Output levels of Sennheiser G3 receiver

Rick Reineke · May 8th, 2012, 10:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zoran Vincic

It's actually better to connect it to a mic input as the receiver doesn't really output a line level signal even when the output is boosted to + 12dB.

Re: Output levels of Sennheiser G3 receiver
>> If the system is gain staged properly, a +4dB (ref level) line level signal can be achieved.
That said, some devices (like Canon XL and HD cams ) have inherently lower than 'normal' input gain available, and 'line level' is probably just padded down to the mic pre anyway, so running mic level is not a huge issue in that scenario.
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Thanks John, I should have specified the G2/3 100 series portable receiver.

John Willett · May 9th, 2012, 03:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rick Reineke

Thanks John, I should have specified the G2/3 100 series portable receiver.

NB: The G3 portable receiver is diversity - the G2 is not.

The 100 series is unbalanced output - the 500/2000 series has a balanced output.

Tom Morrow · May 9th, 2012, 11:41 PM

I still maintain that the g3 does not put out a pro line level signal. Yes it will produce a maximum signal level of about +4dBu. But true line level has nominal level of +4dBu, and a maximum level of about +20dBu. It's about 16dB short.

Yesterday I was running a g3 into a Sony ex-1r line input, and the signal never got past about a third to half the meter range on the camera. The transmitter was being fed from a Mixpre and properly adjusted so the transmitter peaked when the Mixpre peaked.

As far as phantom power, I have "accidentally" applied phantom to my g3 for long periods of time, and didn't notice any problems at all.

My understanding is that decades ago, most preamp designs were hand designed one off things that may not have been designed to survive adverse conditions (e.g. unexpected phantom). So worrying about phantom damage made more sense in the past. But preamp design has evolved, engineers have gotten more specialized, and generally tolerance for failure has gone way down. Everything is designed to minimize warranty claims, which are now a huge part of the manufacturer cost as integrated designs have decreased the actual product cost.

And the process of building everything overseas now means there's much more pressure on manufacturers to get their designs reliable the first time, whereas in the past they could tweak designs more iteratively. Audio equipment has only been generally available to ordinary people in our lifetimes and there has been quite a bit of evolution in designs over its short history on this planet. In short, it's best to avoid unnecessary phantom power, but if your time is worth anything you'd probably spend more chasing DC blocking cables than a repair would cost if you did actually damage something.

May 9th, 2012, 11:41 PM	#63
Tom Morrow Major Player Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: San Francisco, CA Posts: 416	Re: Output levels of Sennheiser G3 receiver I still maintain that the g3 does not put out a pro line level signal. Yes it will produce a maximum signal level of about +4dBu. But true line level has nominal level of +4dBu, and a maximum level of about +20dBu. It's about 16dB short. Yesterday I was running a g3 into a Sony ex-1r line input, and the signal never got past about a third to half the meter range on the camera. The transmitter was being fed from a Mixpre and properly adjusted so the transmitter peaked when the Mixpre peaked. As far as phantom power, I have "accidentally" applied phantom to my g3 for long periods of time, and didn't notice any problems at all. My understanding is that decades ago, most preamp designs were hand designed one off things that may not have been designed to survive adverse conditions (e.g. unexpected phantom). So worrying about phantom damage made more sense in the past. But preamp design has evolved, engineers have gotten more specialized, and generally tolerance for failure has gone way down. Everything is designed to minimize warranty claims, which are now a huge part of the manufacturer cost as integrated designs have decreased the actual product cost. And the process of building everything overseas now means there's much more pressure on manufacturers to get their designs reliable the first time, whereas in the past they could tweak designs more iteratively. Audio equipment has only been generally available to ordinary people in our lifetimes and there has been quite a bit of evolution in designs over its short history on this planet. In short, it's best to avoid unnecessary phantom power, but if your time is worth anything you'd probably spend more chasing DC blocking cables than a repair would cost if you did actually damage something.