I haven't used FCP. I can't comment, other than doing a test to confirm what's best for you - either way. Recording on both channels? Does it produce better quality? Again I don't know - others can chip in here. - Like I said, I recorded mono and panned to get a pseudo stereo effect - this was in SoFO Video Factory.

Dual audio
 

Why would you want to create more work for yourself later when you could spend 20.00 ONE time and get the result you are looking for on site every time?

MA-300 Question
 

Can somebody tell me, can a MA-300 be used with a GL-1?

Thanks.

Jim!

Good to hear from you. Hope to see you again soon at one of the shows.

The MA300 cannot be used with the GL1, as the MA300 is an Intelligent Accessory Shoe device (it sends audio through the hotshoe on the GL2). Since the GL1 shoe is "cold," that is, it's not wired and therefore not "intelligent," it is incompatible with the MA300.

Hope this helps, and sure hope to see you here more often!

Thanks Chris! Great to hear from "The Master" himself. Hope things are going well for you.

Canon MA-300 VS Beachtek DXA-4p
 

Hey guys/gals,

I just recently bought a GL2 and would like to know if you would recommend the Canon MA 300 or the Beachtek DXA-4p. I plan to use one of these for wedding videography. I am especially concerned about the interview portion with the guest.

The Canon seems to have better features than the Beachtek, but I am concerned about cords getting in the way when they are attached to the cam ( eventually I plan to buy a wireless system, but until then I will have to fight with the cords. Unless someones knows of a decent wireless handheld system for video that cost less than $300) The Beachtek seems to help with this problem by having a belt-clip mounting system.



Can someone please help.


Thank you.

A. Rodgers

Three things...

1) The Canon is not balanced.
2) The Canon does not have phantom power.
3) The Canon is a (relatively) flimsy piece of plastic. An "accident waiting to happen" -- as one reviewer put it.

That said, it works, it's more convenient, it makes the GL2 look kewl, and it's fine for most amateurs like myself (and you, if you have to ask ;-)

It's a toss-up. If you need the most functionality/flexibility, then the Beachtek-type device is the way to go. If you don't, then the Canon MA-300 is not too shabby.

The Azden VHF wireless system work OK most places for wedding work and are modest cost. If you get one, be sure it is one that offers two frequences as a hedge against interference. I've used the WDR-Pro receiver-based system. For interviews you can attach a WXT-pro transmitter to a handheld mic.

Go wireless my Sennheiser 500 combo came withe everything I need to shoot weddings and the sound is awesome. With this mic you don’t need the adapter. I use the Beachtek DXA-6 on my Sony and get great results. During the ceremony I put the lapel mic on the groom and for backup I place a shotgun mic in an inconspicuous place connected to my Sony Cam. (Using the Beachtek) During the reception I take the shotgun and use the Sennheiser plug on transmitter and hand it to the people that I interview. That way even if the DJ is loud you can still hear the interview.

Thanks for your advice. It is greatly appreciated.

More advice is welcomed.

A. Rodgers

I again thank you for your advice.

The final decision came down to the Beachtek, Studio 1 Pro or the Sign Video XLR Pro as a audio adapter for my GL2.


After much research and weighing pros and cons, I decided to buy the Sign Video XLR Pro from B&H. I feel that this adapter is reasonable priced and I like the fact that I have the option of mounting under the cam or using a belt clip.

The mounting under the cam option (wasn't option) is great because my wife is my business partner and usually wears a dress when shooting formal occassions (belt clip won't work.)

Beachtek was under cam only.
Studio Pro 1 was belt clip only.
Sign Video both.

The quality for all three adapters seemed similiar.

I truly appreciate this forum.

Thanks again.

Al

"Y" XLR adaptor for XM2 MA300?
 

I want to plug my Senni ME66 into BOTH XLR channels on the MA300. Yes, yes, yes I know this single track can be copied over in post. But I'm working with a guy that wants to have my work with audio recorded on both channels. I need to keep this simple.

