Those with the FX1- how do you feed in XLRs?

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tom hardwick
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Joined: Apr 8 1999

Those of you who've bought the FX1 - how are you feeding XLR microphones into the beast?

Des
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Joined: Apr 7 1999

I thought you had to buy the Pro version Z1 to do that unless Beachtek brought out an interface box.

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tom hardwick
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Joined: Apr 8 1999

Yes, you can use the DXA-4 or 8 (the model with built-in limiters), but I just wondered if anyone out there was doing this. Adding a BeachTec will certainly add to the bulk.

tom.

Alan McKeown
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Joined: May 9 2001

I am using a Beachtek DXA-8 in conjunction with the Sony HDR-FX1 camcorder. The combination could be awkward to use hand-held - even more awkward than the camcorder on its own - but fortunately, as I always use a tripod, that problem does not arise.

I have noticed several other problems, though.

The maximum output level from the DXA-8 is not sufficient to drive the line level input on the FX-1. Consequently the microphone level input level setting on the FX-1 must be selected. This possibly means that the signal to noise ratio is not as good as that obtainable with the Z1 but I have not carried out any measurements to substantiate this.

A Sennheiser ME66 + K6 microphone (with Softie windshield) mounted in a Rycote “multimount”, fitted to the FX-1 accessory shoe, still picks up considerable tape transport noise via the body of the camcorder. The shoe seems to be in just the wrong place. The amplitude of the vibration is very much less at the front of the carrying handle for example but I suppose that the layout precluded fitting a shoe there.

Alan

RayL
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Joined: Mar 31 1999

Tom

The simplest of all solutions (no heavy extra boxes) is an XLR-jack lead

XLR Female plug
3.5mm stereo jack
3-core (or 2-core and screened) cable abour 12 inches long (for camera-mounted mic)

To make a lead that connects a self-powered XLR mic to L & R mic inputs, connect

XLR 1 to Sleeve
XLR 2 to Tip and Ring
XLR 3 to Sleeve

Ten minutes with wire strippers and soldering iron!

This sort of lead is not recommended for longer cables because it unbalances the mic but is fine for short leads .

Ray Liffen

Robin Davies-Ro...
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Joined: Feb 21 2005

I'm using a BeachTek box with the AT897 mic into the FX1. I've found that I don't need to go to line level at all - it's perfectly happy and "noiseless" at mic level.
I also don't find the camera too heavy with the BeachTek- if anything, I prefer the extra weight for hand-holding when I need to, but that's just a personal preference.

Robin

infocus
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Joined: Jul 18 2003

What Ray says is perfectly true (including the end comment about long cables), and can I add that if you do this it is ESSENTIAL to think about strain relief on the cable, which can be as simple as just taping the cable to the handle of the camera etc. Not only can this save glitches on the sound, or total loss if the cable is pulled unplugged, but it could save damage to the camera connector. In this case it may be worthwhile just making up a short adaptor cable to Rays instructions, with an XLR to plug the longer cable to. That way the camera can be moved without undoing all the strain relief, or derigging a full length of mic cable.

It is also possible to make up a lead to put two mics onto the two tracks - a radio and a gun, or camera mic and table mic, for example, but then it starts getting so cumbersome that BeachTek boxes start seeming a more and more good idea. Should it be wished however, wire pins 1 and 3 of both XLRs to sleeve, and pin2 of XLR1 to ring, pin2 of XLR2 to tip. There is likely to be some crosstalk, but probably less than the acoustic crosstalk.

RayL
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Joined: Mar 31 1999

While we're talking about XLR connectors, would anyone agree with me that for many of todays purposes, the XLR connector, like the 13A mains plug in its own field, is far too big and heavy for the job it has to do?

For handheld camera use in particular (where every bit of weight saved is a bonus and cables with right angle plugs are a rarity), a lightweight plastic connector with a body shell cut to the minimum (consistant with providing a cable clamp and right angle cable entry which could be set at 0, 90, 180 and 270) would be a real advantage.

Ray Liffen

infocus
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Joined: Jul 18 2003
RayL wrote:
would anyone agree with me that for many of todays purposes, the XLR connector, ...... is far too big and heavy for the job it has to do?

Sort of.... just depends how you define "the job"! Being metal and chunky means robust as well as heavy, and being large means easy to solder without special tools, as well as accepting heavier gauge and more robust cable. But for cameras of this size, yes, surely there may be scope for a small multi pin connector, accepting two channels input, with an adaptor cable to enable XLRs to be plugged into that?

RayL
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Joined: Mar 31 1999

Hmmm. There are already too many different types of audio connector and to have yet another one, and yet more adaptors, seems to me the wrong way to go.

The set of pins in an XLR is quite compact - it's the rest of the normal housing that makes it bulky. The XLR is industry standard - I'd prefer to keep it but to have a greater choice in the way it is manufactured.

Ray Liffen

infocus
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Joined: Jul 18 2003

Sorry - misunderstood your original post and thought you were calling for a new (and smaller) connector. Regarding my thought, an XLR5 is already an industry standard, and would be a way of getting two channels into a small camera whilst keeping size down. Quite useful in the past has been a long drum of quad mic wired with XLR5s, with adaptors which enable me to break out to two XLR3s, and hence send two mics down one cable as two separate pairs. For two mics a few feet apart on a top table, the electrical crosstalk is irrelevant. And for a single mic, an XLR3 to XLR5 is a simple cable. But yes, possible to make a much smaller XLR if it was factory prewired?