Topic: audio for video

[dallman]

I'm getting a canon 7D which does have a mic in, it will be similar if not identical to the 5D I suspect with audio. Not familiar with an attenuating cable but would like to hear more.

an attenuating cable cuts down the signal by _db (whatever its made for)
i have a -20db from microphone madness

so lets say you have the new camera and it has a fixed gain of 10db - the cable i have would cut the incoming signal down -10db from what it is
basically getting rid of the 10 db the camera adds and cutting it another 10
the extra 10 might or might not be a issue but you can always boost the signal in post production if need be

attenuators are "common" for taping out of a soundboard, there are many xlr version, the mic madness one i have is a 1/8

It would seem like an attenuating cable into the iPhone would solve the clipping.

[fleshoff]

Yeah you know I'm going to try that as I was liking what I got outside the clipping

[sunjan]

It would seem like an attenuating cable into the iPhone would solve the clipping.

Yeah, but it doesn't mean that it'll sound good, depending on which way you feed the iPhone.
Going mono-in via the headset connector you'll be depending on third-party gear - some might clip, other not.
Read the discussion at the end of this page:
http://blog.faberacoustical.com/2009/iphone/iphone-headset-input-options/

Also, beware that the headset connector has a built-in bass roll off. Depending on iPhone generation, you might lose everything below 200Hz:
http://blog.faberacoustical.com/2009/iphone/iphone-dock-and-headset-io-frequency-response/

Going line-in via the dock connector, you have better accessories, but they'll likely cost you at least $50 (so you might as well get yourself a H3x0 for the money instead!  ):
http://taperssection.com/index.php/topic,118890.msg1663392.html#msg1663392

[fleshoff]

Thanks I will do that if a solution isn't available once the camera comes. There is a hack for the 5D that might be very easy to port over to the 7D that disables the AGC, but no one will know until the camera is released, and that would make the whole issue moot for me. If not I will be buying one of the recommendations in this thread.

[milo]

I just want to reiterate the need for a clapboard in frame.  Once your audio is recorded off camera life goes to hell without a timecode link between camera and recorder.  Seeing as how that is out of your budget, you need to do everything possible to allow easy sync up later on in post.  I really can't stress this enough.  I recently assembled a movie from DATs with no timecode, in Japanese (which I don't speak) and it was only possible due to their obsessive use of the clapboard, and nevertheless took a week.  Use it, or don't at your own peril, and make sure to voice slate everything that way you can marry it and forget that you ever had to work without timecode.

[willndmb]

how does a clap board help you with drift?
of course it helps line up the start but can it do anything to help you in the video 30 mins lets say

[Toki]

in sony vegas, you can find "claps" in both ends of your audio tracks, align the beginnings and then stretch the ends with a single mouse click for a perfect sync.