no i didnt, i just went with -20

On the mix pre, the boom is fed to ch.1, phantom is on and 80khz roll off is also on. The linked feature is on.

On the Mix pre's outputs are two xlr wires fed into the camera's line inputs. On the HVX200'S menu i have one channel set to input 1 and the other to input two.

Assuming that linked means the single input is fed to both outputs, try setting one of your cameras gain controls to produce -20 on the osc tone and the other to read -12. Repeat your test and see if you don't like the -12 channel. In interview dialogue the -12 is usually fine. In a less controlled setting the -20 is insurance for loud noises. I know the limiters will prevent clipping but the end result is better when there is no compression or limiting, so the -20 can be a lifesaver.

im gonna be doing this for some short films, my understanding is that -20 is the standard for that. Im also keen on this level in order to give me some headroom to work with, say when an actor has a quiet line then suddenly yells.

Cool... still. if it is single mic, why not give yourself some latitude, and record it -20 on one track and -12 on another?

I guess its because from my tests doing -12 and -20 at seperate times, i found -20 more suitable. I never did both at the same time. I guess it might cause confusion from the sound editing point of view, just the mentality of pick one and go with it.

when i did the tests at -12, i found that most of the waveform had flat tops and the effect of limiting was constantly there, just not much room to work with.

But with -20, i did one final test, it was more at the 3 o'clock position instead of 2. I got some nice waveforms out of it but of course mic placement and getting away from the fridge helped a lot. In post, i applied subtle noise reduction, compression, deessing and then a limiter on the master. I played it back on my 52 inch HD with all the sound enhancment off, it sounds really clean, im finally happy.

I love your suggestion, i just found one level more simple, i guess we go with what works.
But of course thanks for all your help

That answers my question and if you are happy, I'm happy. Your position makes a lot of sense. Happy recording. Glad I was of some assistance.

Hey chris, i did this with a boom directly into the camera, i got the mix pre as you know for the better preamps but for on camera dialogue, i think this actually was good
YouTube - Mr. Big gets Jacked

Your edits and cut points were nicely done. I liked the piece and you are right for a single mic, that wasn't at all bad.

There was a little room echo, but you will get that using a shotgun or even an omni in a room setting. In a highly reflective room you will probably get it with ANY boomed mic.

Start thinking about lavs in the kind of setting you had. You will find that Sound calls for varying approaches... no one note samba works in all cases here.

I really liked the piece. You have talent. The sound was more than just acceptable...maybe as good as you can get using a boomed mic in that situation, but as you will find, you will and can do better.

Again I really enjoyed the piece. Nicely shot and edited and acted. Thanks for sharing it.

your input is very encouraging chris. The 416 was used in that piece. Im also thinking of using two mics next time, one hidden lav to one channel and the boom to the other. I purchased the sony ecm-88b and im probably gonna invest in the transmitter for it.
I also just wanted to know how good ADR really is and i found it amazing. I always wondered how in movies how sound is up close and personal so i wanted to see if i can duplicate it

i suppose it all depends on budget and time and proper acoustics. I did a an ADR test with the 416 in my living room then did some sound surgery in post, i was amazed how crisp it sounded. Im thinking in investing in this portabooth i seen advertised or maybe building a sound studio in one of my rooms downstairs. As you know sound is half the story and im willing to invest as much as i can to get the best sound.