XL audio set up
 

Can you use the supplied xl1 shotgun mic and an external mic in 16 bit mode simultaneously.


I dont fancy buying a new shotgun mic.


Cheers Steve

Note; the stock XL1 series mic is not shotgun, it is stereo with a nominally cardoid pickup pattern.

To use it with another mic in 16-bit mode you would have to find or fabricate a special adapter cable to feed the stock mic ouput to one channel and provide power to it while feeding the external mic to the other channel. Also, it woud help if the external mic was reasonably matched to the stock mic in terms of output level. Not difficult but not a lot of people have done it.

Sound possible then.

I have you any more info on how to make this adapter. Or more details of the process.


Thanks Steve

What kind of exsternal mic do you plan to use - shotgun with balanced (XLR) output or one with unbalanced output, such as the MKE-300??

Do you want to connect to the mic input jack or the Audio1 inputs?

Do you have an XLR adapter already, such as the MA-100 or Beachtek or Studio One?

Well ive got sennheiser 416, with SQN and radio link.

So i wanted to some how combine that and just use the Xl1 front mic as back up.


So 16 bit Left for one Right for the other.

and sorry i havent got XLR adapter yet, because im unsure of a few issus's

such as phantom power, or if i even need 1.

The MKH-416 reqiures phantom power, not available from the XL1 or the Canon MA-100 adapter. This adds a level of complexity, and I do not have any info on your "SQN and radio link" to determine whether or not they solve some of the related issues.

At this point I am thinking that the project is probably a bit more complex than we can easily discuss through this forum. It migh be best to contact a good audio technician near you for help.

Ok, thanks for your help.

I am going to try a re-wire and it that fails buy a new XLR adapter with phantom power and a new shootgun mic for the front of the camera.

Cheers steve

An altenative is to consider a shotgun that can operate with battery power as well as phantom power (e.g., ME66, AT-897). The main advantage to phantom power for many of these mics is that it provides more head room (i.e., accpepts louder sound before distortion).

Note that on the XL1 the audio level controls on the Audio1 input (and in the 16-bit mode) are coupled - there is a level control taht controls both channels and a balance control. As I recall, the AGC mode effects both channels. This can make managing levels on two mics a bit tricky.

Beachtek offers an XLR adapter that can furnish phantom power. It might provide a basis on which to build your adapter and help address the controls point I mentioned above. If you have a battery powered mic then Sign Video and Studio 1 Productions offer adapters that should work as well.

Working canon xl1 sound set up
 

I have made cables that work to use to the canon supplied mic and another mic in 16 bit mode, through the rca jacks.

I had trouble at first to get the sound balance because i have had to use mic mode instead of line mode, however balancing the exturnal mic through my SQN has doen the trick.

i will put some photos the forum soon to show the set-up, just incase anyone else wants to do the same thing.