Sound Level Settings for Best Narrative Film Making Results
 

While a lot of people keep pushing the dual system sound solution for narative film making with the 5D, I have a tendancy to work fairly light in my shooting, often handling sound myself. Because of that, I need to go single system often. I think it is still doable, especially with the new level controls provided by 2.03. It looks like we are forced to adapt because by upgrading to 2.03, we are not able to revert the camera to firmare version 1.10 to avail ourselves of Magic Lantern.

I ran some tests with the new firmware. Essentially I used the on camera mic, in a well padded closet, and set the sound level in 2.03 from 1/8 to 3/4. I then check the quiet areas of the recordings in Sound Forge, and found that the floor at the 1/8 level, pegged at about -78 db, and at about -48 db at the 3/4 mark.

Unfortunately, I think my pretesting with the camera set at 1/2 way on the level and running the Juiced Link CX231 racked all the way up, and using my NTG 3 mic, left me with too much noise when I tried to boost the levels in post. So running that combination, doesn't seem like the best way to go. I continue to wish the CX231 amp had must a bit more topside available.

So to me it looks like will be running my Eng44 into my CX231 or the simpler Beachtek adapter, and setting the level on the camera at between 1/8 and 1/4, and then send a 1k tone to the camera and adjust the levels to 12b on the camera by adjust output level of the ENG44.

Anyone got a better idea ?

Running a dual system is just as easy for one person. It just means that the external mic is connected to a seperate recording device instead of wired direct to the camera.

One permutation that I would be interested in hearing would be running the headphone line out of the sound devices MM-1 directly into the camera and then monitoring with Magic Lantern. I obviously haven't tested this but the SD pres have a good reputation with audiophiles so it is probably more a question of whether the headphone amp in the MM-1 adds significant noise. Obviously this isn't an immediate fix for those who have updated firmware and there may well be other issues that I am overlooking with this setup.

One of this issues here is that 1 box (a good preamp) is surely better than two (mixer + pre/XLR adapter) when you are running solo.

True. And that is actually my plan, running a Tascam recorder to the line out from the ENG44, and the XLR line feed to the Camera. My experience has been that I can get as good a sound directly in the camera, but since monitoring cannot be easily accomplished, then I will monitor the Tascam recording and have it for back up if the camera sound is bad. Otherwise I avoid the need to match the separate sound to the video track.

The main problem I've had with double sound when running solo is that sometimes I think I'm recording, but the audio recorder is in record-standby. The camera records with one button press, while the audio records with two. And you stop them both with one button press.

All it takes is a bit of practice - and the pain of losing a take or two - to become proficient, but I'm always a bit scared that I'll screw up.

If you run a second line into the camera, then at least you have that as a backup.