7D's Audio Capabilities

J

Jean Dantes

Well-known member
Two things I just wanna know really:

1. Will it be possible to attach our own microphone to this camera via a hot-shoe or something?

2. Is it true the 7D has no headphone jack input?


I hope there's a Magic Lantern hack that will add metering too...


Thanks! :)
 
There is a stereo mini-jack for audio input. No headphone jack.

According to the manual, the A/V jack doesn't output audio while recording, only in playback. Hooking up the A/V cable also disables the LCD screen.

The logical conclusion that everyone comes to regarding critical audio on DSLRs at this time... record double system. Get a Zoom H4N and sync in post with PluralEyes.
 
Some more audio info:

"Higher audio sample rate: The 7D's audio sample rate is 48khz, up from 44.1khz in the 5D Mark II." - From Rob Galbraith's review. This is great! Just need to find the bitrate now. Should be either 16-bit or 12-bit based on standard videocamera audio. Hoping for the former.

Link: http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/multi_page.asp?cid=7-10042-10239-10240


And from the Magic Lantern website:

"Will it work on a 7D?

Short answer: Not yet. Until there is a firmware update for the 7D, it will be difficult to get a firmware dump. It might be possible to generate one with the 5D dumping toolkit, which would allow a very quick port to the 7D. Send me a camera and I'll get right on it."

So who here wants to donate their pre-order? Anyone? Bueller?
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3293_7d_rode.jpg

Source: http://www.robgalbraith.com/

Nice setup for run & gun. Will have to get me one of these mics.
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From what I've seen it seems the 7D will have the same AGC issues of the 5D, correct?
As far as I know it can't be disabled without something like the beachtek adapter.
Hopefully someone will correct me if I'm wrong on that.

On a sidenote - I used that Rode mic recently with a GH1, and I have to say, I was pretty impressed with the results (granted, my expectations were pretty low at the time)... but it's actually a pretty solid solution.
 
I don't understand why anyone would use an adapter like that without something like the Zoom -
seems that dual system is the only way to go with these cams right now, until one of these manufacturers decides to throw 10 more cents at their camera costs and actually grace us with a headphone jack.

I could see using a Zoom and jacking the output into the camera just in case the camera audio was actually good enough to use....but at least that way you can monitor the zoom that you're recording onto. Using an adapter like that (or the beachtek by itself) you're only able to monitor the signal before it gets recorded...

Audio recording without the ability to monitor the actual recorded signal seems kind of like shooting with your eyes closed.
 
AGC is confirmed. From the Canon 7D user manual, page 151:

"Stereo sound recording is possible by connecting an external microphone equipped with a stereo mini plug (3.5mm dia.) to the camera's external microphone IN terminal.

The sound recording level will be adjusted automatically."


So yeah, we'll be stuck with AGC till Canon releases a firmware update and the Magic Lantern guys make improvements to it.

One work around is to use a mixer with a limiter built-in. This will ensure that that audio won't clip, which in my experience is more of a pain than just remixing wild audio levels.
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mhood said:
There are those of us who got the Edirol HR9 and edit on Windows...what is the PluralEyes equivalent for us?
Click to expand...

Use a slate, o make sure time-of-day is set accurately on both camera and recorder. Won't be frame-accurate, but lining it up isn't really that much work. Take notes. Split the headphone output from the HR9 or whatever and run it into the camera. Tehre's about 20 different ways to solve this problem, and while it may take longer than the PluralEyes you'll get to know your footage better.
 
It's 2-system sound for me. AGC is horrendous.

Even if magic lantern disables AGC you have no way to monitor
how can you tell your peaks?
 
I've only heard of PluralEyes since reading this post...what's the point if you're shooting with only 1 camera? What's so hard about using a slate? Does it do something I'm missing - also, thanks for letting me know about the zoom, much cooler than the solution I was going to buy.
 
"Even if magic lantern disables AGC you have no way to monitor. how can you tell your peaks?"

According to the info for the most recent build of Magic Lantern, it disables AGC, adds some gain controls, routes audio out of the A/V jack, and gives you a level meter.

I'd say that's some pretty darn good monitoring right there. Hope they can port it to the 7D sooner than just waiting for the first firmware update from Canon.
 
I got nothing against 2 system audio except it ads post time. Zoom H4 you need to timestretch everything to 99.99% unless its a 20 sec clip. its out 1 frame every 6 minutes at 24p. You'll need to know how to do sub frame audio editing in FCP as well in order to get it perfect.

Slating is a pain but it can be done in audio only. I usually just call out the time.

Rick Rock said:
"Even if magic lantern disables AGC you have no way to monitor. how can you tell your peaks?"

According to the info for the most recent build of Magic Lantern, it disables AGC, adds some gain controls, routes audio out of the A/V jack, and gives you a level meter.

I'd say that's some pretty darn good monitoring right there. Hope they can port it to the 7D sooner than just waiting for the first firmware update from Canon.
Click to expand...


can't wait bro, this will be salvation
 
Something just occurred to me:

Rick Rock said:
...adds some gain controls, routes audio out of the A/V jack
Click to expand...

On the 7D engaging the A/V jack will supposedly disable the LCD screen -
I wonder Magin Lantern will somehow be able to work around that?

Would be a shame to get the ability to monitor audio, at the cost of monitoring video.
:)
 
livelikeriley said:
I've only heard of PluralEyes since reading this post...what's the point if you're shooting with only 1 camera? What's so hard about using a slate? Does it do something I'm missing - also, thanks for letting me know about the zoom, much cooler than the solution I was going to buy.
Click to expand...
It automatically syncs the double-system sound with the video for you, and it works with single-cam set-ups. No more manual syncing!
 
Awwww, man. The Canon 7D manual confirms that when doing video out during Live View, either by the HDMI or the A/V adapter, the LCD is turned off.

So lame! I'm guessing they thought it would save battery life, but for crap's sake, give us the option to turn it back on!

Let's hope Magic Latern is working on this as well, if only on the 5Dmkii for the time being.
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livelikeriley said:
I've only heard of PluralEyes since reading this post...what's the point if you're shooting with only 1 camera? What's so hard about using a slate? Does it do something I'm missing - also, thanks for letting me know about the zoom, much cooler than the solution I was going to buy.
Click to expand...

One man bands can't slate.
 
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