Thu Aug 18, 2016 10:54 am
I finally figured out how to video record simultaneously with audio recording without using an external microphone so as to retain the high fidelity of the original sample set acoustics. The solution was so simple that I couldn't believe I hadn't thought of it before.
My camera is a middle of the road image quality ( a Nikon D5500) and the built in microphone is pretty bad. The left and right microphones built into the top of the camera next to the hot shoe are about 3/4 inch apart so recording in stereo is really non-existent. I was reading the users manual ( i.e. when everything else fails read the instructions !!!!) and I noticed that on my Nikon it had a microphone plug on the side of the camera next to the USB plugs. I thought that I could run a cable from the computer's headphone plug or from one of the four the four headphone outputs in my Headphone Pre-Amp, which in my case is the PreSonus HP-4. Since I use headphones ( AKG 701's) that are of low output, it was recommended that I use a headphone pre-amplifier. The HP-4 happens to have four headphone jacks all with their own volume control. I suppose that you could use the computer's headphone output if you have a way of balancing the audio-level. In my case the Camera has a built in external audio level control since external microphones vary tremendously in their output.
I was able to set the camera's audio level using the built-in V/U meters. Some test recordings were perfect. I didn't have to buy any equipment to balance the visual recording with the audio to make sure they were in-synch, and the recording quality is exactly the same as the sample set. Microphones and especially audio speakers as well as room characteristics can have a dramatic effect of the sound that reaches the camera.
Antoni