VX2000 Mic jack question at DVinfo.net

Garret Ambrosio · March 28th, 2003, 08:30 PM

Is the external mic jack on the VX2000 a mono female plug or is it a stereo (bipole) female plug? I heard nasty things and bad days can happen is you try to plug a mono mic into a stereo jack and vice versa.

Mike Rehmus · March 28th, 2003, 11:28 PM

It is stereo and I watched a fellow fail to get a Sennheiser MKE-300 (mono plug) to work on his 2000 just this evening at a film shoot in Fairfield.

Garret Ambrosio · March 30th, 2003, 10:59 PM

Mike Radio Shack has a 1/8" mono to 1/8" stereo jack, woudl this do the trick or will you get noise?

Mike Rehmus · March 31st, 2003, 12:55 PM

It should work. But because the adapter sticks out, it is going to stress the socket. I'd prefer to make up an adapter with a right-angle stereo plug and mono socket at the ends of a short cable and then wrap the adapter cable tightly to the VX2000 handle to minimize the strain.

Garret Ambrosio · March 31st, 2003, 06:47 PM

How about getting a XLR to Mini 1/8" Jack and plugging it directly into the camera? Would the signal be balanced or would I need an XLR box?

Mike Rehmus · March 31st, 2003, 07:05 PM

The signal is unbalanced and given the short length of the cable on a MKE-300, it is OK that way. You just connect the signal and shield from the microphone across the balanced inputs of the camera. Works well except in the presence of very strong EMI/RFI.

Joe Gioielli · April 10th, 2003, 07:40 PM

I was playing with the mic today. First I tried a regular el cheapo $50 radio shack mic which I had to attach as folled (I knew this would not work, I just had to try!) mic (+) xlr to 1/4 in mono female (+) 1/4 mono female to 1/4 mono female coupler (+) 1/4 mono male to 1/8 mono male (+) 1/8 mono female to 1/8 stereo male to camera. The results were about what you would expect. Yes I got decent volume but lots of hiss and nastyness.

Should a device such as the xlr adapter sold my beachtek of studio one get the job done with out all the cruddyness.

Also, if I wanted hissy audio on purpose, would my McGyver rig hurt the audio circuits in the vx, or just give me the bad sound I may want?(I like to shoot slap stick comedy skits in the "old movie" mode and the bad audio would be a nice touch.

As I had the old audio box out anyway, I took out the even cheaper Radio Shack electrolet condenser lav mic, ($25) the kind that has the little box with the hearing aid battery and the on off switch. Worked great. Nice stereo sound No hiss or anything. Then I remembered, STEREO IMPUT! STEREO IMPUT! Put on the mono to stereo adapter, worked great. Still, ofcourse, stereo.

I seek enlightment.

Mike Rehmus · April 10th, 2003, 08:48 PM

Never record less than the best audio and video you can. You can always degrade them in post.

I got lost on the tunnel of connectors approach you used. Cheap microphones can work surprisingly well if you connect them correctly. Connect XLR pin 2 to the ring and tip of a stereo miniplug and XLR pin 3 to the sleeve on the stereo miniplug. Should work well unless the microphone is bothered by the presence of +3VDC on the socket. Then a small capacitor is series with one of the two XLR pins will solve the problem.

You really don't need an XLR adapter box unless you need to run cables any distance.

Garret Ambrosio · April 11th, 2003, 11:57 AM

Wow Mike, you are quite the electrician...now if I can get a diagram of which is Tip and which is Ring on the 1/8" TRS plug I think I can make one of these with confidence.

Mike Rehmus · April 13th, 2003, 07:10 PM

Tip, Ring, and Sleeve are easy to ID from the inside of the plug. An Ohmmeter really helps but you can tell easily. The rear-most solder tab is connected in the center of the insulator and is the tip. The ring is the next connection and the sleeve is always the outside connector.

If you buy your connectors from ZakKit, they will show you which ones.

Bryan Beasleigh · April 13th, 2003, 10:16 PM

Ya gotta have the eyes of an eagle and a third hand (vise)helps a herd. And stay away from the single malt.
Seriously though, I gave up trying to make my own as I couldn't find any decent 1/8 stereo molded 90 degree plugs . Beware of the radio shack 1/8 stereo. they are heavy and the tolerance is always what it should be.

The Hosatech's are cheap and the filter capacitor can still be added after the fact.It actually works out cheaper than buying the components. All you have to do is unscrew the XLR rear cap and solder the capacitor in place.

http://www.hosatech.com/audio_cables_index_3.html

A one foot cable is $9.50 at B&H.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bh2.sph/FrameWork.class?FNC=ProductActivator__Aproductlist_html___158476___HOSMMRAXF1___REG___CatID=0___SID= F4C18880000

March 28th, 2003, 08:30 PM	#1
Garret Ambrosio Major Player Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Vallejo, CA Posts: 263	VX2000 Mic jack question Is the external mic jack on the VX2000 a mono female plug or is it a stereo (bipole) female plug? I heard nasty things and bad days can happen is you try to plug a mono mic into a stereo jack and vice versa. __________________ "USA Today has come out with a new survey - apparently, three out of every four people make up 75% of the population." -David Letterman

March 28th, 2003, 11:28 PM	#2
Mike Rehmus Wrangler Join Date: May 2002 Location: Vallejo, California Posts: 4,049	It is stereo and I watched a fellow fail to get a Sennheiser MKE-300 (mono plug) to work on his 2000 just this evening at a film shoot in Fairfield. __________________ Mike Rehmus Hey, I can see the carrot at the end of the tunnel!

