Camcorder with Line Input

markdtp

Can anyone recommend a camcorder (old/new) that has a Line Input socket so I can record the sound the video of my electronic keyboards. It seems most home camcorders don't have this feature although some have a Mic Input which would be unsuitable.

Hope you can help

rogs

I'm afraid you'll find that true line level audio inputs are only found on professional/ prosumer camcorders -- and that tends to mean expensive!

You could always try a resistive 'pad' to reduce the line level output from your keyboard to mic level, to match the mic level input required for an external mic input on a consumer camcorder. You would need to ensure that you can remove any AGC (Automatic Gain Control), which is normally the standard option for external mic inputs. Unfortunatley, that's not always possible. Depends on the camcorder model.

Or you could take the easier route of recording your audio onto an external solid state audio recorder --- or even directly into the line input of your computer sound card --- and then replace the camcorder audio in your editing software. You would than use the audio recorded onto the video by the camcorder internal mics to simply 'sync' the audio tracks.

That's the approach I've always taken. Gives excellent audio results (although you can't stop You Tube messing it up a bit!

Sample video using that technique here:

                               
Sorry about the music   but it shows the idea.

Terfyn

I would agree with rogs but you may want to look at:-
Sescom LN2MIC-ZMH4-MON 3.5mm Line to Mic with 25dB Attenuator for Zoom H4N with Headphone Monitoring Jack at Markertek.co.uk

12harry

EDIT- yr.Link no longer exists - audio Attenuators should be available, but seems like hard work.​Wow that's an expensive fix,  Terfyn . . . .but I guess if folks can't make their own, then this at least is a fix of sorts.  What I'm not sure about is why there are two Jacks and one Skt shown,.

Surely you need one o/p Jack (for the SDHC recorder) and one i/p skt to take the lead from the Keyboard and another Skt (as O/p) to take the Headphone connector?  That would seem to me to be the way to go . . . . but then I'd like to see the whole in a small metal box, with two levels of attenuation....eg 12dB and 25dB.

Terfyn

If you consider a Zoom H2   a camcorder as an example. 1) the line out on the Zoom is a socket. 2) the mic in on a camcorder is a socket. Therefore two plugs. This would also align with extension leads from a keyboard.

Yes its not cheap but not everyone is a wiz with a soldering iron.

nvingo

I take it your electronic keyboards are not very portable? In which case would there be much hardship in using a standalone mains powered recorder (I'm thinking DVDR-HDD) with its audio inputs linked to a mixer with feeds from the instruments and the camera, and the video inputs from the camera.

12harry

nvingo, yr right if OP had such a device and it wasn't at home recording a Soap for the Misses.

Fact is that most camcorder shoots are not convenient to Mains supply.

A Zoom SDHC recorder is hand-size and a useful piece of kit. I have a discontinued Alesis Palmtrack which is very good for many recording jobs.  Now I discover it's available under the "Fame" brand and appears to be the same display/buttons/design (but DYOR). . . . . in the UK it's about £79 inc VAT. That puts it at the same price as the basic Zoom . . . .

I think such as Recorder would be a useful piece of kit, having the required Line-in - as well as ext mic-in.


Furthermore most of the larger Keyboards have the ability to record the performance, if that was to removable media then OP would have no need for "line-in"  - - - except we don't know which piece of Kit is being used as Sound-source.

wakerickman

hi, dont know why so many people are having this problem with the sound recording with cheap camaras, there are "boxes" known as [stage ] DI boxes which musicians/sound engineers use, im a keyboard player hence i need to uses them] which convert a line level signal to [ sound] mixer mic inputs, often, some of even the cheapest pacif [ no external power requide] cost around £25 yes twenty five pounds ] have switchable attenuation   ground lift in the event of any hum needing illimination , some of these DI boxes can go up to £150 in price but these are a waste of money perticuarler the active type [ needs power to work - use powered active DI boxes for guitar ,and passive DI boxes for line level like keyboards etc ] but  depending on type difering conection caples/adaptors may be required but only costs a few £'s all this equipment is available from just about any good music shop/supplier or online from amazon, i recogmend just getting the cheapist as you wont be able to tell the diferance of a cheap one compared to an exspensive one, i personly have 4, 3 active ,[ valve versions]  1 passive all costing below £50, i spent a little more than nescercery to get some additional features but for this thread the cheapist will do the job no problem, ok cheers

wakerickman

oh just to add the suggestion to use a resister pad [ which even if you did do would involve 2 resisters conected as a potential devider ] might not always be helpfull as it is not only level that is important but impedance as well, if you load a low source impedance line [ keyboard ] out with a high impedance destination load the likelyhood is that you would also loose some hi-frequency response, ie impedances need to be matched correctly as well as signal level.  ok cheers

rogs

Not very  likely to lose HF that way round.. Feeding a Hi-Z output into a low-Z input then yes, that can cause problems..

Of course in your example the effective impedance will probably largely be determined by the actual values of the pad resistors anyway....

Not really a very good idea to use camcorder mic inputs ('padded' or otherwise) for a keyboard feed. The mic preamps are not usually that good anyway, and often include AGC - which will really mess with the keyboard output.

Much better to use a separate audio recorder and 'sync' the audio in post...