BeachTek DXA-5D XLR Adapter

Edmond Terakopian · January 17th, 2009, 09:45 AM

Cheers,

Edmond

Jordan Oplinger · January 17th, 2009, 01:34 PM

My wish list for a beachtek:

1) make the whole thing a giant grip. Not necessarily the shutter/AE controls (not shooting videos in portrait anyway)

2) built in SD or CF audio recording (nothing fancy, just build in the functionality of a 3 year old iRiver for redundant recording)

3) maybe provide Power to the camera since its blocking the battery slot.

love the LCD though

Chris Hurd · January 17th, 2009, 01:50 PM

I'm happy just to see the phones pot!

Mark Moreve · January 17th, 2009, 03:30 PM

Great piece of kit but is it any good with the 5dmk2 as the camera auto controls the sound levels or does this device inactivate the cameras auto level controls. Is it not just better to use a Zoom h4 and a clapper board?

Nick Wilcox-Brown · January 17th, 2009, 04:35 PM

According to info from Beachtek, the DXA-5D does not inactivate the auto levels on the camera.

On the positive side, audio is really not too bad considering the small mic. The addition of this device + a decent Rode / SH mic should provide reliable camera sound and the H4 / R09 can provide the backup / ambient?

Nick

Zach Love · January 18th, 2009, 03:36 AM

personally I wouldn't trust the 5D to record audio. I would take just about any thing else (heck, minidisc recorders are dirt cheap now-a-days) for the main recording.

Bill Binder · January 19th, 2009, 12:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark Moreve

Great piece of kit but is it any good with the 5dmk2 as the camera auto controls the sound levels or does this device inactivate the cameras auto level controls. Is it not just better to use a Zoom h4 and a clapper board?

Nothing you stick in front of the 5D2 can "deactivate" anything on the 5D2. The 5D2 will still try to ride the gain, and you still won't be really monitoring what's actually being recorded. Not saying there won't be some value in using something like this, but personally, once you start adding a real mic and a decent preamp, I don't see that much benefit to running into the crappy audio section of the 5D2 -- just live with the 5D2 audio or go double system, anything in between seems pointless, but what do I know?

Matthew Roddy · January 20th, 2009, 12:46 PM

Agreed. I don't really get this Beachtek device. If it were going to a camera where you could control the input, then I get that the Beachtek would be fantastic. But since teh 5DMii will ALWAYS (unless they change the firmware) auto-gain, what's the point.
You'll have great audio at the Beachtek side, but the camera will still ride the gain on the acquisition side. Pretty useless when it comes to really quiet times and/or really loud bursts.
If or when Canon gives us manual control, I just don't understand the benefit of the the Beachtek, other than to give really good audio to a really questionable recording device (audio-wise, that is).
Am I missing something?

Dan Chung · January 23rd, 2009, 09:12 PM

Ed,

I'm going to contact Beacktek about this one, If you are talking to Beachtek about this then you should really make them understand that they can't defeat the auto volume control on the 5dmkII. That said and given how far they are down the road with this prototype maybe we could make just one small change that would increase the unit's usefulness. I note like other Beachteks that it has a captive cable outputting to camera. If they could replace that with two minijack sockets which split the output signal then we could record the same signal similtaneously to a field recorder and the camera. So if the camera audio is good enough then you can just use it, but you have another copy on the recorder if not. Not ideal , but workable for run and gun.

Dan

Jordan Oplinger · January 23rd, 2009, 09:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan Chung

Ed,
If they could replace that with two minijack sockets which split the output signal then we could record the same signal similtaneously to a field recorder and the camera.

Or better yet, build it into the unit. Then we're talking

Jon Fairhurst · January 23rd, 2009, 09:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan Chung

If they could replace that with two minijack sockets which split the output signal then we could record the same signal similtaneously to a field recorder and the camera.

Great suggestion. Use the camera audio for "quick." Use the field recorder for "quality." And when using a recorder, don't lose the audio to the camera (especially if wireless from a distance), so it's easy to sync in post.

Dan Chung · January 24th, 2009, 08:15 PM

Just got this response from Beachtek, looks very promising.

Quote:

Hi Daniel,

Thank you for your comments.

Adding an additional output jack for simultaneously recording to an external
audio recorder is an excellent idea. This is also very easy and inexpensive
to do.

We fully understand the problem that the AGC in the camera causes. We are
working on a possible solution.

You can easily have access to the battery drawer on the camera by simply
loosening the mounting screw and twisting the adapter 90 degrees. The pins
on top of the adapter will have to be removed in order to do this but they
are not really necessary.

We certainly appreciate your feedback.

Cheers,
Harry Kaufmann
Product Support

Evan Donn · January 24th, 2009, 11:52 PM

I'm thinking something like the new Zoom H4n (Samson delivering Zoom H4n handheld recording device at CES - Engadget) would be a better choice than the beachtek. Decent built in mics, XLRs with phantom power, 4 track recording, etc - run the output into the camera's mic input and sync shouldn't be to difficult.

Dan Chung · January 25th, 2009, 12:36 AM

I think the Zoom recorders make a lot of sense with the 5dmkII, the only reason I like the idea of a beachtek is for the run and gun scenarios where having the controls easily accessible on the base of the camera makes more sense. I'd plan to have a recorder like the Zoom or an Edirol cabled into a pouch or my pocket to keep a low profile.

