Bamboozled in the UK with Canon XH A1 wedding audio

Richard Gooderick · September 15th, 2008, 07:23 AM

Because of this thread I have bought an MZ-R900 too :-)

Peter Dunphy · September 15th, 2008, 10:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom Hardwick

I had some on the workshop shelf. Better yet is to mount the mic in the Rode elasticated isolation unit. Quite cheap - I think about £25

Excellent I'll check it out thanks :o)

EDIT: Are you referring to a Rode Shock Mount? If so, it seems tricky, from the Rode official website, to know whether they are compatible with the Sennheiser mic.

I found this one : Rode NTSM3 but not sure if it's compatible

http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/shop/f...roduct_id/8579

Will keep researching :o)

Peter Dunphy · September 15th, 2008, 10:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richard Gooderick

Because of this thread I have bought an MZ-R900 too :-)

Happy days! The automatic volume limiter is really good. I've yelled and clapped into my mic at the top of my voice and it doesn't distort :o)

'Frog Party' was very good Richard!

Richard Gooderick · September 15th, 2008, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter Dunphy

'Frog Party' was very good Richard!

Thank you so much Peter. After 6 months I'm amazed that people are still watching it.

Peter Dunphy · September 15th, 2008, 06:41 PM

After a lot of hunting I decided on (non-rechargeable) Duracell Plus Battery Alkaline 1.5V AA (12 pack) for my Sennheiser LAVs. I chose these because these were the same battery type that came with the LAVs. However, I would like to buy suitable rechargeable batteries, and a relevant charger. I've been on some sites such as 'battery review' but I've ended up more confused. Any tips or suggestions for batteries anyone please?

Tom Hardwick · September 16th, 2008, 12:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter Dunphy

I found this one : Rode NTSM3 but not sure if it's compatible

Rode NTSM3 | Dolphin Music

Will keep researching :o)

That's the one Peter. I see it has a conventional shoe but it'd be neat if it had a tripod thread in it as well to fit directly to the little Jessops tripod.

Peter Dunphy · September 16th, 2008, 04:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom Hardwick

That's the one Peter. I see it has a conventional shoe but it'd be neat if it had a tripod thread in it as well to fit directly to the little Jessops tripod.

Hmm definitely, would definitely need a connection to the Jessops tripod. In looking at the shock mount in more detail it states :

"A Three Way Mounting System With 1/4”x 20 And 3/8" 16 Internal Threads For Boom Pole Or Tripod Mounting And A Standard Hot Shoe Adaptor For Direct Camera Mounting.

**Distance Between Suspension Bands: 2.25""

Not sure if that means there's a chance it might be compatible with the Jessops tripod or not. If definitely unsuitable, perhaps there's a little adaptor I could place between the Jessops tripod and the shock mount? Will keep searching :o)

Tom Hardwick · September 16th, 2008, 04:59 AM

It's compatible with the Jessops tripod.

t

Peter Dunphy · September 16th, 2008, 05:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom Hardwick

It's compatible with the Jessops tripod.

t

Excellent thanks! Ordered one and all :o)

Peter Dunphy · September 16th, 2008, 09:20 AM

Started using my XH-A1 for the first time today and my God it's a dream! Early days but in particular I love the 'peaking' function to aid focusing. I'd like to have this on all the time - don't know if will run down the battery any quicker though! :o/

Peter Dunphy · September 16th, 2008, 03:09 PM

Hi,

I'm truly appreciate any suggestions about the following audio dilemma of mine.

Gearing up for my first wedding video on the 22nd (voluntary, unpaid, for my uncle who wasn't going to get a wedding video done) and I went to the rehearsal today, and now I'm having a mild panic having seen what sound coverage I will need.

Today I checked out the Church where I'm filming and discovered the priest is already wearing a radio-mic, and will be walking about lots speaking and singing. There is also a mic at the 'lecturn' from where the readers speak but I forgot to ask whether it is also wireless.

I bought the 'SENNHEISER EW112P EVOLUTION WIRELESS G2 KIT' and the 'SENNHEISER EW 100-ENG G2' and am to start testing them tonight with my XHA1 (am already wondering how on earth I will attach both receivers to the camera as I want the output of my two transmitters to go into each of the relevant receivers attached to the XLR sockets on the camera - one lav per audio channel!)

I checked the priest's 'receiver' at the back of the church and discovered two Sennheiser 'Diversity Receiver EW100' boxes on top of each other. Below them is a much bigger Sennheiser EM 1031-U 'True Diversity Receiver' which looks much more elaborate.

Ideally, I would love to be able to use my wireless lavs as I had planned, but does anyone here think there would be any danger whatsoever of my wireless mics disrupting the church's own mics? How might I ensure they are all definitely on totally different frequencies?

