feeding zoom h4n into the 5D (attenuator)

Maurice Covington · February 1st, 2013, 01:22 PM

Do the clients even care so much that we need to beat ourselves up about these subtle differences? I too have the H4n and I sometimes use it with the 5D Mark III or the XLH1. For me, the H4n is used more as a backup. The sound from the 5D Mark III is really good if you use it correctly.

John Carroll · February 1st, 2013, 02:21 PM

Exactly...
Seems to me that pumping extra money into equipment that won't produce a difference that you can see or hear without having to do a side by side comparison doesn't make a lot of sense.

Some folks here are using the 5DM2, which doesn't record sound as cleanly as the 5DM3, so that's a different animal. But I doubt anyone could listen to a project of mine and tell whether I used a Zoom or recorded straight to camera. If you listened to the raw files, sure you could, but when it's all put together mixed with music etc... no way.

Shannon Rawls · February 1st, 2013, 09:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fabrice Hoss

Instead of using the H4n, could we use the smaller zoom h1 and work without XLRs?
My plan : connecting a senheiser evolution g3 to a mounted h1, which feeds into the 5d (or 6d in my case...) Does that make any sense?
(I work alone and to me : small is beautiful - I believe the h4n is just too big/complicated)
Thanks

Yes Fabrice, the H1 will work just fine as well.

Stefan Verna · February 2nd, 2013, 08:19 PM

I have the 5D Mark III & the H4 Zoom: if i use the Sescom cable to connec the two then plug a wireless mic into the H4 on one channel and use the general mic of the H4 on the other channel. will have the sound be seperated in the audio tracks of the 5D.

stef./.\

Maurice Covington · February 2nd, 2013, 11:19 PM

Stefan,

I'm not sure if I understand your post. Are you asking a question or are you offering information. Like you, I have both the H4n and the Mark III but I don't choose to use the Sescom cable. Like one of the earlier posters, I use an XLR to headphone cable and go straight into the camera in that manner. It is interesting though, that you can possibly record on two channels, one being wireless and if I understand your post, the other being run from the camera.

Stefan Verna · February 3rd, 2013, 05:02 PM

Maurice,

It was a question. i want to use the ambient sound from the 90o mic of the Zoom and the wireless sound to end up as seperate tracks on the 5D mark3. This way i would avoid having to sync. I don't want to use the sound from the camera.
You are saying that i can use a regular XLR to minijack cable to connect the h4n to the mark 3 and i will get no hiss? Does that make the Sescom useless then?

stef./.\

Shannon Rawls · February 6th, 2013, 09:59 AM

Stefan,
No you cannot do that.
The H4 must be in 4ch mode to record its 90° mics AND a wireless mic fed to it. The ouput of the H4 is only 2ch, so it will feed a full mix of all 4 channels to the output.

1&3 = left output
2&4 = right output

Sorry, you cannot get what you're looking for because the builtin 90° mic will be mixed in with your wireless mic.

Stefan Verna · February 9th, 2013, 04:31 PM

Thank you Shannon for the info. I spoke at length to a fellow filmmaker who owns both the H4N & the Mark 3 and he told me the only way to have seperate channels into the camera is to plug a shotgun mic in one XLR jack & the wireless in the other XLR and the signal will be seperate on the 5D. He's done it and it works. i'm curious to try it to see for myself.

stef./.\

February 1st, 2013, 01:22 PM	#16
Maurice Covington Major Player Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Plainfield, Illinois Posts: 236	Re: feeding zoom h4n into the 5D (attenuator) Do the clients even care so much that we need to beat ourselves up about these subtle differences? I too have the H4n and I sometimes use it with the 5D Mark III or the XLH1. For me, the H4n is used more as a backup. The sound from the 5D Mark III is really good if you use it correctly.

February 1st, 2013, 02:21 PM	#17
John Carroll Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Charlotte, NC Posts: 156	Re: feeding zoom h4n into the 5D (attenuator) Exactly... Seems to me that pumping extra money into equipment that won't produce a difference that you can see or hear without having to do a side by side comparison doesn't make a lot of sense. Some folks here are using the 5DM2, which doesn't record sound as cleanly as the 5DM3, so that's a different animal. But I doubt anyone could listen to a project of mine and tell whether I used a Zoom or recorded straight to camera. If you listened to the raw files, sure you could, but when it's all put together mixed with music etc... no way.

February 2nd, 2013, 08:19 PM	#19
Stefan Verna New Boot Join Date: May 2008 Location: Montreal, Quebec Posts: 8	Re: feeding zoom h4n into the 5D (attenuator) I have the 5D Mark III & the H4 Zoom: if i use the Sescom cable to connec the two then plug a wireless mic into the H4 on one channel and use the general mic of the H4 on the other channel. will have the sound be seperated in the audio tracks of the 5D. stef./.\

February 2nd, 2013, 11:19 PM	#20
Maurice Covington Major Player Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Plainfield, Illinois Posts: 236	Re: feeding zoom h4n into the 5D (attenuator) Stefan, I'm not sure if I understand your post. Are you asking a question or are you offering information. Like you, I have both the H4n and the Mark III but I don't choose to use the Sescom cable. Like one of the earlier posters, I use an XLR to headphone cable and go straight into the camera in that manner. It is interesting though, that you can possibly record on two channels, one being wireless and if I understand your post, the other being run from the camera.

February 3rd, 2013, 05:02 PM	#21
Stefan Verna New Boot Join Date: May 2008 Location: Montreal, Quebec Posts: 8	Re: feeding zoom h4n into the 5D (attenuator) Maurice, It was a question. i want to use the ambient sound from the 90o mic of the Zoom and the wireless sound to end up as seperate tracks on the 5D mark3. This way i would avoid having to sync. I don't want to use the sound from the camera. You are saying that i can use a regular XLR to minijack cable to connect the h4n to the mark 3 and i will get no hiss? Does that make the Sescom useless then? stef./.\

February 6th, 2013, 09:59 AM	#22
Shannon Rawls Major Player Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Los Angeles, California Posts: 853	Re: feeding zoom h4n into the 5D (attenuator) Stefan, No you cannot do that. The H4 must be in 4ch mode to record its 90° mics AND a wireless mic fed to it. The ouput of the H4 is only 2ch, so it will feed a full mix of all 4 channels to the output. 1&3 = left output 2&4 = right output Sorry, you cannot get what you're looking for because the builtin 90° mic will be mixed in with your wireless mic. __________________ Shannon W. Rawls ~ Motion Picture Producer & huge advocate of Digital Acquisition.

February 9th, 2013, 04:31 PM	#23
Stefan Verna New Boot Join Date: May 2008 Location: Montreal, Quebec Posts: 8	Re: feeding zoom h4n into the 5D (attenuator) Thank you Shannon for the info. I spoke at length to a fellow filmmaker who owns both the H4N & the Mark 3 and he told me the only way to have seperate channels into the camera is to plug a shotgun mic in one XLR jack & the wireless in the other XLR and the signal will be seperate on the 5D. He's done it and it works. i'm curious to try it to see for myself. stef./.\