HVX - Sound from External Mic Only?

I have a wireless Sennheiser plugged into the Input 1. The mic is working just fine (the wireless mic is transmitting to the receiver and I'm getting that sound), but I'm also getting sound from the HVX built-in mic. I've read and re-read page 52 & 53 of the manual regarding "switching audio input" and have the "Channel 1 Select" on "INPUT 1."

I could put this in the audio section, but figured since it's HVX specific, it would be better here.

Could someone please let me know how to get audio from the wireless mic ONLY?

[Barry Green]

There is no way to disable the internal mic. The cam always records four channels, two from the XLRs and two from the internal mic.

Thanks Barry, I did see the sentence that read "When P2 cards and the DVCPRO HD or DVCPRO 50 formats are used: the recording mode is fixed at 4 channel recording."

I was just hoping it didn't mean it.

Am I missing something here or doesn't that defeat the purpose of having a lavalier mic for interview/testimonial style shooting where you want to isolate the sound to the person who's speaking, and eliminate the "echo - iness" effect you typically get when shooting with the internal mic?

I know you didn't design it Barry and I appreciate your quick response so I can move on with shooting this way. Now, I'm just wondering why Panasonic would have done this??? Is there a better way to get isolated sound from a singe speaker that I may not know about (since I'm a novice).

[Peter Jefferson]

this is where the 2 XLR iinpouts come to play. The camera can be used EXACTLY like a DVX and u can have 2 sources comnig through on each respective XLR chanel. i guess the internal mic can be used for ambience or something.. ?? WHo knows, but theyre there and we have no choice but to use them.. i was hoping for a firmware update which allowed for the use of the RCA inputs to be routed through tot the oncam mic channels as opposed to using the internal mics.. this way u can get sound straight off a console while u run ur lavs and shotguns.. hell u can even route everything into a 4 chanel mixer, then route 4 channels out of the mixer and record straight to the camera..... maybe one day we'll see this... ?? who knows.. but i dont see why it cant happen..

as for the XLRS, the HVX allows for sperate or mixed inputs (on ccam) from either XLR. U can run a shotgun and a lav at the sme time. Open the screen and switch the channel to their respective inputs. Ch1, goes to ch1, ch2 to ch2, and these are recorded as so. U can even mix them or flip them
Its really not all that difficult.. Monitoring is accuurate but i dont think u can monitor ch 3 and 4

I dont have a HVX, but if i can do this with a DVX, and the HVX is modelled from it, then i dont see how it wold be any different.

[Barry Green]

Originally Posted by Derek West

Am I missing something here or doesn't that defeat the purpose of having a lavalier mic for interview/testimonial style shooting where you want to isolate the sound to the person who's speaking, and eliminate the "echo - iness" effect you typically get when shooting with the internal mic?

Well, no it doesn't defeat it, because you can always just mute those two channels in post. Or maybe you can delete the two unused channels off the card -- I haven't tried that, but maybe that would work.

Another way you could go is to set channels 1 and 2 to the internal mic, and turn the audio pots all the way down (effectively muting them). Then route your external audio to the XLRs, but the only problem with this is that you don't have level control over 3 & 4; they always come in at a fixed level (equivalent to the pots at top-dead-center). But if that works for you, then maybe...

Another option would be to get some pliers and pry the internal microphone off (okay, so maybe that's not an option...) ;)

[Barry Green]

Originally Posted by Peter Jefferson

i was hoping for a firmware update which allowed for the use of the RCA inputs to be routed through tot the oncam mic channels as opposed to using the internal mics..

That's probably not going to happen; but what might happen is that someone will develop an optional mic device where they modify the camera to remove the internal mic and replace it with a two-XLR jack device, so you could have all four channels coming from proper XLR sources. I know of one company who's said they're working on this already, so hopefully it will appear soon.

Monitoring is accuurate but i dont think u can monitor ch 3 and 4

No monitoring of 3 & 4, that's true.

Originally Posted by Barry Green

Well, no it doesn't defeat it, because you can always just mute those two channels in post. -- I haven't tried that, but maybe that would work.

Good idea. I'll let you know how it works. The only problem with that is that it will make judging the initial quality of sound difficult as you are listening to all 4 channels through the head phones. But, anyway, that's a really good idea and I appreciate the suggestion. I better get to ripping off the grey duct tape off the Panasonic microphone now. ha ha.

[Scott Auerbach]

Originally Posted by Barry Green

That's probably not going to happen; but what might happen is that someone will develop an optional mic device where they modify the camera to remove the internal mic and replace it with a two-XLR jack device, so you could have all four channels coming from proper XLR sources. I know of one company who's said they're working on this already, so hopefully it will appear soon.

In other words, the built-in mic has balanced inputs? Given the el-cheapo nature of most of the built-ins, I'm pleasantly surprised. I would've figured the best you could hope to after-market kludge on there would be RCAs...

OK, got it working. Earlier I had made a mistake and the Line 1 was selected on the Input 1, instead of the Mic.