Tested the DXA-4p at home
 

I tried my first sound test using DXA-4p and the Canon GL1. I hooked up my Stereo at the ¼ ear phone jack to the DXA-4p’s Left Channel XLR and set the switch next to it to Line. I then hooked my Rode Video Mic the DXA-4p’s Auxiliary mini Right Channel Jack.

I put the footage into FCP and captured it four ways (Line 1 and Line 2), (Line 1), (Line 2), and (mono mix).

Each time, both sound sources came through both channels. They didn’t wind up on separate channels like I thought they would.

When I tried the process using the Rode Video Mic alone, I got just a Right Channel (line 1).

And when I tried the process using just the stero hooked up to the Left Channel, I got just line 2 (line 1 was empty).

Is this the way it is supposed to work?

Would I have gotten separate audio tracks if I had used two XLR sources instead of one plus a mini?

Thanks,
Scott

What was the setting of the Beachtek's Stereo/Mono switch? As I read the manual, the left XLR feeds the left channel output while the right xlr or the aux jack feed the right channel output. Setting the stereo/mono switch to stereo keeps L/R separate while setting it to mono sends either channel's input together to both the left and right channel outputs. If you have two different input signals and the switch is in mono, that would result in both input signals showing up mixed together on both channels on the tape.

Duh
 

Yep, the mono/stereo switch was set to mono. I read the manual, but it didn't register. I set it to mono because I had what I thought was two mono lines. Goes to prove that thinking and thinking right are not always the same thing. I'll try it again- this time on Stereo.
Thanks,
Scott

No success
 

No. It didn't work. As a matter of fact i barely heard and CD audible sound. Never even heard the mic at all. After re-reading the manual. It said Mini will play to left channel, which seems backwards when you look at the Beach. So I plugged the XLR sterio into right channel. I set the middle switch to stereo, the left channel to mic and the right channel to line. Kind of stumped.

Not correct, Scott. The Aux jack is not switchable between mic and line. It's line only. So you won't get much out of the Rode in there.

Then for the stereo, it matters a lot what kind of cable goes from the stereo phone jack to the XLR connector. If it's a cable with 1/4" TRS plug on one end and an XLR on the other and not specially wired inside it won't work right. Low volume distorted sound is what I'd expect.

You need an adapter to use the Rode with the Beachtek, and you have to use the right cable to hook up your stereo to an XLR input.

What all do you have for cables?

The SignVideo XLR-PRO has been reported to work very well with the VideoMic. You would still need a small stereo-to-mono adapter to plug the VM into one of the two Aux inputs of the XLR-PRO, though.

Hey Fred/Cables and such
 

Hey Fred,
The UPS guy just stopped by the house. I now have the following.

25 foot ¼ TS Male to XLR male
3 Foot XLRM to Mini Female
10 Foot 1/4 TS mono to RCA-M (Two cables)
15 Foot XLR-M to XLR-F
10 Foot Mini-M to two 1/4 TS monos
10 Foot Double RCA-M to Double RCA-M
5 Foot unbalance Mini-M to 1/4 TS
The Whirlwind EDB1
The DXA-4p

Thanks,
Scott

Scott,
--The 3 foot XLRM to mini female should be able to take your Rode output into either of the Beachtek channels.
--The two 1/4 TS to RCA cables can be used with the EDB1 to take a mono input from your stereo system into the other channel. You can do the same thing with sound boards in the field that have RCA line outs.
--The 1/4 TS to XLR male can get output from you stereo phone jack directly into the BeachTek, but you'll only get the left or right half of the stereo signal.
--The XLRM to XLRF cable will be useful. You're going to need more like it, only longer.
--I don't see much use for the other cables, unless they work with your wireless.
--You still need a short 1/4 TRS male to XLR male. Very useful for Mackie sound boards, which are prevalent in the field

I may have been wrong here. I was thinking of the fact that it's not switchable between mono and stereo. BeachTek's website is not absolutely clear, but it does imply that the Aux can be switched mic/line.