Supplier in the UK - pref in London - yeah?

Grazie

Hello Graham,

Give Simon at Optex a ring.

http://www.optexint.com

- don

Optex New Barnet?
 

Yeah - Thanks Don. I've also a call request with T2 at Uxbridge. Good people - d'yer know 'em?

Grazie

"Y" Spend £60pounds???
 

Just made up my own "Y" splitter with male XLR one end and 2 x female XLRs at other. Works as it should. Auto Audio balanced nicely. Manual Audio allows me to alter each left and right mono independantly.

One company wanted £60GBps - I did it for £9.58!

Now, I wonder on what I can spend the 50 quid I just saved? . . . ( was it ever thus )

Grazie ;-)

Mounting Wireless Receiver
 

I have just purchased the Azden 500UDR system as my wireless mic for my GL2, along with the Canon MA300 adapter. Does anyone have a suggestion where on the camera to mount the wireless receiver? It came with some velcro to use to attach it, but there does not appear to be an obvious location on the camera that would be good. Should I try to mount it on the MA300? Or does someone have another suggestion? Thanks in advance for any help.

Jim

I have the Azden WR model, and it came with an attatchment to mount it to the accesory shoe. Otherwise, I would just plug the reciever into a hard disk recorder, and stash it out of the way.

Keith, I don't have a hard-drive recorder. My MA300 adaptor mounts on the accessory shoe, and while it also provides yet another accessory shoe, I don't find any connection on the receiver to mount it there. Maybe I will just use the velcro and attach it to the MA300.

Thanks,

Jim

attach to the ma300?
 

keep in mind the antenna of the reciever need to be, or should be, in alignment with the transmitter. If the transmitter antenna is vertical, so should the receiver be. I mentioned in an email I had just got my 500 and now I've used it a time or two. I put the velcro on my 5500mAh battery but I don't trust it so I also run gaffer tape around it and onto the each side of my GL2 in areas that still allow me access. not the best of solutions but perfectly workable. Add the beachtek, the wd58 and yikes...it becomes quite the monster. :)

Thanks for the replies. I ended up using the velcro and attaching the receiver to the MA300 and it worked great! I filmed a wedding yesterday - which was outside - and the audio was great! Last night I played with the lapel mic and had a friend walk upstairs in his house and all over on different floors, and the 500UDR receiver picked it all up perfectly. I am very happy with the model I chose. I also think that it was a good choice to mount the receiver on the MA300 adapter, since I will never use the receiver without the adapter. Anyway, thanks for the replies.


Jim

MA-300 question
 

I have an MA-300 which I have used to shot 20+ hours of footage. Sometimes I was bringing two seperate mics into the camera, one on each channel, but there were a lot of times where I only had one mic hooke dup. I have brought a bunch of my footage into my editing program and it seems like when there was only one mic hooked up, the MA-300 sent the audio to both channels. I am not complaining about this, (I'm actually quite happy about it). I am just wondering if this is normal behavior. I could not find anything in the MA-300 documentation that said it would do this.

When I was recording, the meters were only moving for the one channel.


Chief

Not normal behaviour - Oh No!!
 

This is not normal behaviour. I really don't know how you did it! I spent £10 and some time making a Y splitter to get both XLR channels serviced by the single output from the rear of my Senni!! How - In all that is Marconi - did you do it??

Now, if this is a channel fault then you need to do some serious testing. Nothing worse than an untraceable audio leak across the poles - yeah?

Keep us informed . . .

. . . it took me 2 hours, a trip to my local electronics shop, parking meter fees, a lost morning soldering up these XLR connectors, fuel, wear and tear on my car . . . moan . . .moan . . . moan . . . and you did it without knowing how you did it - hah!!

Regards - Grazie

hmm are you sure the sound you're getting isn't from the onboard stereo mic? (which goes to both channels). Perhaps you didn't set proper source from the menu?

I've never been able to get two channels on my MA200 with a mono mic unless I'm using a Y adapter. I'm assuming the MA300 works the same.

