•• Wireless Mic Crackles ••

Coco Bermudez

Coco Bermudez

Well-known member
Anyone knows what the heck is going on. I have connected two different wireless mics into the input of the Panasonic GH-1 (Sennheiser and Audio Technica)

BOTH sucks..audio cracks and is over modulated...anyone has a similar experience or knows whqt the heck is going on?
 
That would suck...and makes no sense at the same time.

I connected the same setup with the Canon 5D and the sound is amazing.....
 
You have to realize that the panasonic interface is a 4 pole plug not a three pole like your typical stereo. You'll have to get/make a 3 to 4 pole converter before you start plugin any ol mic...
 
upshot said:
You have to realize that the panasonic interface is a 4 pole plug not a three pole like your typical stereo. You'll have to get/make a 3 to 4 pole converter before you start plugin any ol mic...
Click to expand...

is there such an adapter for this? How useless is this? Why could they not make a simple connector like any stereo mic?
 
upshot said:
You have to realize that the panasonic interface is a 4 pole plug not a three pole like your typical stereo. You'll have to get/make a 3 to 4 pole converter before you start plugin any ol mic...
Click to expand...

upshot:

is there a converter somewhere? i bought this http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...=10401&cs_id=1040109&p_id=2780&seq=1&format=2

but am afraid its not going to work because of the pole difference. i don't have a camera to test.

i am trying to avoid buying the h4n hoping i can get away with the sound from my rode video mic on top of the gh1 but its looking like its not going to work.
 
I have no idea if the poles are correct but a standard cell phone 3 to 4 converter may work... You can find em at radio shack or on the internets.
 
upshot said:
I have no idea if the poles are correct but a standard cell phone 3 to 4 converter may work... You can find em at radio shack or on the internets.
Click to expand...

I got the right converter so here are my test results....

forget about wireless...it sucks..it sounds as if someone were screaming into the mic and everything gets blown off....

I connected the BeachTek DXA-5D....
As I do a test, I can hear the audio much better but there is HORRIBLE hum. SO I connected a pair of headphones to the DXA-5D box and the hum was coming from the DXA-5D box. I thought to myself...AH CRAP! the box is defective! As soon as I disconnected the camera from the DXA-5D, the HUM disappeared and I could hear CRYSTAL CLEAR sound coming from the DXA-5D...

My conclusion...the camera must be sending some interferance through the cable connected to it.

Another thing I noticed when I connected the wireless and also the DXA-5D, there is an error message that displays as soon as I connect the external mics "PLEASE TURN ON THE MIC"
it only dissapears once I hit record on the camera...

This totally blows!
 
I bet you found the the "G1/G2" ground switch. The SignVideo XLR-PRO has the same ground switch for $200 less money and you can park your car on top of it.
 
mhood said:
I bet you found the the "G1/G2" ground switch. The SignVideo XLR-PRO has the same ground switch for $200 less money and you can park your car on top of it.
Click to expand...

Nope..I had tried everything. I think it need a certain tyoe of "solid contact" connector.

I went to Radio Shack and a couple of other electronics stores and I got every single type of connector that was labeled "2.5mm Male to 3.5mm Female" Adapter. They all had hum issues. The only connector that worked for me was Radio Shacks PART NO. 274-373.

Eventhough all the others are basically the same, the one mentioned above makes a solid snug fit...all others did not.
 
Are you working with mono or stereo adapters? Nevermind...I looked it up and that 2.5 male end has four sections to it. Seems it's built for Cel phones too. I just don't understand why a standard 3.5 couldn't have been used.
 
Last edited:
Super 8

I am anxiosly awaiting your review of the DXA 5d connected via 4 prong adapter to GH1. Like cost of that unit (no info on their site on hat), how well it fits below camera on tripod, if the sound is stereo tracked on the timeline? If the adapter is sticking out in risk of breaking etc.

