bass distortion on camcorder audio - help

[birdxofxprey]

ok, so i have a small hand-held camcorder like you would use to make a video for youtube. the video is of good quality (kodak Z812 IS) but the audio doesn't handle the bass well at all. voices come out fine, as do other higher frequencies, but the bass sounds very muddy and distorted.

i've tried backing off the low end, turning down the volume, moving the camera farther away from the amp - nothing seems to help.

i'm not really after any high grade recording technology here, i'd just like to make a listenable youtube vid.

any advice?

[El-Bob]

don't know what to tell ya. my camera works fine with bass for youtube videos. maybe you just need a better camera...

[JordanDelap]

you could try covering the mic on the camera up with something like a wooly hat and it might get rid of some of the excess noise so to speak,
Just an idea, not sure if it would work but worth a try.

[hunta]

Another option is to record audio separately on your PC through a recording interface (toneport or something else cheap). Just record in 48kHz and it should sync up pretty easy.

[zuma]

Good option about the recording separately bit (this is what I do) but it does add to the complexity of the whole thing quite a bit. Also, I just record in Pro Tools at 16 bits /44.1 Khz and have never had a problem with my audio lining up to the video.

It helps to still have your monitors turned up when you do this so that you have a sound reference on video as well. If you use headphones (like with a laptop or whatever) you should remember to slap your strings a couple of times before your take begins. Hopefully your camera will pick up the slight click of that.

Also, I would look into a better plug-in (add-on) microphone for your camera. Many of these cameras have that ability. It's worth a shot and believe me it's a lot easier.

I personally prefer sound over convenience so I still record seperately. Check out my videos (link below) to get an idea of what that would sound like.

[hunta]

Originally Posted by zuma

Also, I just record in Pro Tools at 16 bits /44.1 Khz and have never had a problem with my audio lining up to the video.

It won't line up perfectly at 44.1. On a short youtube style vid the drift isn't enough to make it hideously out of sync, but on a longer video you'd notice. I could hear some sync problems on a couple of your vids I checked out. It's not huge but it's there.

[zuma]

Good to know! Thanks for that. I learned something new today. Cool!