Sam Mallery
Forum Replies Created
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“If I used the Beachtek would it keep one mic to the left channel and one to the right, allowing me to mix in post and therefore cut out any unwanted noises from either mic independently?”
—Yes, providing that you have it switched to “Stereo,” which basically means the Beachtek will keep the two inputs separate.
“If I just use the shotgun mic and make sure the mono/stereo switch is set to stereo, then I take it this will work just as well as plugging the mic straight into the camera? (i.e – it would be in stereo?)”
—Umm… if you plug a single shotgun mic into an input on the Beachtek and set it to “Stereo,” the shotgun mic would only be on one track in your camera (so, no… it will not be in stereo). If you plug the shotgun into (I believe the Left input) and set it to “Mono,” the Beachtek will output that one microphone to both tracks in your video camera.
“I understand if I did that I’d have the added bonus of the attenuation? Ive read this is up to -50db but how does this work? Is it automatic or do I need to select which level of attenuation I require?”
—This is referring to the Line/Mic switch on the Beachtek. The added benefit is that you can take an audio signal from a line-level device (like the feed from a mixing board, from an iPod, etc.) and plug it into your camera. You have to adjust the switch on the Beacktek to do this. There are also two level knobs that allow you to attenuate the signal going into the camera.
There is also the DXA-6A which can power condenser microphones that require phantom power. The design of the DXA-6A (the shape of the box, where they put the knobs, etc.) is a little more ergonomic for use with the FX-1. The drawback is that it’s a little more expensive.
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1) After every 4 or 5 hours of recording I dispose of the AA battery. I have only just read it has 150 hours of phantom power. Does that actually refer to on and recording time?
—This is referring to “on” time. A single AA battery in an ME66 should last you a very long time. No need to change your battery this often. It doesn’t take much juice at all to power the capsule of the mic. 150 may well be a very conservative number. Many people put a AA in their shotgun and forget that it exists.
2) Will the LED flash or anything to indicate that the battery is low? At the moment, the LED flashes on when I turn it on and then goes off, leaving the mic on.
—The LED will not start flashing when the battery is low. Your mic is operating properly. It’s supposed to only flash once when you turn it on.
3) If I leave the mic connected and switched on, but turn the camera off, would the mic still be using as much battery as it would be if the camera was on and recording?
—Yes, I believe this will drain the battery. It’s a good habit to train yourself to turn the mic off when you’re finished, and to turn it back on before you begin.
It’s important to use headphones whenever you use the mic. Listen to your audio. You will know that your battery is dieing because you will hear your audio quality deteriorate.
Also, if you’re using your ME66 with a video camera that supplies phantom power, you may not need to use batteries at all. What camera do you have?
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Whoever thinks the lav looks “gawdy and distracting” should turn on network television for about 3 minutes. They’ll likely see several lav mics on several people in that time span. Hiding the lav is possible, but you should practice first, and be mindful of the noise lavs make when they rub against clothing/material.
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As you search for a used Sennheiser G2 system, stay away from the C frequency. That frequency has been discontinued because those frequencies were sold as a part of the DTV/White Spaces deal.
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“Where is my broken link here, and why can’t I rely on the VU meter on the camera’s LCD?”
Perhaps next time give yourself more headroom when setting levels.
Did you set the audio levels when the loudest noises were happening?
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Harrison, the kit on Amazon comes with a R0DE DeadCat, which is similar to the Rycote, but not as good. The DeadCat will help in a lot of situations, but the Rycote can diffuse stronger winds.
Somewhere out there you can find a kit that has the same mic & boompole, a shockmount, two xlr cables (a short one for on camera, and a long one for boompole work), a pistol grip for handheld work, a R0DE WS6 softie which is like a Rycote, and a shoulder bag that holds the whole thing… for less money than that Amazon kit.
I can’t say where you can find this, but it is out there. The CEO of Creative Cow deactivated my account yesterday for posting too many links to a certain retailer. He was kind enough to re-activate my account after a friendly email exchange.
I’m not here to spam. I’m here to help, and I’m here to find answers to my own production questions. Keep researching, and good luck to you.
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1. Can you use it for interviewing? so take it off the camera and talk right near it.
Yes, but you have to be careful not to fiddle with it in your hand. That kind of mic will pick up the sound of your hand rubbing the body of the mic, so if you handle it carefully you can get good audio as a handheld mic. Always have headphones around and always listen to the audio, and always adjust to the situatiuon.
2. You can put that on a boom stand right for voice acting?
Yes. It can be used on a boom. That kit comes with a shock mount, so all you would need is a boompole and a longer XLR cable:
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/392860-REG/Rode_BOOMPOLE_Boompole_for_Rode_NTG_1_.html
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/68099-REG/Audio_Technica_AT8314_25_3_pin_XLR_Male_to.html
3. What is the use of the Rycotte? Wind? and it doesnt say it can be used with the Rode.
Yes, the Rycote is needed for all shooting outdoors. You shouldn’t step outside without one. The model I posted is 14cm and has a medium hole, which fits the Rode NT-G2 perfectly.
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So with the adapter that leaves you with around $369 or something…
Get this:
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/400806-REG/Rode__NTG_2_Battery_or_Phantom.html
and this:
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/267890-REG/Rycote_033042_14cm_Medium_Hole_Softie.html
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Both of the mics are condensers. Sound-wise I’m not sure what the difference would be, they both seem like they would be nice sounding lavs. I think the real difference lies in the fact that the ME102 gives you the option of using different output cables. You can buy unterminated right angled output cables for the ME102 capsule. That could be a handy thing to have around in certain situations.
As far as having a lav mic that you can just plug into your G2 transmitter without any adpaters, you can do it on the cheap with this:
If you want a better mic, even though the Pearstone sounds pretty decent, go for something like this:
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The GL2 has a mini-plug microphone input. This limits your options. You can use the R0DE VideoMic, which is a pretty decent value for $150. It can be used on-camera mounted on the shoe, or you can put it on a boompole. It will sound better than your current on-camera mic. The downside is that if you put it on a boom, you really shouldn’t use more than a 10 foot cable to run it to the camera’s mic input. Also, some people don’t like that the VideoMic wobbles a little bit. The mic is floating on a shockmount, and it tends to sway back and forth a little more than it should.
If you wanted to invest a little more money, you can get this adapter:
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/256059-REG/Canon_8032A002_MA_300_Dual_XLR_Microphone.html
That gives you two balanced XLR inputs. With that you can use professional shotgun or multiple wireless mic systems.