I recently picked up a new Zoom H1 voice recorder and have been testing it with the Giant Squid Audio lav mic. The combo can add professional level audio to your video.
Compared to the Tascam DR-22WL, the Zoom H1 has less features, but it is smaller and more compact. If small size is important to you, then the Zoom H1 is the one to go with. The quality of both units is exceptional, and the audio quality will be world’s better than what you’ll get from the built in mic found in your digital camera or smartphone.
Using an external recorder does add an extra step to the video production process. You’ll have to sync the audio with the video in post production. However, this is not that hard to do, especially when using advanced editing softwares, like Final Cut Pro X, that can auto sync audio and video for you.
Below is a demo video I made with the Sony RX100, Zoom H1, and Giant Squid Lav Mic. To show the improvement in audio quality, I switched between the audio from the built in mic of the Sony and the Zoom H1 with Giant Squid. The difference is like night and day.
Great video starts with great audio. The Zoom H1 and Giant Squid can give you great audio, and at less than $150 for both, it will do it for a price that won’t break the bank.