Need help with sound on Vixia HFM301

[Erin0707]

I use a Canon Vixia HFM301 to record interviews with bands.  For a long time, I recorded the interviews without using a microphone, but recently, several videos ended up with a few seconds of loud static here and there that made it impossible to hear what the people were saying.  Also, the sound tends to cut out on one channel at times.

I finally got a handheld mic a few months ago (though it was a pretty cheap one from Target).  The first interview I did using the mic, the audio was fine.  I then ended up getting an extender cable because the cable on the mic itself is pretty short, and I needed to be able to get a wider angle shot.  I did several interviews at a music festival back in June, and some of the interviews, the sound was fine.  Some of them, the sound cut out part way through, or cut out in the middle then came back.  And some of the interviews, there was just no sound, but you could still hear some static.  My best guess is that the mic jack on the camera is a bit loose, and/or the mic cable was too heavy to make a secure connection, and/or I didn't make sure the mic cable was plugged in all the way.

So I guess I'm wondering a few things:

-Has anyone ever had these sort of sound issues with this video camera?  Do you know what causes these problems?  Is there a way to fix them?

-If there was even just a faint audio signal picked up through the mic on the interviews where there appears to be no sound, is there a way to isolate that sound and raise the volume, and be able to ressurect the interviews?  Any software programs that could help?

Thanks for taking the time to read my post!

[BurnUnit]

You might try a product called Deoxit to clean the contacts on your mic plug and the camera's mic jack. Use it sparingly. I'd just use a light coat on the plug and insert and remove it several times into the jack, giving the plug a little twist as you do. Wipe off the plug, reapply some Deoxit and repeat the procedure 3 or 4 times. A little Deoxit  goes a long way and it seems to have almost magical powers for cleaning and lubing electrical contacts.

If the jack itself is damaged you might consider using a stand-alone digital audio recorder. They're not terribly expensive, depending on your requirements, and I think some of them have some built in filtering to reduce background and wind noise. You should be able to mute your videos soundtrack and synchronize your audio only file to your video in your editing software.

[Erin0707]

Thanks for your suggestions!