[Ty Ford]

[Sam Mallery] “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?”

But you may need to leave the battery in the mic, even if it is dead, for proper conduction of the external voltage to the mic.

Regards,

Ty Ford

Want better production audio?: Ty Ford’s Audio Bootcamp Field Guide
Watch Ty play guitar

[Ty Ford]

Hello Uwe,

So you ditched your Neumann U87 and TLM 149 for an MXL 2003? Wow!

My chain varies due to the project but frequently it’s a u 89, Millennia Media STT-1 or GML to an RME A/D.

That MCA SP-1 is pretty cute, though for only $39.95 USD.

Regards,

Ty Ford

Want better production audio?: Ty Ford’s Audio Bootcamp Field Guide
Watch Ty play guitar

[Ty Ford]

Hello Uwe,

Interesting to note your take and that your sig line doesn’t show fully. The one that says, ” Home Studio Musical Gear: MAC G5, Neumann U87, TLM 149, Mindprint DTC preamo, LA2A, Urei 1176, Neve 33609, Jünger Converter D02, BSS, Drawmer, TLA EQ 2,Höfex Mastering Exciter, ISDN APTX with APT Milano and Mayah Cnetauri 3001.”

So If I send you a MXL 2003, will you send me you U87? In as much as they’re so close.

Regards,

Ty Ford

Want better production audio?: Ty Ford’s Audio Bootcamp Field Guide
Watch Ty play guitar

[Ty Ford]

Hello Shane and welcome to the Cow Audio Forum.

::thanks for the nod, John::

Shane, you can get good inexpensive sound with an Audio Technica AT2020USB mic. In addition to having good talent who can bring life to the written words, the quietness of your space and the acoustical “niceness” of your space are integral to getting a good recording.

The AT2020USB is a good place to start.

Regards,

Ty Ford

Want better production audio?: Ty Ford’s Audio Bootcamp Field Guide
Watch Ty play guitar

[Ty Ford]

Hello Mark and welcome to the Cow Audio Forum.

Michael is right, although the G3 series with more fun stuff should be shipping any day.

My G2 kit came with an ME-2 omni lav, a bracket that attaches to the receiver and slips into the shoe on top of the camera. It tightens down very nicely. Also with the kit was a nice short cable for getting into you camera.

In most cases, I’d stick with the omni. Cardioid lavs can be fussy. You may also choose a more expensive omni lav for better sound. A countryman B6 hides very easily. A Sanken COS-11 sounds pretty great. (Come to think of it, I think the G3 comes with the better MKE2 lav.)

Regards,

Ty Ford

Want better production audio?: Ty Ford’s Audio Bootcamp Field Guide
Watch Ty play guitar

[Ty Ford]

Brian’s spot on Bob.

Try connecting the same gear at home the same way you did when you were getting the problem (assumedly elsewhere). If it still makes the same sound, try another mic because it could be the mic itself or the mic cable.

I have some “special” cables that are more resistant to noise than bargain brand XLR cables. There are some new Neutrik XLR connectors with built in protection. They are a bit finnicky to wire, but reports have come back that they are working.
https://www.neutrik.com/us/en/audio/204_1603252336/EMC-XLR_Series_productlist.aspx

Was your camera on battery or AC? If on battery, it’s not a ground loop.

If on AC, was any sort of other cable attached to the camera? Video cable attached to a video monitor that was plugged in to another AC outlet. That could create a ground loop.

Nearby fixtures, DIMMERS ESPECIALLY, can radiate buzz into your audio, no attachment necessary. Including nearby residential recessed fixtures on wall dimmers and the ubiquitous torchiere floor lamps. Either turn ’em all the way up or turn ’em off. Even residential dimmers in ANOTHER PART OF THE BUILDING can put noise into your audio.

Some “high-tech” industrial, wall-mounted office lighting controls in hotels and convention centers also radiate noise through the air that will get into audio.

The mic cable being parallel to an AC cable can induce hum into the audio.

I THINK your best defense is to have mic cables with really good shields and the shields connected to the shells of the XLR connectors with those new XLR connectors. There are a few applications, like connecting two pieces of SOME powered gear, where these cables may actually cause problems. So mark them so you remember they are your bullet-proof mic cables.

That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it!

Regards,

Ty Ford

Want better production audio?: Ty Ford’s Audio Bootcamp Field Guide
Watch Ty play guitar

Some contents or functionalities here are not available due to your cookie preferences!

This happens because the functionality/content marked as “Google Youtube” uses cookies that you choosed to keep disabled. In order to view this content or use this functionality, please enable cookies: click here to open your cookie preferences.

[Ty Ford]

Greg,

I don’t, but I’m sure it’s online somewhere.

The XL2 also has line inputs via unbalanced RCA jacks on the side of the camera. I’ve been told they are better than the XL inputs, but I’ve never really had a problem with the XLR inputs and my Sound Devices 442 mixer.

Regards,

Ty Ford

Want better production audio?: Ty Ford’s Audio Bootcamp Field Guide
Watch Ty play guitar

[Ty Ford]

Um, well, my Canon XL2 has mic level inputs ONLY at the XLRs.

Regards,

Ty Ford

Want better production audio?: Ty Ford’s Audio Bootcamp Field Guide
Watch Ty play guitar

[Ty Ford]

[Michael Cummins] “Is there a process I can go through to get all the devices in line with each other to prevent this on other shoots? Or is this a “goes to show you” moment where I need to pick up some sort of mixer? Usually I’m the guy running the A camera, monitoring sound, and checking/moving lights around, while the other crew member helps setup and does what I tell him, so running another device (mixer) is going to be difficult, especially since the other crew member is hard of hearing.

Funny thing is, I had the exact opposite problem with the other mic. I had a wired lav on the other talent that sounded like it was overdriving before it even hit anywhere near zero on the LCD’s VU. So I had that audio pulled back so it wouldn’t continually peak, but in post it’s clean but a little quieter than what I hoped for.”

A process..sometimes. On some wireless you can see the audio input level on the transmitter so you can make sure the input sensitivity of the transmitter is good. Some receivers have peak lights or metering to let you know how they are doing. The output of the receiver is USUSALLY mic level, bit not always.

You sort of have to know what to expect (pandemonium) and how to finagle things to get the levels sorted out.

A mixer can help because at least you get the mixer to camera audio calibrated. Then you can jump back to just finagling the other stuff. Good mixers also have good limiters that let you run mic a little hotter without fear of distortion, so you’re recording farther above the noise floor of the camera.

The Sound Devices 302 is my strongest suggestion for an entry level mixer. Please don’t ask me if there’s a cheaper one. Yes there are cheaper ones. They don’t do what a 302 does, so don’t bother.

Regards,

Ty Ford

Ty

Want better production audio?: Ty Ford’s Audio Bootcamp Field Guide
Watch Ty play guitar

[Ty Ford]

Hello Richard and welcome to the Cow Audio Forum.

Your options are the Sound Devices 788T and CL-8 add-on
https://www.sounddevices.com/products/788t.htm

or Aaton Cantar
https://www.aaton.com/products/sound/cantar/

Regards,

Ty Ford

Want better production audio?: Ty Ford’s Audio Bootcamp Field Guide
Watch Ty play guitar

Some contents or functionalities here are not available due to your cookie preferences!

This happens because the functionality/content marked as “Google Youtube” uses cookies that you choosed to keep disabled. In order to view this content or use this functionality, please enable cookies: click here to open your cookie preferences.