zoom h2 and lavaliers?

It's pretty easy to sync sound as long as both microphones are recording the same conversation, so you can line up waveforms. If each of them has 1/2 the conversation, it could be tricky.

Why don't you buy 1 Zoom H2 (I've read some bad reviews on those things, BTW), and a 2 channel wireless rig with wireless lavs? It wouldn't be cheap, but you could record both channels on 1 stereo recorder (like the Zoom H2) and all people would need to carry would be a small transmitter and clip on microphone.

I'd have to give this some thought, but somehow it seems like there is a simpler answer than what you are proposing. Are the people being mic'd moving around a lot? If they are moving a lot, a wireless setup seems like the best idea. If not, 2 wired microphones would be much cheaper and cable length isn't a problem with the Zoom H2, since it has balanced inputs (assuming you get balanced mics).

What was the question again?

Doug

Howdy,

In the seminars I will most often be the one leading the training. And I move around a lot. Cables and booms are out of the question. Using just my precious h2 to capture the sound ... well, let-s just say I want something better. The idea is to capture all of the conversation with each mike.

During interviews I have also been considering just giving a zoom h2 to the subject and putting a mike from myself directly into the camera.

Will this work?
Which lavalier should I get? (I am on a budget ... but I want something reasonably good).

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@Doug - You suggest wireless microphones. That is brilliant ... unless it is to expensive ... what would a good pair of such cost?
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Bjurge

To answer your original question, I don't think syncing audio would be that difficult; especially if all of the recordings run continuously and they are recorded on the same device. One of the complaints I've read about the H2 is that it sort of records at it's own speed so recordings are difficult to sync with a camera, for instance.

Single channel wireless rigs that are reliable are going to be in the $500+ range. It sounds like you'll be wanting a dual channel rig with 2 transmitters. I'm not sure what those are going for. It would be a lot cheaper if you could connect one of your mics directly to one input on the camera and a single channel wireless receiver into the other input. Then again, if you do this a lot, the only problem with going all wireless would be the possibility of radio interference.

I take it you already have one Zoom H2 ??? Do you like it ? Have you tried syncing a long running audio program to a video recording?

BTW: If the room is quiet, a shotgun mic can be a reasonable distance away and still pick up a strong voice very well. I've recorded marching band concerts with shotguns 150 feet from the band and they pick up amazingly well. It all comes down to the ratio of program audio level to background noise level.

Doug

Uh oh, I had not heard that the zoom runs along its own clock ...

And yes, I own a zoom h2. I haven't yet, but I will have to test syncing it with some video just to prototype this production line. (I have a couple of recordings, but they were not good enough to be saleable, so I never bothered with trying to sync them) Of course I have to do this!

Interesting suggestion with shotgun mic. If that works, then it would probably be the neatest solution.

Not being a soundguy this is sort of tricky, since I do not have the budget to buy and test all of these ideas. I ll have to check with my friends if any of them has a shotgun to lend.

Bjurge