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One of the most frustrating issues with HDSLR’s such as the Canon 7D and 550D (T2i) is the lack of manual audio controls and XLR inputs found on mid range cameras like the Sony HVR A1 and Canon XH A1. Although many HDSLR’s have an external audio input these are fairly limited in their use. The Canon 7D doesn’t have manual gain controls which means audio can vary significantly in level even when using an external microphone. To some degree this can be dealt with in post production but it’s far from ideal. If you are looking for a suitable microphone to use on the hot shoe mount connected to the camera audio input then I’d recommend something like the Rode VideoMic (mono or stereo versions available) or Audio Technica ATR25 (only around £35!). If however, you require a more serious solution perhaps to use with a 48v phantom powered shotgun microphone then you need to purchase a separate audio recorder.

There are quite a few options on the market, the most popular seems to be the Zoom H4N. Why? Well, because everyone is using it and Philip Bloom likes it so it must be good! Ok, to be fair, there is a reason why it is so popular (and all the gear he recommends is very good stuff). It’s reasonably priced and offers a built in XY microphone and XLR inputs that can provide 48v phantom power that would allow you to use something like the Sennheiser MKH series or Beyerdynamic shotgun mics. The build quality is decent but don’t expect any miracles in the audio quality area (not that it’s bad!). There is a reason why recorders such as the Nagra VI costing over £4000 are used on major productions rather than the budget H4N!

So, what are your other options if you don’t have £250 to spend on an audio recorder? Well, there are lots to choose from but the cheapest one I’ve found with 48v phantom power is the M-Audio Microtrack II. It costs about £118 (I managed to find a refurb unit for £90!), less than half the cost of the Zoom H4N. You could buy one of these and a Rode NTG-1 or NTG-2 for the price of the H4N! How does it compare? Well, the good thing is, it’s lighter and more compact and records in all the same audio formats as the Zoom (various sample rates and bit depths and both .wav and .mp3). The bad points? I’m not sure the build quality is quite as good, it doesn’t feel as solid and, it doesn’t have XLR inputs but that isn’t a problem here! So how does it supply phantom power? Well, via balanced ¼ jack to XLR cables not supplied. These aren’t too expensive to buy fortunately (no more than the cost of regular XLR cables). The M-Audio doesn’t have a built in microphone but is supplied with one that plugs into a socket on the top. In a direct comparison with the Zoom I preferred the sound of the H4N build in mic but not by much, there is perhaps a little less noise and I prefered the stereo imagining of the XY configuration rather than the slightly spaced capsules on the Microtrack microphone. Audio via the XLR cables when connected to a shotgun mic was very similar. I couldn’t really tell the difference between the two. One problem I had with both is battery life. It’s fine for general use but with 48v phantom power on neither lasted very long! I found it best to use a shotgun mic with it’s own power supply in order to maximize the recorder battery life. The M-Audio battery is build in but the zoom uses regular AA batteries which is a better for long days of recording as you can take a good supply with you! The Microtrack II is charged using it’s adaptor or from a computer using a regular USB cable. This means you could power it on location using one of those portable battery packs with a USB connection. I haven’t yet figured out an easy way to mount the Mictotrack II onto the camera hotshoe. It was really designed for this as the Zoom was however I’m sure there is a way!

So, the Zoom H4N isn’t the only recorder option and I encourage anyone to consider their options before making the purchase. There are many portable recorders to choose from on the market and it really pays to do your research before making the purchase!