Best video camera for recording classical music?

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PhotographyBuff

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Please include in your consideration video cameras that come with compact or DSLR digital cameras, as well as ones that are separate dedicated video recorders. Also, mention how the best in each category compare with each other.

I am interested in a video camera that does justice to the sound of classical music performances, that is fair to each instrument and does not easily distort the sound. At the same time I want a video camera that has good contrast and doesn't overexpose or underexpose and has respectable dynamic range.

My existing camera's video does some distortion when the sounds are loud or several different instruments are combined. I think that is a recent development, in which case the microphone might have gotten old after 6 years of use.
 
You see, there's your problem, video cameras are good at recording video, sound recorders are good at recording sound. That's why TV cameras don't record sound, it's done on a different device then mixed together. A DSLR would do both obviously but you'd get better results using something like a rode mic combined with it.
 
WelshNoob said:
video cameras are good at recording video, sound recorders are good at recording sound.
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Exactly what I was going to say when I read the thread title.

Built-in audio on most cameras is good for shooting your family holiday, and not a great deal else. You can get by sometimes by adding a decent mic and taking control of the audio levels (assuming your camera isn't auto only with sound). If you're recording music, then you want a dedicated audio set up - and perhaps as importantly, a dedicated audio technician to operate it. In just the same way as you wouldn't give an audio technician some gear which wasn't really designed to shoot video, and expect to get decent images back.
 
I think you really need a external mic atleast.... If its outside then a deadcat too
 
You're best off with a Zoom H1 (or H4 if your pockets are flexible).

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B003QKBVYK?pc_redir=1409590252&robot_redir=1

Then syncing the sound in post. These have superb audio. You can even buy a hotshoe mount even though you don't wire them into the camera. You can of course place them anywhere.

Use something to sync at the start, ie clap your hands in view of the camera then synch to that and whola!

That's why in film and TV they use clapper boards.
 
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As suggested a separate recorder, then sync in post, but at the very least a separate mike (with a dead cat if outside) feeding into the camera.
 
That's two people have mentioned dead cats. Why on earth would you need a dead cat?
 
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Thank God for that. I was starting to think that there were some sickos out there.
 
Thanks for all the advice. So basically, there are no video recorders (whether dedicated, compact camera, or DSLR) that would adequately record classical music? If I were to buy a new camera anyway (compact or DSLR) but wanted the best video recorder (especially sound-wise, with an ear for classical music in particular) among those available, what should my choices be? I don't record that much and am not really willing to buy a separate sound recorder and sync the sound.

On another note, what are the best sound recorders for classical music? Is the Zoom H1/H4 the best? What other choices are there?
 
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Depends on your definition of adequate I suppose. Plenty of stuff is shot with sound recorded straight into the camera, DSLR or other, as plenty offer basic control over the levels now. How often music is shot that way though - I wouldn't know.

Zooms are decent and ubiquitous. Lots of other stuff out there at greatly varying price points. If I ever need good sound though, I use a sound guy - so I don't have to worry / learn about that stuff in detail.
 
Stuart M said:
That's two people have mentioned dead cats. Why on earth would you need a dead cat?
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When did people start calling it that? Everyone I've worked with just calls it a wind gag. Must be one of these new fangled words... like "togger" etc.


While on the subject of external mics etc, don't forget it will sounds crap if you just have one. At least make an effort to record it in stereo. I agree with others too. Separate digital sound recorder, decent mics etc. The thing is though, unless you know what you're doing, even the best mics and recording equipment won't mean you get a great recording. Just as owning the best photo gear won't make you a better photographer, owning all the best sound recording gear won't make you a great sound engineer.

My advice is go find a forum for this subject, and ask people who actually know what they're doing, or wait for someone with sound engineering experience in here. I know there's a couple I've seen in other threads.... can't remember who they are now.
 
I did a live video for a Gypsy jazz trio a couple of years ago, I used a Zoom H4 and a couple of pencil mics, turned out very well but I have a lot of experience with recording music and sound, I used two cameras, an old Panasonic camcorder and my DSLR for closeups. which meant I had three files to sync in Sony Vegas, they were long (45 min) sets and because of different file formats would go out of sync over that time, I just used the wide video from the Panasonic as master and kept everything else in line with that, Classical music pieces tend to be on the long side so that's another thing to bear in mind, if your camera records decent enough sound then a small stereo mixer and a couple mics to keep handling noise from your camera at bay may give you adequate results.
 
An alternative to the zoom is the Tascam thats what I went with
definitely better off recording sound separately if the quality is important:)
 
Surely, before the OP begins to even think what equipment they would need, they would have to first consider what type of classical performance they would be recording. Are we talking full orchestra, an ensemble, a quartet, or just John Williams sat on a bar stool with a guitar in his hands? The OP hasn't said. If nothing else it would make a great difference to how many microphones would be required .And what about the acoustics of the venue? Those are the first two considerations.
 
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Even the BBC manages to get the sound quality wrong on occasion. One whole series of Young Musician was mostly poorly balanced. As was some of one of the Leeds piano competition. And they have the best equipment to play with.

Personally I would not bother to record classical music, or any other, unless I knew both what I was doing and had the right equipment and skills. not forgetting permissions and access to place mikes and mixing equipment.
Classical music, lieder and other serious music is totally destroyed by inadequate recording.

One must also consider copyright implications. performances of classical music usually have very complex copyright issues.
 
For sound, I use a Zoom H2n for general stuff and a Zoom H6 for more complex recording, that said, by more complex I'm referring to being able to mic up here and there (good enough for a rehearsal session for a small band), beyond that mics are plugged into a my Mackie desk and through to an audio interface and I'm only a hobby level sound engineer :)

Assuming that you are simply trying to get a more respectable account of the performance (rather than a professional level recording) then I would recommend a well placed Zoom H2n (or similar), other than that I'd advise posting the question on http://www.soundonsound.com/forum

As for the video, an issue that you may have with dSLR's is the limited time that you can record a single clip, not sure but I believe that the Panasonic GHx range have some modes that bypass this and there's always the option for an external hdmi recorder (look for cameras that provide a clean hdmi out)
 
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