Failing this, I'm wondering if anyone here has any experience of attaching the Sennheiser plug-in (from the 'SENNHEISER EW 100-ENG G2' setup) to the Sennheiser Diversity Receivers I've previously mentioned?

I want to be 100% sure of what I'm doing before I tamper with the church's own receivers, for fear of screwing up their own wireless system and not being able to perform the wedding properly!

If there are any extra cables/adaptors I might need to attach my plug-in to the church's Diversity Receivers I'd really appreciate any suggestions. What sockets might I need to look out for to plug them into?

I've informed the church guy that I will turn up 2 hours before the wedding to practice, and ideally either set up my own wireless mics (that hopefully won't conflict with the church's mics) or else get a feed directly from the church's Diversity Receiver, using my plug-in transmitter to send the signal directly to my receiver on my camera.

The speakers in the church were up way-high near the roof, so I am not able even to have a lav attached to a speaker, or even sitting near one.

My audio kit is:

'SENNHEISER EW112P EVOLUTION WIRELESS G2 KIT'

'SENNHEISER EW 100-ENG G2'

Sony MZ-R900 Minidisc with MKE300 Sennheiser Mic

XHA1 internal mic

Any suggestions about what I might do to get usable sound in this already radio-mic'ed church would be really appreciated!

Peter

Richard Gooderick · September 16th, 2008, 03:29 PM

Hi Peter
I can't give you any advice on the wireless set-up in the church.
But if you haven't see it already I recommend watching this G2 video by DV info member Guy Cochran:
DV Gear Talk

Tom Hardwick · September 16th, 2008, 03:35 PM

Calm down, all will be well.
First, make sure your XH-A1 works well with your two radio mics tured on. Easy to test.

Now go along to the church and get them to turn on their sound system, including any radio mics that will be used during the service. Turn on your radio mics as well, don headphones and get someone to test the mics.

If you're clashing frequencies you'll know all about it as the church's speakers will tell you. You'll then have to change the frequency of one of your mics and its matching receiver - making sure it's different from your other mic of course.

tom.

Peter Dunphy · September 16th, 2008, 06:45 PM

Thanks Richard and Tom that's really helpful. I guess there are loads of frequencies available aren't there? I'm just nervous that a conflict in frequencies might not be noticed via a sudden 'squeal' until halfway through the vows! :o)

If my 'RF' light on my receiver lights up green, surely that means I have total command of that particular frequency? Or is there a chance that the church could still be using that frequency? I'd love to be able to press a display button or whatever on their receiver boxes and see exactly what frequencies they are using, to put my mind at rest. Unfortunately, I don't don't how to operate their receiver boxes and am petrified of ruining them!

Saw this advice in another post in dvinfo.net forums:

"With the G2, just wait for the church to power up all their micing systems then use the freq search function on the G2 to look for unused freqs. You won't have an interference problem then."

I think I can breathe easier now. Thanks again for your advice guys. No doubt I'll be posting in this thread again soon with some other major dilemma! ;o)

Peter Dunphy · September 24th, 2008, 07:45 AM

Quick Note for whoever might find this helpful:

My XHA1 (in the UK) didn't come with an adaptor in order to plug it in to the mains supply.

The adaptor you will need to buy requires a 5 Amp Fuse (a 1 amp fuse will not be sufficient).

September 15th, 2008, 07:23 AM	#61
Richard Gooderick Major Player Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: London, UK Posts: 795	Because of this thread I have bought an MZ-R900 too :-) __________________ http://www.gooderick.com