I'm sure it was hooke dup right, because I was also outputting a video signal from it thhrough the BNC connector. And according to the dirctions, there is no setting to choose, the MA-300 automatically overrides the built-in mic. Plus, the sound is too good and clean to be from the onboard mic. And like I mentioned, when I was actually recording, the levels display only showed the audio coming in on one track. Very strange indeed. I thought it might have soemthing to do wtih how I captured the footage, but I captured as channel 1 and channel 2 (as opposed to capturing in stereo). Maybe that setting somehow duplicates the audio to the second track?? I don't know why it would though.

Chief

When you play back the footage from the camera, are both channels registering on the level meters?

Just bought my GL2 some Questions
 

Hi!

This board is such a good place to find information, I love it!
I just bought my GL2 about a week ago and have used it once to film some family events, it works wonderfully!

I just had a few questions..

In the future I plan on shooting my aunt's shows..she is a professional singer. She sings songs all around the world, medium sized shows around 500 people.Would the MKE300 be alright for that? I'm only 18 so I'm on a budget too.

And I was wondering if someone who owns the MKE300 or DM-50 could post a picture of their setup.

Next..question

How would I know if me (personally) would benefit from a wide angel lense?

Thanks so much for your time guys!!!

You might want to look at anamorphic lens (16x9), but you say you are on buget and that len$ co$t$.

A better mic will probably help lots. If you can connect to the audio system she is using that would be your best bet. Check out the MA adapter for the GL2.

problem with MA300
 

The MKE300 was not meant to be used with long balanced mic cords if I recall correctly. If, for instance, you wanted to run a 50 foot wired microphone to a stand in front of your aunt, which is a reasonable possibility, you would probably want something else like a beachtek. A shotgun mic still needs to be near the singer so you can't put that canon mic on the camera and sit back in the audience and get professional audio. My suggestion is a beachtek adapter with a good voice mic on a stand with a long wire to the camera for those instances where that works, and a wireless lav for her when you can't run a cord to your camera. Add a minidisc or pro recorder connected to the house audio and you're there.

try a deck if you can afford it
 

Some times a digital deck ewith a boom mic on a stick works great and you get proffessional sound then you match it up with time code on a post production editor. the problem is you need a second person to run the mic and deck. and it cost some $$$$ to to buy but not our of range. You can rent it from a recoding productions company or you acan sign one out at a local colledge like a community type.

I would tell you to get a Ma-300 adapter for the GL2 that has XLR connections then get a good 15 to 20 foot cord that has Xlr and a nice standard mic that fits it. peace your done and the quality of the sound will be nice. itsprobly the cheapest way to recored the sound other than the mic that comes with the mike.

try this link that takes you to what it looks like and how much it cost. this is the lowest i have seen it go for.

http://www.kit-tronics.com/xcart/customer/product.php?productid=2945&cat=111&page=1&XCARTSESSID=9d420ba8a3c9b35a259fd0b306d7dd35

well i hope this will help you out any.

Hi,
A few years ago I was in your situation... I was trying to have some live videos of my band....
and from all the experience we got doing it I wouldn´t mind too much about an external microphone for the GL2 (or any camera)...
I would try to have the sound engineers to record the gig for you.. then match the sound on post...
You could buy a simple consumer minidisc recorder and have some of the sound guys record the sound direct from their output on soundstage to you minidisc (or whatever media they can)...

Back then most of the sound guys only had tape decks.. (we didn´t have any Minidisc) so we recorded our gigs sound on a simple old fashiones TDK SA tape... and it sounded great...

It doesn´t matter what kind of microphone you have... unless your aunt sings "a capella" one Microphone cannot record right the sound of a live concert... maybe you can get some enviroment sounds of the crowd... and a improve a half decent recording of the concert... but the music will not sound very good...

But if you go for the mic.. whatever you do... make sure the MIC stays in the same place all through the concert... (usually the best place is in where the soundstage is and as far as possible from any loud voice from the crowd)...
If you use a Mic attached to your cam and you move your cam... then you will get a very annoying sound...

