Whats the best audio device for recording sound for a movie?

Question

I was wandering if there are any "easy to carry" recording devices. I need one for a film Im going to shoot soon. I've been looking it up on the internet and found that a minidisc recorder records good audio. Would a minidisc recorder be useful for filmmaking? I need something that is somewhat proffesional yet not heavy duty or anything. I can't get any audio device to connect to my camera so really all I need is a external sound recorder that has a imput for a mic. If a minidisc player is the way to go then what type should I get? I also heard that there is DAT? But that may be too heavy for my kind of project.
This is a low bujet film.

Answer 1

I think a minidisc recorder is probably the best choice. With the newer Hi-MD format, you'll get DAT quality audio on a minidisc. Of course, the best solution would be to have a mic port on your camera, but since this isn't possible, a minidisc recorder is your next best choice. Although I can't recommend a specific model, I can recommend some things that you'll need to record audio with it. At the very least, you'll want a shotgun mic mounted on a boom pole and a clapper (which you can make yourself by painting zebra stripes on two rulers and hinging them together on one end). A rode stereo videomic is a good choice, as it has a 1/8 inch miniplug output, which is what your minidisc player will probably accept. However, the problem with this is that you will have no control over the levels. So if possible, find a mixing board and a person who knows how to work it. You can plug in your shotgun to the mixer, then output that to the minidisc recorder. This way, you'll have someone constantly controlling the levels, making sure your sound sounds okay. The Belkin TuneStudio costs $200-$250, and lets you save results directly to iPod, but it should let you output via 1/8 inch miniplug as well. It has XLR inputs, but once again, I'm not too sure about 1/8 inch miniplug ports, although it should have them. Do a google search, and you can find some info on it. And finally, don't forget to get a wind muff! If you have nothing, try shooting with your actors' back facing the wind. Hope this helps!