Videoing on DV but recording separate audio

[fairysdad]

Hi all,

I assume this has been posted and indeed answered elsewhere, but not knowing exactly what to search for, I don't know where!

I am recording a presentation at work in the next week, and was thinking about how best to get the audio from it rather than relying on the video cameras' (yes that is correct, I'm using more than one camera!) microphones. I've decided that the best thing to do would be to attach either an MP3/WAV recorder (via line out/in) or a computer to the PA desk in the room (via the desk's USB connection) and record that way.

The problem is, last time I tried to do it this way, when I came to put the audio and video together, there was a problem in that the audio I had recorded was longer than the video that I had recorded (for the same duration - in that case I was recording a concert) so synchronising the two together didn't work as well as I'd had hoped (though in that instance, I was only asked to record the audio not the video, but had hoped to get the video's audio as well if that makes sense. It probably doesn't, and is quite irrelevant.).

So, using the same equipment (though newer DV cameras, the same PA desk is involved) I am expecting that I am likely to come up with the same problems. My Plan B is to plug the desk's output into a third camera dedicated to just the audio, but I'd like to get the Plan A working as that is easier for me (as I've lost the bulk of my DV tapes...)

I have heard that this could be something to do with the frame rate of the video compared to the audio's equivalent - using PAL as I'm in the UK; I assume that the audio software I'm using (in this case probably Cool Edit or Audacity depending on which computer I end up using - it was Cool Edit last time and hopefully this time too) probably records to be set to NTSC as these things generally default to the American standards.

Anyway, I'm beginning to ramble on a bit here and it's lunch time...

If anybody is able to help me wrap my head around this, that'd be grand!

[DB83]

The mp3/WAV recording is compressed and probably recorded at a variable rate which does not help in sync issues.

Sound AFAIK should always be recorded uncompressed and at a constant rate.

Pros record audio seperately but use a track on the recording medium to retain sync with the film/video and they use special equipment to create that sync track.

Your best option, since you are using more than one camera is to let them record the sound as they record the video. Sync should be retained and you can always adjust sound levels for each source at the editing stage.

But, again, sound must be recorded uncompressed.

[edDV]

Most direct solution is to use a wireless mic to the main recording DV camcorder. This keeps audio in sync. Requires an external mic jack on the camcorder.

Example: http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&biw=990&bih=905&wr...d=0CCEQ8wIwAQ#


BTW: Pro separate sound recording uses SMPTE time code to sync the audio to video. That is why the film clapboards show time code.