Using 2 consumer mikes with Canon Hg21

[Christopher John Anderson]

Dear All,

First time on this forum, appreciate your help

I want to connect 2 mikes (Rode Video Mics or similair) with 3.5mm jacks to my mic input on my Canon
HG21. Is this just as simple as using a 3.5mm Y adapter?. Would there be any problems ?

I know I couldnt mix the sound levels, but thats fine.


I have been looking at beechtek audio adapters but they are only for balanced xlr connection mics.

Thanks

Chris Anderson

[Steve House]

Relatively simple but you need to make sure you get the details right. If you're using the Rode Videomic specifically, note that it puts out a mono signal but uses a stereo plug, wired so that in the plug the left and right channels are in parallel with each other so the mic signal goes to both. Your "Y" adapter would have to be 2 female mono inline jacks connecting to a stereo 3.5mm plug, each jack feeding to its own channel in the stereo plug.

[Christopher John Anderson]

Hi Steve

Thanks for your reply

Will check that out. I am fairly new to semi-pro audio recording,

3.5mm v xlr

What are the differences, quality wise ? Need to nuy 2 second mike and wonder whether I should do xlr
If I do, can i use my existing Rode video mike and adapt to xlr for a mixer such as beechtek

Thanks

Chris

[Steve House]

First of all, a Beachtek is not a true mixer, though it has some of the same functions. That being said, yes, you can use a Videomic along with Rode's 3.5mm->XLR adapter into one channel on the Beach and another XLR mic into the second channel. Do use Rode's adapter or wire up your own, music store XLR->TRS adapters usually are NOT wired correctly for that application

There's no inherent quality differences between balanced (XLR) and unbalanced mics , at least with short cable runs. It is true that virtually all professional mics are XLR and as pro gear they tend to be of higher quality than consumer gear but the XLR is not the thing that makes them so. All other things being equal, where you'll see the difference is when cable runs get longer than about 10 feet, the unbalanced cable is more susceptible to interference from external sources such as florescent ballast, dimmers, that sort of thing.

What are you planning on recording that you want to use two mics?

[Jon Fairhurst]

Even with a short unbalanced run, you can get interference if it gets close to something nasty. And you can also get clean sound with a longer run if you are lucky.

Professionals tend not to want to rely on luck. :)

[Christopher John Anderson]

Hi

Thanks for your detailed reply. I am wanting the mics for interviews at the camera, the interviewee and the camerman as interviewer so I guess that sounds ok with short runs. I assume 2 mics of simliar quality will give a 'balanced' level from both. At the moment I am using 1 mic and obvoiusly the sound fthe interviewee
is better than the camermans as he is stood behind the mic. I have a lapel mike which i will be trying out with the rode video mike


Thanks

Chris

[Christopher John Anderson]

Originally Posted by Jon Fairhurst

Even with a short unbalanced run, you can get interference if it gets close to something nasty. And you can also get clean sound with a longer run if you are lucky.

Professionals tend not to want to rely on luck. :)

Jon, thanks for your reply. See my last message, i think i will experiment a little!

Chris

[Steve House]

Originally Posted by Christopher John Anderson

Hi

...the interviewee and the camerman as interviewer so I guess that sounds ok with short runs. I assume 2 mics of simliar quality will give a 'balanced' level from both. ...Thanks

Chris

Mic placement and the speaker's voice qualities are as big a factor in the recording levels, if not bigger, as is the inherent sensitivity of the mic itself. Never assume ... monitor sound continuously as you shoot.