Blackmagic Forum

I just did a bit of testing with my Sennheiser lav for the first time and was really disappointed to find that even with the line-in level at 100% I can barely get audio onto my footage. The levels need to be brought up so much in post that it really isn't usable.

I did some searching and see that others have had this problem but don't see any answers/solutions/ideas.

Any thoughts?

I've used this lav in lots of different cameras with excellent results but always with an XLR input previously. Not sure if it has anything to do with the 3.5mm input method or not.

Cheers.

Having the same exact issue with an Azden mic.......volume is very low and almost unusable.....I'm hoping for a firmware fix!

I use a field mixer to record the audio and then marry them with the video in post

Blien wrote:I use a field mixer to record the audio and then marry them with the video in post

I'll do that if it's necessary, but it would be great to have the option of traveling lighter.

The two 'solutions' appear to be beef up the mic level before going into the camera - juiced link mic/pre's for example. Or record audio separately.
There are a couple of iPhone/iPad audio recording apps. haven't tried them yet though.

You have to put a mic pre amp between camera and mic for best results. A Sound Devices mixpre D will send a "mic" or "line" level unbalanced feed to camera with good gain, and a digital USB feed to a IPad/IPod app to record audio as a back up.

Just wondering, is it possible to use a Zoom H6 external recorder as a pre-amp for the camera? (Microphone to H6 to camera)

Would be easier to just record to the H6.

@Spud You're getting very little volume because you've set your input to LINE instead of MIC so the camera is expecting a line level signal, which is the nominal level you'd get out of a preamp, CD player, media device, etc. You need to amplify a microphone a lot more than a few dB's unless you're recording a Metallica concert. Switching to MIC should yield the results you are looking for. If it doesn't it's either because the mic input does not supply 'plugin power' which a lavalier needs, or your camera is ******.

spacewig wrote:@Spud You're getting very little volume because you've set your input to LINE instead of MIC so the camera is expecting a line level signal, which is the nominal level you'd get out of a preamp, CD player, media device, etc. You need to amplify a microphone a lot more than a few dB's unless you're recording a Metallica concert. Switching to MIC should yield the results you are looking for. If it doesn't it's either because the mic input does not supply 'plugin power' which a lavalier needs, or your camera is ******.

You were exactly right. I assumed that "Line" would mean something coming in from the side input and "Mic" would mean the built in microphone so I didn't even try the lav on "Mic" input previously. I did this morning and the levels are much, much more acceptable. The input level on the camera still needs to be 90%, but now at least the signal is completely usable whereas "Line" at 100% was not at all.

Hopefully this fixes a lot of other people's issues. Definitely not an intuitive setting in my opinion but I'm happy that plugging my lav directly into the camera is an option!

here is a demo I did that has helped some people

Christian Schmeer wrote:Just wondering, is it possible to use a Zoom H6 external recorder as a pre-amp for the camera? (Microphone to H6 to camera)

Yes.

Fran

Fran Guidry wrote:

Christian Schmeer wrote:Just wondering, is it possible to use a Zoom H6 external recorder as a pre-amp for the camera? (Microphone to H6 to camera)

Yes.

Fran

Can anyone who has experience with using the Zoom h6 not only as a recorder as well as a pre-amp line out to the camera, comment on this. I'm interested in hearing the ballpark of the settings used, if you used a longer breakout cable, and finally were you happy with the results?

Trying to decide if I should get more involved with my Tascam DR-680 or not.

I just checked the info video for H6.
Interesting, juced link is not longer an alternative for me, H6 is better in all ways and cheaper?

http://www.zoom.co.jp/products/h6/

That's the one I would have together with BMPCC.

Edit: or perhaps H4n

I have frequently used the h6 as an external recorder, with a sennheiser g3 wireless lav mixed to the left and a sennheiser me64 or me66 mixed to the right. I use my ears to estimate levels. If I don't clip or record much too low, I use the prores files. If i do, I use the h6 files.

I have a juiced link but don't trust it without meters. I was screwed once using a juicelink and an canon xl-2 (remember those?) and it clipped like crazy.