Reddit mentions of Hosa MIT156 Impedance Transformer XLR3F to 3.5 mm TRS - (18 Inch) (Black)

/u/smushkan has given you a very good answer on the disadvantages of camera mounted microphones.

I also agree with /u/Sherman14209 that Tascam makes better recorders than Zoom in this price range.

That said, here's why you should avoid both the Rode VideoMic "Pro" and the H4n:

Microphone

If you ever plan to put your mic on a boom and run a long cable ([here] (http://wistia.com/learning/choosing-a-microphone) is why you would want to do that), you should avoid consumer mics with "unbalanced" 3.5mm output, such as the Rode Videomic "Pro" (VMP).

Unbalanced output from consumer mics is subject to Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) over long cable runs.

The 3 pin XLR output from a real pro mic, on the other hand, would be balanced - reducing susceptibility to RFI and noise.

In addition, a pro shotgun mic (such as the [$229 (on sale) Azden SGM-250] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00XWG2YBW/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00XWG2YBW&linkCode=as2&tag=battleforthew-20)) will give you better performance than the similarly priced Rode VMP, e.g.:

• 20-20,000 Hz frequency response (compared to the VMP's 40-20,000 Hz)
  
  
• 77 dB of signal to noise (compared to the VMP's 74 dB)
  
  If you decide to plug the Azden directly into the camera, you will need a [$22.95 Hosa MIT-156 XLR to 3.5mm transformer/ adapter] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FC4YR58/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00FC4YR58&linkCode=as2&tag=battleforthew-20).
  
  Recorder
  
  Instead of the H4n, I recommend the [$229 (on sale) Tascam DR-70D with built-in mics] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OY6718K/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00OY6718K&linkCode=as2&tag=battleforthew-20) and a [$5 cable] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004G7Q53Y/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004G7Q53Y&linkCode=as2&tag=battleforthew-20) to connect it to your camera.
  
  If you get the Azden, and start out mounting it on top of the camera, you'll also need a [$6.90 cable] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001L9AVXU/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001L9AVXU&linkCode=as2&tag=battleforthew-20) to connect it to the recorder.
  
  With 4 tracks and 4 locking XLR inputs - this recorder also has best form factor in its class. You can mount it below your camera (as seen [here] (https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipOwlV2VLVFNWyzNeFzAkQSiG4_LXclYs-mLWuBLnJbhNmMvRKNyTSvKUL54AKLbIA/photo/AF1QipML1s8TVA3Doq2H_oOuTJQdtnPlesJJHZCOnWXw?key=cHlwV1VONzVRZThGT1VybVJYUThBQ0M0eC1zTnlB) with the older DR-60D and my GH2) rather than rigging it up on top of the camera with a cage or the hot shoe. (which is what you would have to do with the H4n).
  
  Tascam also advertises the DR-70D's 20-40,000Hz frequency response (at 96kHz) and 92dB+ signal to noise ratio on its [specs page] (http://tascam.com/product/dr-70d/specifications/).
  
  These numbers are not published for the H4n either on its [specs page] (https://www.zoom-na.com/products/field-video-recording/field-recording/zoom-h4n-handy-recorder#specs) or in the "Specifications" on page 147 of the [Operation Manual] (https://www.zoom.co.jp/sites/default/files/products/downloads/pdfs/E_H4nSP_0.pdf), as far as I can tell.
  
  Even though I own the Zoom H1, I can't really recommend Zoom recorders until they start publishing their frequency response and signal to noise numbers.
  
  Bottom line
  
  If you can afford it, buy a mic and a recorder. If you can't, start with a high quality recorder that mounts below your camera and get a decent mic as soon as you can.
  
  Hope this is helpful, good luck with your new video endeavor and best of the holidays!

Hello /u/reypro - with your budget, I would get a Panasonic FZ200 and a top mounted professional shotgun mic. If you can get close enough to your subjects, you should be able to hear what they are saying.

