Reply To: Open Source

[benf]

Here are some suggestions…you already have a video camera so you can either run a separate microphone into it (assuming it has a mic line in). If the camera doesn’t have a way to balance microphone strength your better option would be to use a portable digital recorder. It has it’s own stereo mic attached. You then can feed a lapel mic into it, for the presenter. Then optionally you can use the hand held microphone on a stand for audience members to ask questions with.

The recorder is also a mixer, so you can have the built in stereo mic of the recorder set low for ambient room noise, the lapel mic volume up for the presenter, you keep the audience attendee’s mic turned low or off until they ask questions. Yes you need to be sure it’s all compatible so it’s probably best to go to a camera/video store where people can get you squared away with your current camera. Higher end video cameras have a lot of audio capabilities but they’re expensive and complicated, not necessarily as versatile for different sound options.

You load the files from the portable digital recorder into your computer video editing software and match the audio sequence with the video clips. It’s a drag and drop placement that’s fairly easy. It’s good to also record sound on your camcorder at the same time to make it easier to match up the audio files from the recorder.