microphone for filming choir/band concerts

if you can run a mic to the stage consider a PZM mic

if you want a good one for on the camera get a shotgun

DAVE

I would suggest just getting a nice stereo mic and setting it up about 4-6 feet above the band just behind the conductor - maybe about 4 feet behind. Make sure it has a nice wide field. Omnis (a mic that records 360 degrees) are ok, but if you can find a stereo cardiod or even two cardiod mics with about 120 degree spread even better.

If you have a soloist, use another non stereo mic to another camera and then mix it in post.

My 2cents... there is nothing wonderful about a band sound in a gymnasium recorded from 200 feet away. The brain is a wonderful thing. It takes away a lot of junk it actually hears. The mics aren't that smart. You hear all the garbage of the band floating around and getting in the way of itself.

Now -- for JH and even some HS bands maybe that's a good thing. (hehe).

Price points are your choice. Some expensive mics are horrible for bands because of the unique harmonics a band produces. So I'm not going to recommend any brands. It's your choice really. I'm sure your folks will LOVE what you do for them. Just get those mics closer to the band PLEASE!!

Good luck,

CaptM

Infact...

This was our AF Band doing the dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy recorded in a gym.

http://homepage.mac.com/captmench/SugarPlum.mp3

Can't quite get what's wrong with the sound... but...

CaptM

We film a lot of middle and elementary school choir and band concerts------------

then you should be able to afford some extra kit that will give you far reaching benefits

should I just be happy with the results I am getting with the inexpensive mini dv and its built in mic-------

no you should certainly not be happy
you really need to read up on some basic sound recording techniques to increase your skills

Is there a microphone that I could connect to one of my cameras-------------

consider a small pop concert:
4 vocalists - 10 musicians
may be 5 direct inject for guitars keyboard,
15 different mic types, occupying 24 channels on the sound desk with over 20 setups per hour

compare that to your one on camera mic resulting in appalling sound reproduction.



my take on this would be:

record the instruments not the sound from the hall,
use the well proven close mic technique: place mics close to at least each group of instruments - sax, trumpet percussion etc
with mics placed for soloists or feature instruments on good adjustable mic stands

using a specific mic type for each section of the ochestra
vocals - cardioid
bass drum - high sound pressure omni dynamic
woodwind - fast attack cardioid condencer
etc etc


also

never use an on camera mic - it will record great sound of the main drive motor, the operators hands adjusting the camera and unwanted sound from the immediate surroundings. Also, on camera mics are the cheapest, poorest quality you could obtain, one step up from a computer mic, invest in some basic quality musical instrument mics

- you should be monitoring your sound, via headphones from the sound mixer, get to know the sound being recorded, not the sound you hear in the hall

- rifle mics, correctly called lobar profile mics are generally no use for musical instruments, they are designed for vocal sounds, be they human or otherwise, they are only used for highly specialst placement as they reproduce a dull flat sound from musical instruments

see this 'find the right microphone' web site:

http://www.sennheiser.com/sennheiser/icmeng.nsf/root/products_microphonesmatrix?Open

happy recording

G

Crown makes good pzm's.

you know, when pzms were first introduced, you could pick up a crown with the radio shack logo for about 50 bucks. Try that today...

Your sound is only as good as your microphones.

PZM's NEED to be against a surface for best results, not up in the air.

Omnis will only work for you in a close miked situation, as noted above.

Yeah -- stay away from PZMs PZ stands for Pressure Zone -- which you don't have. Unless you mount it to the stage... which isn't a bad addition to the mix... IF you do it right.

Remember too... you really want a stereo pair matched.

The mic's I use are $1K a piece and I'll use 4. Two in the center as a X and two splitting the band in 3rds. Then mix it and forget it.

If you have a small board with you you can mix it all yourself and then send it direct from the board to the camera.

CaptM

Shure mics would be ok for your budget.

If they're omnis then you'll need to get them as close to the band as you can.

I know you want to record the cheering parents, but you don't want all the snotty little brothers and sisters talking and screaming.

PLUS... again this is a unique human experience... sitting in a hall listening your brain filters out the junk... mics don't.

Put the omni mics behind the conductor in an X pattern so you get overlap in the middle.... not really an x... but point the left one towards the right side and the right one towards the left side... check the box to see where the "front" of the mic really is... sometimes it's the top and other times it's the side. Anyway -- get as close to the band as you can and you'll need to test different ways (maybe in a dress rehearsal???) to see how far up you can go.

I'd start maybe 3-4 feet above the conductor and listen for the snare drum and back row of instrumentalists... can you hear them all? If not, go up 6 inches... can you still hear the flutes? No -- come back down.

OH -- are these powered mics? Will they need phantom power? What camera do you have? Using XLR cables? Got a DVX?

Good luck,

CaptM

Capt...

your bad sounds like are playing different keys...

the recording isn't all that bad... a bit noisy... and a lot of room noise because of the distant mics..

balance is ok though...