September 16th, 2008, 03:09 PM	#71
Peter Dunphy Major Player Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Belfast Northern Ireland Posts: 261	Can anyone help me? Hi, I'm truly appreciate any suggestions about the following audio dilemma of mine. Gearing up for my first wedding video on the 22nd (voluntary, unpaid, for my uncle who wasn't going to get a wedding video done) and I went to the rehearsal today, and now I'm having a mild panic having seen what sound coverage I will need. Today I checked out the Church where I'm filming and discovered the priest is already wearing a radio-mic, and will be walking about lots speaking and singing. There is also a mic at the 'lecturn' from where the readers speak but I forgot to ask whether it is also wireless. I bought the 'SENNHEISER EW112P EVOLUTION WIRELESS G2 KIT' and the 'SENNHEISER EW 100-ENG G2' and am to start testing them tonight with my XHA1 (am already wondering how on earth I will attach both receivers to the camera as I want the output of my two transmitters to go into each of the relevant receivers attached to the XLR sockets on the camera - one lav per audio channel!) I checked the priest's 'receiver' at the back of the church and discovered two Sennheiser 'Diversity Receiver EW100' boxes on top of each other. Below them is a much bigger Sennheiser EM 1031-U 'True Diversity Receiver' which looks much more elaborate. Ideally, I would love to be able to use my wireless lavs as I had planned, but does anyone here think there would be any danger whatsoever of my wireless mics disrupting the church's own mics? How might I ensure they are all definitely on totally different frequencies? Failing this, I'm wondering if anyone here has any experience of attaching the Sennheiser plug-in (from the 'SENNHEISER EW 100-ENG G2' setup) to the Sennheiser Diversity Receivers I've previously mentioned? I want to be 100% sure of what I'm doing before I tamper with the church's own receivers, for fear of screwing up their own wireless system and not being able to perform the wedding properly! If there are any extra cables/adaptors I might need to attach my plug-in to the church's Diversity Receivers I'd really appreciate any suggestions. What sockets might I need to look out for to plug them into? I've informed the church guy that I will turn up 2 hours before the wedding to practice, and ideally either set up my own wireless mics (that hopefully won't conflict with the church's mics) or else get a feed directly from the church's Diversity Receiver, using my plug-in transmitter to send the signal directly to my receiver on my camera. The speakers in the church were up way-high near the roof, so I am not able even to have a lav attached to a speaker, or even sitting near one. My audio kit is: 'SENNHEISER EW112P EVOLUTION WIRELESS G2 KIT' 'SENNHEISER EW 100-ENG G2' Sony MZ-R900 Minidisc with MKE300 Sennheiser Mic XHA1 internal mic Any suggestions about what I might do to get usable sound in this already radio-mic'ed church would be really appreciated! Peter

September 16th, 2008, 03:29 PM	#72
Richard Gooderick Major Player Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: London, UK Posts: 795	Hi Peter I can't give you any advice on the wireless set-up in the church. But if you haven't see it already I recommend watching this G2 video by DV info member Guy Cochran: DV Gear Talk __________________ http://www.gooderick.com

September 16th, 2008, 06:45 PM	#74
Peter Dunphy Major Player Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Belfast Northern Ireland Posts: 261	Thanks Richard and Tom that's really helpful. I guess there are loads of frequencies available aren't there? I'm just nervous that a conflict in frequencies might not be noticed via a sudden 'squeal' until halfway through the vows! :o) If my 'RF' light on my receiver lights up green, surely that means I have total command of that particular frequency? Or is there a chance that the church could still be using that frequency? I'd love to be able to press a display button or whatever on their receiver boxes and see exactly what frequencies they are using, to put my mind at rest. Unfortunately, I don't don't how to operate their receiver boxes and am petrified of ruining them! Saw this advice in another post in dvinfo.net forums: "With the G2, just wait for the church to power up all their micing systems then use the freq search function on the G2 to look for unused freqs. You won't have an interference problem then." I think I can breathe easier now. Thanks again for your advice guys. No doubt I'll be posting in this thread again soon with some other major dilemma! ;o) Last edited by Peter Dunphy; September 16th, 2008 at 08:39 PM.

September 24th, 2008, 07:45 AM	#75
Peter Dunphy Major Player Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Belfast Northern Ireland Posts: 261	Canon XH A1 Charger Adaptor Quick Note for whoever might find this helpful: My XHA1 (in the UK) didn't come with an adaptor in order to plug it in to the mains supply. The adaptor you will need to buy requires a 5 Amp Fuse (a 1 amp fuse will not be sufficient).

September 15th, 2008, 06:41 PM	#65
Peter Dunphy Major Player Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Belfast Northern Ireland Posts: 261	After a lot of hunting I decided on (non-rechargeable) Duracell Plus Battery Alkaline 1.5V AA (12 pack) for my Sennheiser LAVs. I chose these because these were the same battery type that came with the LAVs. However, I would like to buy suitable rechargeable batteries, and a relevant charger. I've been on some sites such as 'battery review' but I've ended up more confused. Any tips or suggestions for batteries anyone please?

September 16th, 2008, 04:59 AM	#68
Tom Hardwick Inner Circle Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Billericay, England UK Posts: 4,711	It's compatible with the Jessops tripod. t

September 16th, 2008, 09:20 AM	#70
Peter Dunphy Major Player Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Belfast Northern Ireland Posts: 261	Started using my XH-A1 for the first time today and my God it's a dream! Early days but in particular I love the 'peaking' function to aid focusing. I'd like to have this on all the time - don't know if will run down the battery any quicker though! :o/

September 16th, 2008, 03:35 PM	#73
Tom Hardwick Inner Circle Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Billericay, England UK Posts: 4,711	Calm down, all will be well. First, make sure your XH-A1 works well with your two radio mics tured on. Easy to test. Now go along to the church and get them to turn on their sound system, including any radio mics that will be used during the service. Turn on your radio mics as well, don headphones and get someone to test the mics. If you're clashing frequencies you'll know all about it as the church's speakers will tell you. You'll then have to change the frequency of one of your mics and its matching receiver - making sure it's different from your other mic of course. tom.