Re: Of microphones and digital sound recording that works with Steam Engines

Thor,

Having a top quality microphone is a good idea, but simply using one will not take care of the problem you have. The extreme difference in levels needed in recording a steam whistle versus the stack and wheel sounds will require you to adjust the level up and down as the whistle is blown. Most modern cameras have an automatic level control of some kind. Sometimes these work pretty well in adjusting the level to match the sound. Yours apparently does not. Also, since you can't use any other mic other than the on-board camera one, you are at a dead end there.

The only other solution is to record the sound on a separate digital recorder and dub it on your video. There are better and cheaper solutions than the HHB unit to record digital sound. If you are considering buying something that expensive, you may be better off to consider a video camera with the ability to accept an outboard microphone and one with a better auto level control.

The wind noise can be mitigated to a large extent by placing several layers of foam over the microphone. Any thing that stops the wind directly blowing on the mic element should lessen the wind rumble.

Doing an onboard recording as you are planning would probably work better if recorded by a separate recorder. If you mounted a video camera under the running board of a running steam locomotive the sound track would be almost nothing but wheel noise and rumble punctuated by an occasional whistle.

Jim Gunning