Brian Reynolds
Forum Replies Created
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Sounds like a faulty one to me!!!!!!!!!!
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Are the signal level meters moving?
Is it set to MS mode? (it shouldn’t be)
Was the recording done in Mono or Stereo or multi track mode?
Did you use the H4n mics or an external input into the recorder?
Is it set to multi track mode? Is so are the individual track levels turned up?
Are you using iPhone earphones? they have an extra ring on the 3.5mm plug which could be causing problems.
Did you get sound in the headphones when you were recording? -
ANY mic running on phantom power with the H4n (and most other recorders)will drain batteries quickly. The only way to get around it is power the mic some other way, either from its internal battery or a mixer then feeding the signal to the recorder.
No I havent tried the Sennheiser 600 mic at all yet.
The only way to get quality sound from the spoken voice is get the mic close………. either Lav mic, hand held mic or shotgun mic…BUT they need to be less than 500mm from the mouth.
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You may want to have a look at the Sennheiser MKE 600 – Shotgun Microphone… do a try before you buy.
Keep in mind a RF bias mic is MUCH better than a condenser mic, What are you going to be using it for, Fx or dialogue?
Mounting a mic on top of the camera is actually the worst place to mount it, it’s near the camera handling / lens noise…..
It is virtually impossible to get good quality dialogue from a mic mounted on top of the camera regardless of what mic you use. -
The NTG2 has a lowish audio output level compared to other better quality mics and if used with the H4n the input gain needs to be raised to get a good level on the recorder.
The H4n has poor preamps…. so if you raise the gain you will get lots of ‘hiss’.
The Rode NTG1 has similar gain to the NTG2 except the 2 can run on an internal battery this give the H4n a little better battery life which is quite poor when running ANY phantom powered mics.
So in brief the Rode NTG 1 & 2 make a poor choice when used with the H4n. The Rode NTG3 is a much better choice.
The Rode NTG1 & 2 and Zoom H4n came onto the market at about the same time and in theory make an ideal combination…. BUT in reality they dont.
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A radio mic system is actually 2 electronic devices….The transmitter (Tx) and the receiver (Rx).
Firstly you need to set up part one…. the Tx levels need to be set correctly (not over driven and not to low) and thats why there is a level adjustment that can be changed. For example a loud yelling man will need a different setting than a nervous bride saying ‘I do’. Most Tx units have some metering or lights to indicate levels and when they are over the correct input gain.
When you have part one set correctly it sends it via a radio frequency to part two the receiver Rx, this receives the signal and then sends the audio signal out…. the output level can be adjusted to suit the needs of the camera / mixer input. Some cameras need mic level (most DSLRs are like this) and other cameras can handle ‘line’ level.
So a well adjusted ‘system’ is a combination of both of these units set correctly, the TX and Rx.
Leaving them on a medium ‘preset’ level is like setting a cameras focus / iris to a medium setting and hoping for the best.
The key thing is to monitor the audio with headphones…..ALWAYS. You wouldn’t use a camera without a viewfinder would you?
Radio mic systems aren’t hard to set up….infact a lot simpler than a camera (tripod setup / leveling, balancing, correct color temp, iris settings, framing, resolution etc etc)
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What was the Tx gain setting(-10…..-30 / -50)? It’s easy to quote figures but what was the level meter on the TX unit showing?
The figures you are quoting are in 6db steps… that is the output level of the RX unit. If the distortion in incomming the adjusting the output level won’t solve the problem.
Every shoot and every voice is different…. radio mics are not a set and forget sort of piece of gear. Lots vary, talents voice level, distance from the mouth, is he trying to talk over the roar of a motor, is the mic out in the open or tucked under clothing?
If you don’t adjust the settings to get the optimal signal it would be like using a ‘fixed’ focus camera.
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Putting a mixer between the mic and the recorder will solve so many of the problems that you might encounter.
Mixers have better preamps, deliver phantom power for the mics, (so better mics could be used), some portable recorders can give phantom power but drains the batteries quickly. Mixers have better level controls and limiters.
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Ok lets work through this…………
Yes there are cable suitable for your needs.
https://www.trewaudio.com/store/DV-Cam-Stereo-Input-Cable-REM-CAMCXY.htmlThe Rode NTG2 is known for a low output level and not ideal to feed into ‘pocket recorders’ as the recorder preamp needs to be wound up quite high to get good signal levels and this will give a poor and very ‘noisey’ recording.
How are you going to adjust the levels of the different mics independantly from each other?
The Rode NTG2 would be powered with a AA battery, how is the Lav mic powered? (what sort of Lav mic)?
And if you do use it as a 2 track recorder do the limiters / compressor from one channel effect the other channel as is common with ‘stereo’ recorders. If you are using different signals on each track they must be able to work as split tracks and not just as a stereo track.
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I’ve used about 20+ Rode Lav mics and they seem to have a poor failure rate on the Micon connectors. I had 3 faulty ones from new, but Rode are happy to replace them. Can you take it back to your supplier (if local) and get a replacement one?
If you can take your H4n along to check it works before you leave the store with the swap over.