March 30th, 2003, 10:59 PM	#3
Garret Ambrosio Major Player Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Vallejo, CA Posts: 263	Mike Radio Shack has a 1/8" mono to 1/8" stereo jack, woudl this do the trick or will you get noise? __________________ "USA Today has come out with a new survey - apparently, three out of every four people make up 75% of the population." -David Letterman

March 31st, 2003, 12:55 PM	#4
Mike Rehmus Wrangler Join Date: May 2002 Location: Vallejo, California Posts: 4,049	It should work. But because the adapter sticks out, it is going to stress the socket. I'd prefer to make up an adapter with a right-angle stereo plug and mono socket at the ends of a short cable and then wrap the adapter cable tightly to the VX2000 handle to minimize the strain. __________________ Mike Rehmus Hey, I can see the carrot at the end of the tunnel!

March 31st, 2003, 06:47 PM	#5
Garret Ambrosio Major Player Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Vallejo, CA Posts: 263	How about getting a XLR to Mini 1/8" Jack and plugging it directly into the camera? Would the signal be balanced or would I need an XLR box? __________________ "USA Today has come out with a new survey - apparently, three out of every four people make up 75% of the population." -David Letterman

March 31st, 2003, 07:05 PM	#6
Mike Rehmus Wrangler Join Date: May 2002 Location: Vallejo, California Posts: 4,049	The signal is unbalanced and given the short length of the cable on a MKE-300, it is OK that way. You just connect the signal and shield from the microphone across the balanced inputs of the camera. Works well except in the presence of very strong EMI/RFI. __________________ Mike Rehmus Hey, I can see the carrot at the end of the tunnel!

April 10th, 2003, 07:40 PM	#7
Joe Gioielli Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: New Port Richey, Fl Posts: 142	Going through the same problem I was playing with the mic today. First I tried a regular el cheapo $50 radio shack mic which I had to attach as folled (I knew this would not work, I just had to try!) mic (+) xlr to 1/4 in mono female (+) 1/4 mono female to 1/4 mono female coupler (+) 1/4 mono male to 1/8 mono male (+) 1/8 mono female to 1/8 stereo male to camera. The results were about what you would expect. Yes I got decent volume but lots of hiss and nastyness. Should a device such as the xlr adapter sold my beachtek of studio one get the job done with out all the cruddyness. Also, if I wanted hissy audio on purpose, would my McGyver rig hurt the audio circuits in the vx, or just give me the bad sound I may want?(I like to shoot slap stick comedy skits in the "old movie" mode and the bad audio would be a nice touch. As I had the old audio box out anyway, I took out the even cheaper Radio Shack electrolet condenser lav mic, ($25) the kind that has the little box with the hearing aid battery and the on off switch. Worked great. Nice stereo sound No hiss or anything. Then I remembered, STEREO IMPUT! STEREO IMPUT! Put on the mono to stereo adapter, worked great. Still, ofcourse, stereo. I seek enlightment. __________________ Why ask me? I thought you were in charge!

April 10th, 2003, 08:48 PM	#8
Mike Rehmus Wrangler Join Date: May 2002 Location: Vallejo, California Posts: 4,049	Never record less than the best audio and video you can. You can always degrade them in post. I got lost on the tunnel of connectors approach you used. Cheap microphones can work surprisingly well if you connect them correctly. Connect XLR pin 2 to the ring and tip of a stereo miniplug and XLR pin 3 to the sleeve on the stereo miniplug. Should work well unless the microphone is bothered by the presence of +3VDC on the socket. Then a small capacitor is series with one of the two XLR pins will solve the problem. You really don't need an XLR adapter box unless you need to run cables any distance. __________________ Mike Rehmus Hey, I can see the carrot at the end of the tunnel!

April 11th, 2003, 11:57 AM	#9
Garret Ambrosio Major Player Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Vallejo, CA Posts: 263	Wow Mike, you are quite the electrician...now if I can get a diagram of which is Tip and which is Ring on the 1/8" TRS plug I think I can make one of these with confidence. __________________ "USA Today has come out with a new survey - apparently, three out of every four people make up 75% of the population." -David Letterman

April 13th, 2003, 07:10 PM	#10
Mike Rehmus Wrangler Join Date: May 2002 Location: Vallejo, California Posts: 4,049	Tip, Ring, and Sleeve are easy to ID from the inside of the plug. An Ohmmeter really helps but you can tell easily. The rear-most solder tab is connected in the center of the insulator and is the tip. The ring is the next connection and the sleeve is always the outside connector. If you buy your connectors from ZakKit, they will show you which ones. __________________ Mike Rehmus Hey, I can see the carrot at the end of the tunnel!

April 13th, 2003, 10:16 PM	#11
Bryan Beasleigh Trustee Join Date: May 2002 Location: Barrie, Ontario, Canada Posts: 1,922	Ya gotta have the eyes of an eagle and a third hand (vise)helps a herd. And stay away from the single malt. Seriously though, I gave up trying to make my own as I couldn't find any decent 1/8 stereo molded 90 degree plugs . Beware of the radio shack 1/8 stereo. they are heavy and the tolerance is always what it should be. The Hosatech's are cheap and the filter capacitor can still be added after the fact.It actually works out cheaper than buying the components. All you have to do is unscrew the XLR rear cap and solder the capacitor in place. http://www.hosatech.com/audio_cables_index_3.html A one foot cable is $9.50 at B&H. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bh2.sph/FrameWork.class?FNC=ProductActivator__Aproductlist_html___158476___HOSMMRAXF1___REG___CatID=0___SID= F4C18880000