Camcorder Mixer
Approx construction cost US$48
Enhance the sound of your video productions – handy for other purposes too!
Modern camcorders, especially the digital variety, produce pictures of a very high quality. However, the amateur often spoils the finished result with inferior sound. It could be said that most camcorder operators concentrate more on the visual aspect than the sound, yet only if both are treated with equal care will the video have a “professional” feel.
Because it produces good results most of the time, many people are content to use the microphone already attached to the camcorder. Unfortunately, when the source of sound is distant from the camera the spoken word can sound “hollow” and weak. Also, the existing microphone will pick up any unwanted sounds closer to it. These end up sounding louder than the intended subject.
The circuit presented here is a mixer, which will combine the outputs of up to two stereo microphones (or four mono ones) plus a stereo line source and feed them into the camcorder. It may also be used in conjunction with a domestic hi-fi system or power amplifier for other purposes, such as Karaoke.
More details on this construction project can be found in the May 2001 issue of EPE Online, the world's first web-delivered electronics and computing hobbyist magazine.
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