
obviously the video but also the audio. So, a mic input (that defeats
the internal mic) is imperative. I realize that the mic preamps on
cameras of this price will overload easily and will have very little
headroom so my plans are to use a mic mixer to feed the mic input
(hopefully line input but can do with just mic input). 16 bit audio is
good enough but will need firewire output from the camera. I will need
to edit the audio on my pc and I have needed software for this -


Question regarding audio:
Does the firewire output of camcorders have separate audio and video
'streams' or are they all one? What are the file formats?


I would like to have a camera that has manual focus along with
auto-focus. (I can live without this)


Any suggestions would be great.

Thanks in advance.

Garry

. I realize that the quality at this
price is not going to be the best but I do not have much more than 500
to spend.


Who cares about quality; go for the lo-fi, sorta grungy look.

. I realize that the quality at this
price is not going to be the best but I do not have much more than 500
to spend.


Who cares about quality; go for the lo-fi, sorta grungy look.

(gman) wrote in message . com...
Hi Everyone

Thanks in advance for any help!

Here's the deal. I need a mini camcorder for about $500 to create
promotional mini cds for bands. I realize that the quality at this
price is not going to be the best but I do not have much more than 500
to spend.

What I want to do (comments encouraged) is to use the camera for
obviously the video but also the audio. So, a mic input (that defeats
the internal mic) is imperative. I realize that the mic preamps on
cameras of this price will overload easily and will have very little
headroom so my plans are to use a mic mixer to feed the mic input
(hopefully line input but can do with just mic input). 16 bit audio is
good enough but will need firewire output from the camera. I will need
to edit the audio on my pc and I have needed software for this ?


Question regarding audio:
Does the firewire output of camcorders have separate audio and video
?streams' or are they all one? What are the file formats?


I would like to have a camera that has manual focus along with
auto-focus. (I can live without this)


Any suggestions would be great.

Thanks in advance.

Garry



Hire a pro...

(gman) wrote in message . com...
Hi Everyone

Thanks in advance for any help!

Here's the deal. I need a mini camcorder for about $500 to create
promotional mini cds for bands. I realize that the quality at this
price is not going to be the best but I do not have much more than 500
to spend.

What I want to do (comments encouraged) is to use the camera for
obviously the video but also the audio. So, a mic input (that defeats
the internal mic) is imperative. I realize that the mic preamps on
cameras of this price will overload easily and will have very little
headroom so my plans are to use a mic mixer to feed the mic input
(hopefully line input but can do with just mic input). 16 bit audio is
good enough but will need firewire output from the camera. I will need
to edit the audio on my pc and I have needed software for this ?


Question regarding audio:
Does the firewire output of camcorders have separate audio and video
?streams' or are they all one? What are the file formats?


I would like to have a camera that has manual focus along with
auto-focus. (I can live without this)


Any suggestions would be great.

Thanks in advance.

Garry



Hire a pro...

In case no one has suggested it, there are a number of desktop video
newsgroups, where these answers will come easy and fast.

Frank ess

Michael Scarpitti wrote:
(gman) wrote in message
. com...
Hi Everyone

Thanks in advance for any help!

Here's the deal. I need a mini camcorder for about $500 to create
promotional mini cds for bands. I realize that the quality at this
price is not going to be the best but I do not have much more than
500
to spend.

What I want to do (comments encouraged) is to use the camera for
obviously the video but also the audio. So, a mic input (that defeats
the internal mic) is imperative. I realize that the mic preamps on
cameras of this price will overload easily and will have very little
headroom so my plans are to use a mic mixer to feed the mic input
(hopefully line input but can do with just mic input). 16 bit audio
is
good enough but will need firewire output from the camera. I will
need
to edit the audio on my pc and I have needed software for this ?


Question regarding audio:
Does the firewire output of camcorders have separate audio and video
?streams' or are they all one? What are the file formats?


I would like to have a camera that has manual focus along with
auto-focus. (I can live without this)


Any suggestions would be great.

Thanks in advance.

Garry



Hire a pro...