I think the sound is a bit fuller and clearer with the new mic, compared to the inbuilt camera mic.

Certainly worth the cost, imo.

I think you definitely have to stop that a/c noise when recording, though. If you try to remove it using Audacity, you'll only further degrade the quality of the sound.

It's more about getting as good a signal as possible at source, rather than try to fix things afterwards.

I'm using a similar setup when I record a video, except I'm using two mics to give true stereo sound. They are actually right above the fiddle, one to the left and one to the right, suspended from a wooden rod on the ceiling, just out of camera view.

I'm using two AKG-C1000S mics, and I use PowerDirector software to sync the video and audio.

I used to put up clips just recorded with the camera mic, but I've taken them all down now (or most of them anyway) because of the poor sound quality. 

Just one other thing about Audacity - I know it's free, etc, and I do use it a lot for editing, but if you use if to record directly to PC or laptop itself, it does pick up noise and vibration from the unit itself.

It's always better to use a dedicated recording device. Doesn't have to be massively expensive, either. I'm using a Fostex digital 16-track (it's a budget model, and was about £400 about 5 years ago), but there are devices like the Zoom which are more affordable and good quality too.

I guess it boils down to : have as few steps in the recording chain as possible, and use the best gear you can afford

Mr Jim

Ken - let's just take one thing at a time.

Stereo recording is simply recording one instrument / duo / ensemble with two mics instead of one.

Think of the mics as ears. We all have two ears, and generally speaking, individually, they function properly, and the perception is that they act as one, after the sounds are processed by the brain.

If you make a mono recording, using only one mic, the sound is located and recorded at a single spatial point - and that is how the playback will sound.

If you make a stereo recording using two mics, the sound will be picked up from two different locations. In the case of my solo fiddle, the left mic will pick up more on the G and D strings, and the right mic will pick up more on the E and A strings. A bit of breadth in the resulting sound canvas. That's how it works.

If you want to expand on that a little bit, if my mics were recording a four-piece acoustic band, the guitar and mandolin might be on the left, and the fiddle and banjo might be on the right.

Imagine you are listening to that on headphones. Your left ear will hear the guitar and mandolin, and your right ear will hear the fiddle and banjo.

Now, cut the lead that connects to your RHS headphone. That sound source will now be dead. You will now only hear the guitar and mandolin, and nothing in the right phone.

Listen some more and you will now hear the fiddle and banjo (although faintly) as well.

That's about it, really. I hope that will give a bit more insight into the difference between mono and stereo.

Mr Jim