Hey, so i just got a Sony HVR-A1U and i got a Sennheiser M66 mic with a boom pole and a kit for it.

However, i don't think i know what i am doing with XLR box and i have the one shotgun mic into input 1 and the sennheiser into input 2. I spoke right into the sennheiser and the audio levels did not come up high at all.( yes, it was on) If someone could tell me what to set my xlr box at and help me get the audio right.

Thanks a lot

First of all you have to be a lot more specific about your setup than just saying you're connecting mics to an "XLR box." Are you referring to the Sony XLR adapter or and external XLR box like a Beachtek?

the XLR box supplied by Sony

Have you turned on phantom power? Are you using a battery in the ME66? Is the battery known to be good?

Are you in manual or automatic gain control? If manual, what is your gain setting?

i am in automatic gain and am using a battery in the me66

Perhaps the battery is good. Perhaps it is bad. Perhaps it is in backwards.

You might try phantom power as well.

Probably worth trying in manual gain too.

I have a Sony HVR-A!U and I HATE how it handles audio configuration. That is one of the penalties we pay for having a camera that takes great video but comes in a small package.

Carefully study the positions each switch is in against the labeling for the given switch. The box allows you to input either one mic piped into both channels or two indepent mics for each channel. Presumably you are intending to supply only a single mic input so make sure that you have selected that configuration. I don't have the camera in front of me but I believe you will want to plug the mic into INPUT 1 and then set the switches to pipe that channel into channels 1 and 2.

Verify that you have in fact plugged your mic into INPUT 1.

I assume you are using the mic that came with the camera. It uses phantom power so make sure your settings on the box match.

Set the mode switch to mic and not line.

Probably the easiest way to verify the audio is coming in properly is to wear headphones. The VU meters are awkward to display.