Here's a list of the equipment you would need:

• [Panasonic DMC-FZ200 - £340] (http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008N8NXT6/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B008N8NXT6&linkCode=as2&tag=hybrcamerevo-21). This camera has a constant f2.8 lens, so it is good in low light, a larger sensor than most camcorders and a 2.5mm microphone input jack. Here is what it can do in a studio setting:
  
  http://youtu.be/98QV1eN5rhQ
  
  
• [Rode NTG-2 professional shotgun microphone - £129] (http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00093ESSI/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00093ESSI&linkCode=as2&tag=hybrcamerevo-21). You will also need a single AA battery. This mic does a pretty good job of picking up sound in a noisy environment, as demonstrated here (in Spanish, please select CC for subtitles): http://youtu.be/vhHN6F-pPFY
  
  
• [Hosa MIT-156 line matching transformer/XLR to 3.5mm adapter - £23] (http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00FC4YR58/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00FC4YR58&linkCode=as2&tag=hybrcamerevo-21)
  
  
• [Hosa GMP-467 3.5mm to 2.5mm adapter - £2.42] (http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000QU3JN4/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B000QU3JN4&linkCode=as2&tag=hybrcamerevo-21)
  
  
• [Shock mount to attach the mic to your camera while minimising handling noise - £10.29] (http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00KXQIY86/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00KXQIY86&linkCode=as2&tag=hybrcamerevo-21)
  
  If you set the camera to "iA" (Panasonic's automatic mode), you should have a simple, autofocusing camera with a power zoom that even a novice can use to produce usable video and sound.
  
  Hope this is helpful and good luck with your interviews!

Hi /u/saientific - the Zoom H4n has noisy preamplifiers - if you decide to go with a Zoom, you may want to consider the [£229 Zoom H5] (http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-53481-19255-0/1?icep_ff3=2&pub=5575034783&toolid=10001&campid=5337235943&customid=&icep_item=181460355481&ipn=psmain&icep_vectorid=229508&kwid=902099&mtid=824&kw=lg) instead.

If budget is an issue, you may want to consider the less expensive [£69 Zoom H1] (http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B003QKBVYK/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B003QKBVYK&linkCode=as2&tag=hybrcamerevo-21). This recorder has a single 3.5mm mic input instead of the more expensive recorders' twin XLR inputs, so you will need a [£22.91 Hosa MIT-156 XLR to 3.5mm transformer/adapter] (http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00FC4YR58/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00FC4YR58&linkCode=as2&tag=hybrcamerevo-21) in order to accept input from professional mics such as the [£148 Rode NTG-2 shotgun mic] (http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00093ESSI/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00093ESSI&linkCode=as2&tag=hybrcamerevo-21).

No matter which recorder you buy, you should also invest in a set of [£69 Sony MDR7506 monitoring headphones] (http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000AJIF4E/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B000AJIF4E&linkCode=as2&tag=hybrcamerevo-21) to prevent surprises in the editing suite.

With your recorder, headphones, shotgun, a [£9 shock mount] (http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00KXQIY86/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00KXQIY86&linkCode=as2&tag=hybrcamerevo-21), a [£69 Rode boom pole] (http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00139PYEY/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00139PYEY&linkCode=as2&tag=hybrcamerevo-21) and good technique you will be able to get the microphone to within a meter of your actors/interviewees and record high quality sound.

Hope this is helpful and best of luck with your venture into videography!

Bill

I have no idea if this is the right place to ask, so I waited until this thread to ask it, It's a silly question but if anyone can help I would greatly appreciate it. We will be attending a convention coming up and may need to take some relatively quick camera interviews, for a camera we use a phone to shoot in 4K which is more than capable for these interviews, however the audio is quite bad and loud in the environment. My question is: Could we use this Microphone http://amzn.com/B0002KZAKS connected to this http://amzn.com/B00FC4YR58 (Going into a Mono to Stereo converter) and record interviews directly to the phone this way? In theory it seems it would work, but I honestly am not sure which is why I am here. These interviews really aren't important enough to go the extra mile and use something like a Zoom H4N. Any help would be greatly appreciated, even though I know this is a bad question. Thank you.

Hi there. Can someone give me a hand with this noob problem I have?

I was toying with the idea of making a few tutorials for Youtube.
Being on a very tight budget, I looked up an affordable mic that could still provide a decent audio and found the Behringer XM-8500.

I can get an XRL/XRL cable from a friend, so my plan was to simply buy an XRL to 1/8" adapter and connect the thing directly into my computer. However, I read somewhere that I can't just do that. It would result in terrible audio quality. Something about impedance and latency (this is Greek to me).

I googled a few things and also read that a cheap external USB card like this one solves the problem. Then found out that it does not.
Then, someone said that what I actually need is a transformer like this one. Another dude said that I should go with a USB audio interface.
I was considering getting a USB interface, but since it's gonna be a cheap one, I must assure that it doesn't miss the feature I need (I GUESS it's the conversion of analog to digital signal, but idk anything).

Would anyone be so kind to tell me what I need in order to have a decent audio in this scenario so that the listener doesn't run away out of cringe?

Sorry if I made this unnecessarily lengthy.