Dan

Martin Labelle · January 25th, 2009, 10:41 AM

From the links of Evan.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Captain Obvious @ Jan 8th 2009 2:33PM
From what I've read of the previous Zoom recorders, their time-chip is sooo cheap that if you're recording for video, you're screwed:
( the wandering clock-frequency means if you get the beginning & the end to match the video, the middle *won't* )

Unless that's been fixed this time 'round, then the Roland/Edirol 4-track unit or the Zaxcom unit are still the ones to beat ( both have timecode, and both apparently got decent crystals/PLL chips )
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
thank you Evan for your link on the Zoom Recorder, but I found
something on the same site. I am not shure of what its about.
Can someone explain me more.
thank you.

January 17th, 2009, 09:45 AM	#1
Edmond Terakopian New Boot Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: London, UK Posts: 8	BeachTek DXA-5D XLR Adapter - Picture! Cheers, Edmond Attached Thumbnails __________________ Edmond Terakopian www.pix.org.uk http://edmondterakopian.blogspot.com/ http://terakopian.smugmug.com/

January 17th, 2009, 01:50 PM	#3
Chris Hurd Obstreperous Rex Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: San Marcos, TX Posts: 27,366 Images: 513	I'm happy just to see the phones pot! __________________ CH Search DV Info Net \| 20 years of DVi \| ...Tuesday is Soylent Green Day!

January 17th, 2009, 03:30 PM	#4
Mark Moreve Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: london Posts: 125	beachtek dxa-5d xlr adaptor - picture Great piece of kit but is it any good with the 5dmk2 as the camera auto controls the sound levels or does this device inactivate the cameras auto level controls. Is it not just better to use a Zoom h4 and a clapper board?

January 17th, 2009, 04:35 PM	#5
Nick Wilcox-Brown Major Player Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Bristol, UK Posts: 231	According to info from Beachtek, the DXA-5D does not inactivate the auto levels on the camera. On the positive side, audio is really not too bad considering the small mic. The addition of this device + a decent Rode / SH mic should provide reliable camera sound and the H4 / R09 can provide the backup / ambient? Nick __________________ Nick Wilcox-Brown, Film-maker and Photographer https://nickwb.com https://wildphotographer.co.uk

January 24th, 2009, 11:52 PM	#13
Evan Donn Major Player Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Philadelphia Posts: 795	I'm thinking something like the new Zoom H4n (Samson delivering Zoom H4n handheld recording device at CES - Engadget) would be a better choice than the beachtek. Decent built in mics, XLRs with phantom power, 4 track recording, etc - run the output into the camera's mic input and sync shouldn't be to difficult. __________________ My latest short documentary: "Four Pauls: Bring the Hat Back!"

January 17th, 2009, 01:34 PM	#2
Jordan Oplinger Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 35	My wish list for a beachtek: 1) make the whole thing a giant grip. Not necessarily the shutter/AE controls (not shooting videos in portrait anyway) 2) built in SD or CF audio recording (nothing fancy, just build in the functionality of a 3 year old iRiver for redundant recording) 3) maybe provide Power to the camera since its blocking the battery slot. love the LCD though

January 18th, 2009, 03:36 AM	#6
Zach Love Major Player Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 944	personally I wouldn't trust the 5D to record audio. I would take just about any thing else (heck, minidisc recorders are dirt cheap now-a-days) for the main recording.

January 20th, 2009, 12:46 PM	#8
Matthew Roddy Major Player Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Riverside, Ca Posts: 307	Agreed. I don't really get this Beachtek device. If it were going to a camera where you could control the input, then I get that the Beachtek would be fantastic. But since teh 5DMii will ALWAYS (unless they change the firmware) auto-gain, what's the point. You'll have great audio at the Beachtek side, but the camera will still ride the gain on the acquisition side. Pretty useless when it comes to really quiet times and/or really loud bursts. If or when Canon gives us manual control, I just don't understand the benefit of the the Beachtek, other than to give really good audio to a really questionable recording device (audio-wise, that is). Am I missing something?

January 23rd, 2009, 09:12 PM	#9
Dan Chung Major Player Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Beijing Posts: 665	Ed, I'm going to contact Beacktek about this one, If you are talking to Beachtek about this then you should really make them understand that they can't defeat the auto volume control on the 5dmkII. That said and given how far they are down the road with this prototype maybe we could make just one small change that would increase the unit's usefulness. I note like other Beachteks that it has a captive cable outputting to camera. If they could replace that with two minijack sockets which split the output signal then we could record the same signal similtaneously to a field recorder and the camera. So if the camera audio is good enough then you can just use it, but you have another copy on the recorder if not. Not ideal , but workable for run and gun. Dan

January 25th, 2009, 12:36 AM	#14
Dan Chung Major Player Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Beijing Posts: 665	I think the Zoom recorders make a lot of sense with the 5dmkII, the only reason I like the idea of a beachtek is for the run and gun scenarios where having the controls easily accessible on the base of the camera makes more sense. I'd plan to have a recorder like the Zoom or an Edirol cabled into a pouch or my pocket to keep a low profile. Dan

January 25th, 2009, 10:41 AM	#15
Martin Labelle Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: montreal Posts: 170	about the zoom recorder more questions From the links of Evan. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Captain Obvious @ Jan 8th 2009 2:33PM From what I've read of the previous Zoom recorders, their time-chip is sooo cheap that if you're recording for video, you're screwed: ( the wandering clock-frequency means if you get the beginning & the end to match the video, the middle won't ) Unless that's been fixed this time 'round, then the Roland/Edirol 4-track unit or the Zaxcom unit are still the ones to beat ( both have timecode, and both apparently got decent crystals/PLL chips ) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- thank you Evan for your link on the Zoom Recorder, but I found something on the same site. I am not shure of what its about. Can someone explain me more. thank you.

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