Tue Sep 18, 2012 4:42 am
Depending on what I'm shooting, I'll use my Sennheiser ME-66 & ME-64 mics (which can operate off a AA battery inside the mic or phantom power from a mixer/preamp), my Sennheiser wireless lav mics (9V batts.), AKG wired lav mics (AA batt.), and misc. Shure mics via my SoundDevices Mixpre or Mackie mixers.
If by the time I get my camera the BMCC firmware hasn't been updated to include on-screen audio VU meters (and because I don't own a HD-SDI monitor with on-screen VUs):
A few quick back & forth tests (between camera & NLE) should allow me to determine an appropriate BMCC audio input level setting when using my MixPre. Since the MixPre built-in test tone is consistently repeatable, and the BMCC's audio input settings are percentage values (0-100%), once I determine the appropriate setting, it should always work. In other words, I only have to do one set of iterative tests.
Or, of course, one could use an external audio recorder. But personally, my dislike of using an external recorder (I prefer to have sound data permanently stored "in" my video files) means the above one-time workaround is well worth using.