audio level question

[Jim Herman]

I'm wondering if there is a way to control the left and right channel audio levels independently in 16 bit mode from the same mic source. When the audio switch is set to manual on my GL2, I can have the left channel and right channel at different volumes but I can't find a way to do that with the XL2...the volume is only controlled by one knob and it controls the volume for both channels. If you are wondering why I would want to do this in the first place, it's because in certain situations after I set my levels I like to lower the level a bit on one of the channels just in case the levels get louder during the shoot.

Any help appreciated
-Jim

[Eb Samba]

Jim
See page 53 on the XL2 owners manual.
Simply open the audio control panel. Lower left corner of the panel, switch the REC LEVEL to M.
Make sure you use a headphone to monitor the audio levels including the side monitor or the EVF.
Eb

[Chris Hurd]

With audio level control set to manual, open the audio controls panel on the left side of the camera body and check the position of the Rec. Ch. Select switch, located above the Ch. 1 volume control knob. Set this switch to Ch. 1 - Ch 2. Now the mic source from Ch. 1 is duplicated onto Ch. 2. Hope this helps,

[Jim Herman]

Thanks, that does work fine with my on board mic but it doesn't with a mic connected to an xlr input. When connected to XLR, Channel 1 is duplicated to channel 2 (with the switch set to ch.1-ch.2) but you can only adjust the volume with the channel 1 level knob. Is the only way to adjust the volumes independenetly to disconnect the front mic and plug an external mic into the mini plug?

Thanks
-Jim

[Jarrod Whaley]

Jim--Sounds like you're using a mono mic. If that's the case, then all flipping the ch1-ch2 switch will do is add the mono signal to the right channel. Since it's mono, it's one-channel audio by definition. There's no way to change the levels on the two camera channels independently, because the signal from the mic itself is only one channel.

I understand that you want a slightly less-hot channel for insurance purposes, but I don't see why you can't just simply turn down the entire level in the first place and then normalize in post if the level is too low. If you set your levels so that most sounds peak out at -12dB, then you should have enough headroom to allow for unexpectedly loud sounds.

[Jim Herman]

Originally Posted by Jarrod Whaley

Jim--Sounds like you're using a mono mic. If that's the case, then all flipping the ch1-ch2 switch will do is add the mono signal to the right channel. Since it's mono, it's one-channel audio by definition. There's no way to change the levels on the two camera channels independently, because the signal from the mic itself is only one channel.

Actually It is a stereo mic and if I take out the front mic and plug into the mini input, I do get full control over both channels.(I just checked this)

So now I do have a solution for my problem but I'm still wondering why I don't have control over both channels when using the XLR imputs. Or is this normal? Is it because the XLR imputs are either channel 1&3 or 2&4 and not 1&2 or 3&4? Is the signal automatically converted to mono when using the XL2's XLR imputs?