Low quality camcorder audio

[Wills]

Is there a camcorder that can handle recording loud sounds/music? I’ve been covering events like festivals and street parties and the audio quality with my camcorder is quite. Does anybody know of any audio add-ons for camcorders? I welcome ideas and suggestions. Thanks

[TomJ]

When the sound or music is loud, there is a tendency that your camcorder’s auto leveling circuit cannot handle it. So, the result is an oversaturated audio sound with too much clipping or even hissing. In other cases, a very grubby sound. If your camcorder does not have a mic-in jack and manual control, there is no way you can control your audio. This is where field recorder option comes in. This will able you to control your recording levels. But, if your camcorder has mic-in jack even with no manual control, this is where you should use XLR mics and adapter. It gives you additional manual audio control for recording. Check this out. DXA6VU BeachTek DXA-6vu Dual XLR Adapter with Phantom Power & Built-in Level Meters

[borisfan]

I've actually been looking into these XLR camcorder adapters. Here's a summary of what I've found:

Beachtek: Welcome to the new BeachTek website! - Mounts to camera. Various passive adapters. Some with phantom and audio meter. New unit with preamp (DXA6HD).

Camcorder XLR Audio Adapter/Preamp: Buy Direct and Save from juicedLink - Mounts to camera. All include preamplifier. Options include phantom, 2-4 XLR inputs, audio meter.

Video Backgrounds, Studio 1 Productions Video Backgrounds, Royalty Free Music, XLR Adapters, Zoom Controllers, Stock Footage, Animations and More - Doesn't mount to camera, and no phantom or preamp option. Option for 3 XLR input. Plastic case.

Sign Video online catalog of video production, editing and duplication equipment, factory direct. - Mounts to camera. No phantom or preamp option. 1 and 2 XLR input options.


The juicedLink website has an interesting demo video, showing how a preamp can reduce camcorder hiss while recording fine audio detail:
juicedLink / Beachtek Demonstration Comparing Performance (watch video)