Because there was no info on all of this I bought the Olympus LS 10 since I don't use any XLR. I've been using Rode Video Mic on an HV30 but I think it will be too big for the little gh1 so hoping the LS10 being so small will mount on hotshoe and produce excellent stereo sound, thought its not a directional condenser mic. And hook up my 3.5mm wireless to it as well as a momo lav. And if LS10 no good then connect little sensennier directional mic to hot shoe.

But my plan means syncing in post which is not easy or perfect. It would be awesome if the DXA outputs awesome sound directly into the camera and is able to disable the auto gain.

I'm surprised this post is not hugely popular. Too me the audio is so essential for run n gun documentary style filmaking gorilla style. Are you posting somewhere else?

The H4n seems way to big to mount to top of the little gh1 btw.
 
rubberbandito said:
Like cost of that unit (no info on their site on hat), how well it fits below camera on tripod, if the sound is stereo tracked on the timeline? If the adapter is sticking out in risk of breaking etc.
Click to expand...

I think I paid $380 for the unit..as soon as I got it it went backordered in most places. It does not fit well with the GH1. I think it was designed exclusively for the 5D body. Why? Well it has two locating pins on top of the adapter that align with the holes on the underside of the Canon 5D. The main know will fit just fine but as the camera body gets closer to the Beachtek, the two poles interfere with the GH1 body so you can't clamp it all the way down. If you align the bog diagonally you can make it fit...but it looks funny. I wish they had not put those pins in there...I guess you can hack them off...I will.

rubberbandito said:
It would be awesome if the DXA outputs awesome sound directly into the camera and is able to disable the auto gain.
Click to expand...

It works pretty good. It disabled the horrid AGC on the GH1...One thing though is that the trim control on the Beachtek are kinda funky...you would think that as you turn the knobs clockwise, the gain would raise smoothly. In my test it seems to raise in steps...kinda weird.

rubberbandito said:
I'm surprised this post is not hugely popular. Too me the audio is so essential for run n gun documentary style filmaking gorilla style. Are you posting somewhere else?

The H4n seems way to big to mount to top of the little gh1 btw.
Click to expand...

I am surprised too...but then again, this is a new product so many people are just getting their hands on them...I only post here...people seem to me a little more friendly and the moderators don't censor your posts if you post something TRUE but not favoring a product they are endorsed by......
 
nathankw said:
IWe don't have Radio Shack here in the UK. Do you think this would do the job?
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=218492

Was the one that worked the only 4 pole one or were there other ones that looked similar but didn't work?
Click to expand...

It doesn't look like the one I got...I bought so many adapters that looked similar but they were of different manufacturers. If you happen to go out there and don't find one that seems to work, send me a message and I will be more than happy to go to my local Radio Shack and send you an adapter to the UK...free of charge...how is that for service? :)
 
Super8 said:
It doesn't look like the one I got...I bought so many adapters that looked similar but they were of different manufacturers. If you happen to go out there and don't find one that seems to work, send me a message and I will be more than happy to go to my local Radio Shack and send you an adapter to the UK...free of charge...how is that for service? :)
Click to expand...

Wow, that would be super generous. I'll happily refund you via paypal.
I'd ordered one adapter before seeing this thread but I suspect it won't work (just 3 pole I think). I'll let you know.

ta.
 
DXA-5D dimensions: 152 (L) x 75 (W) x 43 (H) mm. Weight: 450 gr

H4n dimensions: 156.3 (D) x 73 (W) × 35 (H) mm. Weight: 280 gr

DXA-5D goes to the cam's compressed 2 channel audio with a high frequency tone to fool the AGC. (Doesn't that require a low-pass filtering in post to get rid of the tone?) It has 2 XLR inputs.

H4n does up to 24 bit 96KHz uncompressed with 4 channels and doubles as a USB soundcard with a computer. Inputs are 2 XLR/tele combo balanced/unbalanced and one mini-tele stereo and then the built-in stereo mics. And you will still have the cam's sound as backup.

Personally I'll get the H4n. Syncing audio in post isn't that hard, just a boring job. Plus there is software out there to automate the task:
http://www.hdwarrior.co.uk/2009/05/26/pluraleyes-review-coming-soon/
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top