Sennheiser G2/G3 or Audio-Technica ATW-182X

Vincent Rozenberg · May 7th, 2010, 11:53 AM

Hi Floris! As a fellow dutch guy, I'm curious where you bought the Audio Technica set? Oh and by the way, the COS-11's are a very good choice.

Floris van Eck · May 8th, 2010, 01:05 PM

Hi Vincent, good to meet a fellow Dutchie here!

I bought it from the UK, but you can buy it in The Netherlands as well. I will send you a DM as advertising is not allowed here (only DVinfo.net sponsors are allowed).

Cheers!

Floris van Eck · May 15th, 2010, 05:51 PM

I have a few questions to fellow owners of the ATW-1821:

1) Which gain setting do you use on the transmitter (or what setting in which situation)?
2) How do you set the level on the receiver?
Do you set the receiver high and the camera low or vice versa?
3) Do you use RF power low, medium or high? What is the reach of these things?

I did some tests tonight and I am really satisfied with the audio quality. They sound great, and having one receiver for two transmitters is very comfortable. I also like the build quality of the receiver, and it fits nicely onto my Canon XL-H1 Anton Bauer mount. I only think the transmitters should have been metal as well.

Don Bloom · May 16th, 2010, 06:58 AM

Hi Floris,
Generally for people speaking I use the 0 gain on the transmitters since most people are not professional speakers and really don't know how to speak into a mic. However keep in mind that it also depends on which microphone you use. Some are more sensitive than others so you might need to play around a bit but IMO 0db is as good a starting place as any.

To set the level on the receiver, on the bottom of the receiver there are 2 small "button" type "wheels". They have a small mark on them and turn left (lower) to right (higher). While it is not as precise as one might hope you can adjust the incoming levels by simply turning the wheel of the mic you want to adjust. By and large I have mine in the 2 o'clock position and pretty much leave them there.

As for setting it on the camera well my receiver is not on the camera. If I'm on the tripod I have a small bracket I made that fit's at pan arm level and I hook the belt clip of the receiver pouch on that which puts the antennas about top of camera height. On my DVMultirig, the receiver is attached on the back of the rig so the antennas are a bit lower. If I'm on a monopod or handholding I use a 4 foot patch cable and hook the receiver on my belt. I know it's not the "proper" position but I haven't had any trouble by using the system in those ways. Obviously the best thing is is to keep the receiver higher so the antenna can "grab the signal" better but again I haven't had any trouble sine I've been using the unit which is over 2 years.
Again depending on the distance and surroundings I usually set the transmitters to RF low. I found the reach to be about 100 feet in most cases. RF high is about 250 to 300 feet BUT keep in mind this will depend a lot on whats around you. For instance in a hotel which has lots of steel, electrical wiring and loads of people walking around with cell phones and Blackberrys I might consider using RF High whereas in a church out in the suburban area (like I was in yesterday) with very little steel, light electrical load and the "normal" number of cell phones plus an average aisle of about 75 feet, I used RF low. Typically thats what I use.
Anyway, you gotta play with the unit. Mic someone up plug the unit into the camera record, remember you can record over it if you're using tape, and try the various settings to see what they do and which might be best for you as a starting point.
HTHs

May 16th, 2010, 06:58 AM	#19
Don Bloom Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 6,609	Hi Floris, Generally for people speaking I use the 0 gain on the transmitters since most people are not professional speakers and really don't know how to speak into a mic. However keep in mind that it also depends on which microphone you use. Some are more sensitive than others so you might need to play around a bit but IMO 0db is as good a starting place as any. To set the level on the receiver, on the bottom of the receiver there are 2 small "button" type "wheels". They have a small mark on them and turn left (lower) to right (higher). While it is not as precise as one might hope you can adjust the incoming levels by simply turning the wheel of the mic you want to adjust. By and large I have mine in the 2 o'clock position and pretty much leave them there. As for setting it on the camera well my receiver is not on the camera. If I'm on the tripod I have a small bracket I made that fit's at pan arm level and I hook the belt clip of the receiver pouch on that which puts the antennas about top of camera height. On my DVMultirig, the receiver is attached on the back of the rig so the antennas are a bit lower. If I'm on a monopod or handholding I use a 4 foot patch cable and hook the receiver on my belt. I know it's not the "proper" position but I haven't had any trouble by using the system in those ways. Obviously the best thing is is to keep the receiver higher so the antenna can "grab the signal" better but again I haven't had any trouble sine I've been using the unit which is over 2 years. Again depending on the distance and surroundings I usually set the transmitters to RF low. I found the reach to be about 100 feet in most cases. RF high is about 250 to 300 feet BUT keep in mind this will depend a lot on whats around you. For instance in a hotel which has lots of steel, electrical wiring and loads of people walking around with cell phones and Blackberrys I might consider using RF High whereas in a church out in the suburban area (like I was in yesterday) with very little steel, light electrical load and the "normal" number of cell phones plus an average aisle of about 75 feet, I used RF low. Typically thats what I use. Anyway, you gotta play with the unit. Mic someone up plug the unit into the camera record, remember you can record over it if you're using tape, and try the various settings to see what they do and which might be best for you as a starting point. HTHs __________________ What do I know? I'm just a video-O-grafer. Don

May 7th, 2010, 11:53 AM	#16
Vincent Rozenberg Major Player Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Rotterdam, The Netherlands Posts: 475	Hi Floris! As a fellow dutch guy, I'm curious where you bought the Audio Technica set? Oh and by the way, the COS-11's are a very good choice.

May 8th, 2010, 01:05 PM	#17
Floris van Eck Major Player Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 993	Hi Vincent, good to meet a fellow Dutchie here! I bought it from the UK, but you can buy it in The Netherlands as well. I will send you a DM as advertising is not allowed here (only DVinfo.net sponsors are allowed). Cheers!

May 15th, 2010, 05:51 PM	#18
Floris van Eck Major Player Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 993	I have a few questions to fellow owners of the ATW-1821: 1) Which gain setting do you use on the transmitter (or what setting in which situation)? 2) How do you set the level on the receiver? Do you set the receiver high and the camera low or vice versa? 3) Do you use RF power low, medium or high? What is the reach of these things? I did some tests tonight and I am really satisfied with the audio quality. They sound great, and having one receiver for two transmitters is very comfortable. I also like the build quality of the receiver, and it fits nicely onto my Canon XL-H1 Anton Bauer mount. I only think the transmitters should have been metal as well.