Best option to record live gigs (audio and video)?
Time to query the hive mind of reddit again.
I want to record the gigs my bands play. Sometimes we play during the day / outside gigs, and sometimes we play late nights in a dark basement. I want a camera that can capture video (and audio in stereo) from the gigs.
I had a GoPro Hero 11, but it crapped out on me after just a couple of gigs. The camera was tiny and had very little battery capacity, so I would connect it up to a USB power pack, which was a bit of a PITA, honestly. The video quality was good, and the sound recording was great.
When the GoPro died, I set up my Lenovo tablet to record one of our gigs. The video was good (until our guitarist turned one of our stage lights, and it shined directly in the camera lens for the rest of the gig) but the sound recording was mono and pretty limited (the microphone is designed for voice, not a full band).
The shop just called and told me that the GoPro is toast, and I'm going to get a refund, so I'm back to square one.
What camera (ideally under €750) would you recommend to record live gigs? I'm looking for something that takes an SD card (or microSD) of 128GB or 256GB, and can record up to 2 hours without an external power supply. (For longer gigs, I'd still plug in a USB power pack).
I also record audio with my Tascam DR-22WL, but I'd prefer it if I don't have to take those audio recordings and sync them up with the video (I can do it if necessary, but it's always a bit of a pain in the ass).
So reddit, what's your opinion?
Posted Apr 18, 2026, 10:15 AM UTC