Just ask in the sound forum.. they would know better...

P.S... all of the above is a statement from the musicians point of view.. so maybe I´m just a little too picky about sound... or maybe not.. ?

record directly from the audio board(best sound- hands down). use a beachtek line to mic converter, or use small mackie audio board that has that conversion. we just did a music video that way(w/the mackie) and the sound was awesome. good luck

XM2 MA300 XLRs Headset and Mic Boom.
 

Okay - I'm getting my interview technique correct.

I seem to be relaxed doing the following:

1 - I stand on the left hand side of the XM2

2 - Camera on tripod, LCD screen spun round and allowing me to look to my right and see the "frame"

3 - MA300 with one XLR channel miked-up Senni and me holding under the nose of subject - out of camera shot

4 - Headphones on and plugged into Headphone socket.

5 - LANC extension in right hand to activate camera.

If I'm to include my voice in the interview I'm needing to keep switching the handheld backwards and forwards between the subject and myself

Now, what I'm thinking of using is a form of L/R Headphone set WITH a mouth boom mic. The Senni say on the Left Channel going to the left channel of the Headphone and the Headphone Mouth Boom mic going to the OTHER XLR channel on the MA300 and then BACK to the right Headphone.

So, guys and gals, any solutions? Ones that you've seen work?

I like this solution because I can keep one hand relatively free, I can speak "naturally" with the subject and get into more of a chat, including interruptions from both sides. No, I don't want to go down the wireless mic route - yet.

Grazie

I use a Senn EM112P Wireless Transmitter & Reveiver and ask open questions and then you don't have to hear the 'faceless voice'.

I never do a back and forth thing with the camera operator, only when using a handheld mic with a presenter aka Sports Interviewer style do I do it.

Not exactly a direct answer to your question Graham but an offer of technique I suppose.

Regards

Jonathan

We've shot footage on Cocoa Beach (FL) with significant wind gusting and the Rycote fir on our Sen 66K6 and heard no wind noise whatsoever. I think it's an amazing little thing worth the price for those who need clean audio in windy environments.

Neil, I'm not debating that your idea could work, but I know the Rycote Softie does from experience.

Brad

Brad?
 

Errrmmm... Nice to hear from you . . . wrong thread maybe "Neil" is on another one . . . but if you've got an answer to this thread "XM2 MA300 XLRs Headset and Mic Boom".. . I'm all ears or eyes . ..

Regards,

Grazie

Final Cut
 

If you are editing with FCP...you might see bioth VU "meters" going...this does not mean that the source is on both channels...just a thought...Best, Craig Hollenback

MA-300 BNC Video Out
 

I am wondering if anyone with an MA-300 has used the BNC Video Output to a regular TV? I have tried it with several TV's using a BNC Composite cable and a Converter to TV Antenna Input - no luck! Has anyone been succesful with it?

You won't be able to input to a TV's Cable/Antenna input.
You will have to go to one of the TV's Video Inputs. If you are using the Cable/Antenna input, you will first have to send the signal through a RF Modulator.

You will also need the little link cable supplied with your kit. This takes the Video "up" to the MA300. Without this it will not get to the MA300 - Canon didn't Wake and Smell the design Coffee in this case IMHO!!!

Grazie

Mic/Line Level Input with MA-300
 

Hi everyone.

Just wanted to post a quick question about the MA-300 XLR input adaptor for the GL2. From what I can tell, it doesn't look like the accessory piece itself has a mic/line selector switch for each XLR input, so does anyone know if there's a menu setting somewhere in the GL2 that allows the user to specify whether a mic or line level input is being sent to each of the two channels? I realize that the audio level for channels 1 and 2 can be adjusted manually using the audio level dials, but nonetheless I would think that in order to provide proper attenuation and prevent low audio or distortion, there should be a setting somewhere to specify whether the XLR inputs are being used as line or mic level audio inputs.