Sony’s HDR-MV1 Music Video recorder is a must-have gadget for your garage band

If you’ve ever tried to record a live music performance and ended up with a flat sound when playing back your footage, you’ll appreciate Sony’s latest camcorder. The HDR-MV1 has dedicated directional microphones pointing at angles designed to capture the full experience of being at a gig, listening to an acoustic performance or recording you and your band mates at work.

It’s a point-of-view camera designed to be held in one hand, with a 2.7in touchscreen display on one side and the recording controls up top. We found it comfortable to hold as it’s relatively light, despite the fact Sony has crammed in both Wi-Fi and NFC for easy pairing and sharing with a smartphone or tablet through the PlayMemories app.

The twin microphones are positioned at 120 degrees for optimum sound quality and can record in either AAC or uncompressed linear PCM for CD quality playback. There’s a further input for external mics too. You can manually set levels using the touchscreen, or check your recordings instantly with the built-in speaker.

With a backside illuminated (BSI) Exmor R CMOS sensor, the HDR-MV1 should be able to capture even dimly-lit club performances with ample detail. It is paired with a 120-degree wide angle Carl Zeiss lens, so should be able to fit an entire band in shot at once. Video is captured in Full HD 1920×1080/30p, with automatic lip syncing to save time in the editing room later.

The HDR-MV1 should be on sale around December, with an expected RRP of £200. We’re looking forward to putting its gig-capturing abilities to the test on the next couple of months.