Which camcorder should I get? My main priority is audio. I'm planning to use it for music recitals. Also looking for something decently compact. Hopefully using the cassette tape things. Do I need an external mic, and if so which would you recommend. Thanks.

Audio is a deep subject. Good audio is harder to get consistently than good video. It doesn't depend much on the camera because the camera is just a recorder. The audio is affected the most by the quality and type of the mic(s), and your skill in using them. What you must have in a cam if it's going to be your audio recorder is an external mic input and a headphone jack. I say "if" because another option is to use a separate audio recorder and synch the sound later.

Is getting a feed from the house sound board a possibility? You certainly want to if you can.

Also, what's your budget? Do you want High Def video?

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Fred

Price is around 500-600 tops. HD would be nice, but not a necessity. I don't think there is such things as a house sound board at the recital hall. It's classical violin piano and the like. Also recording music lessons.

If audio is your priority you should plan on spending a good part of your budget on it, and maybe getting a used camcorder off eBay for $200-300. I've bought four of 'em there.

$300 is not a lot to spend on audio. I'm moving this thread to the audio forum. Some of the best advice I've seen on getting decent audio on a tight budget comes from King Ghidora, a frequent poster in the audio forum. He's also a musician and has a lot of practical experience recording himself and others playing acoustical instruments. My own heaviest experience is recording stage productions.

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Fred