2 mono inputs to left/right stereo channels?
 

What I'd like to do is have two microphones, connected to an adapter, connected to a camera that can record stereo. I'd have one microphone record only on the left channel, and the other record only on the right channel.

Any way to do this?

I would have to ask first, what type of camera, and second what mics are you using?

Most of the cameras I work with have L and R inputs. One mic would go into the Left, the other the Right. Set your levels and go.

Does your camera not have a Left and Right input? What type of adapter is needed?

Wayne

The camera is a Canon HV20, with a single stereo 1/8" input. I'd like to record a shotgun mic on the left channel and a lav mic on the right channel and just take whichever channel sounds better. (For example, if the shotgun picks up a car's engine in the background or the lav mic picks up some interference from traffic, I can get the other audio recording.) All my recording devices are mono so I'm not missing out on anything.

-- Brian

Check into the adapter boxes from Beachtek

Bit out of my price range. What about a 4-channel stereo mixer. Most of them are XLR or RCA inputs only, but perhaps I could use adapters for my 1/8" equipment.

Do your mics require phantom power?

Don't believe so. I'm using the ATR-55 shotgun and the AT-35 lav. Both use AA batteries.

I'm using the ATR-55 shotgun and the AT-35 lav
Both are condenser mic's, neither allow for phantom.

Yes. If you were trying to mix the two mic signals together using just plug adapters it probably wouldn't work too well. But since you'll be keeping the mic signals separate you can do it.

The next hurdle is that they really need to have close to the same output levels, unless the HV20 has separate left and right gain control. The ATR55 and AT35 do have about the same output with the ATR55 in "normal" mode. But I'm curious--does the HV20 have separate right and left gain?

If a Beach is out of your budget how could any 4 input stereo mixer worth having be in it? (Of course the arrangement you describe only needs 2 inputs, not 4, but the same comment applies.) Yes, you could certainly use a mixer that outputs a mic level signal (or pad down a line level output to mic level with in-line attenuators) and a "Y" cable to send the mixer's left channel output to the tip of a 1/8" stereo plug and its right channel to the ring. Mixer input 1 would be hard panned left and input 2 hard panned right. All in all probably would cost a bit more than the Beachtek. The Beach would be more convenient (no power source to worry about, small size), the mixer more flexible and with better control, take your pick.

See, "worth having" is subjective.

I'll keep the beach in mind as an option.

I was thinking that something like this, despite it's non-portability, might do the job:

Amazon.com

(Maybe there needs to be a consumer-gear oriented forum...)

Hey Brian forgot to mention, I included a 1/8" Y cable with the AT35s lavs you bought from me. That cable allows you to plug in an ATR55 and an AT35 lav into your HV20 at the same time. It's not as good as a Beachtek or mixer but it might be good enough for what you want to do.

It would certainly work for some shoots, as would similar priced mixers from Behringer. My comment was not intended to be a sneer at consumer gear but rather a belief that $200 spent on something that does the job right is actually cheaper than $100 spent on something that's a kludge that only does it half-way. Over many years of dealing with technology products, buying cheap has always ended up costing me at least double what I would have spent if I'd bitten the bullet and bought the right stuff from the outset. In previous posts you've mentioned you were working on a feature and a large part of your budget was for airfare and accomodation. Do you want to risk throwing all that money down the drain by taking along a gear kit that's marginal and risk it letting you down when it counts, leaving you with either substandard material or even nothing at all in the can that's usable for your film when you return home? If it's a recreational trip and making a film about it seems like a fun thing to do but is not the real reason for going, then fine. But if the purpose of the trip is to make a movie, make sure you go prepared with what you need to insure you actually come home with a movie. IMHO, you need gear that you can count on to work 'to spec' 100% of the time yet lets you completely forget about the mechanics of its setup and operation so you can concentrate on the important business of filmmaking. Unfortunately it's rare to find that down at the very bottom of the budget barrel (and too often you don't find it even on more expensive gear in the consumer market). A Beach screwed to the bottom of your camera or a Sign Video adapter clipped to your belt will do the job while a cheap mixer might let you down in a crunch.

I don't turn up my nose at bargain gear like on your link - In fact I almost bought a very similar Behringer mixer myself just a few months ago because it looked like I'd need a mixer for a classroom demo in a course I was teaching some teachers on PC audio/video techniques and I didn't want to lug in my larger Mackie desk. But weighting in at 6 pounds and always being tied to a source of AC power is going to seriously limit what you are able to shoot (unless you have a bodacious extension cord collection). Don't forget to add to the price the cost of a couple of inline attenuators to add on the output side to drop the line level output of the mixer down to the proper mic level input for input to the camera. While you can roll your own if you're handy with a soldering iron, off the shelf pads (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...e_Adapter.html) are about $35 and you'll need 2 of them, one for each channel. You'll also need some adapters since the mixer outputs are on TRS connectors, not the XLR of the pads. Once you add everything up - mixer, pads, cables - you're back up pretty close to the cost of the Beach and you still have the AC power issue to contend with when you get on location.

Brian:

I'm teaching a course in Bastrop in a couple of weeks on on-location recording. It might be good for you to come on out. Check the upstart website for more information, or send me a message (I don't know if links to other sites are frowned upon here).

Wayne

Oh, awesome. Though, won't it just mix the two together, recording both inputs on both channels?