FS7: Additional channels of audio K2M, K1M or something else?

[Vintegreo]

I do a fair amount of one man band shooting and periodically run into issues where I want to record more than 2 channels of audio with my FS7 MII. I've rented the K1M XLR adapter once or twice and have found it to be a bit cumbersome. I don't like how far it sticks above the handle and the build quality doesn't really impress me.

I also see that it's generally north of $600.

I'm curious what others are doing if they want to use more than 2 channels of audio with the FS7. Are you just hiring an audio person, or are you using something like a Sound Device Mix 3 Pre, or perhaps something else?

My typical need for more than two channels would be if I had a couple of lavs and a boom or two.

Thanks!

Tim

 

[jasonbrooks]

I do a fair amount of one man band shooting and periodically run into issues where I want to record more than 2 channels of audio with my FS7 MII. I've rented the K1M XLR adapter once or twice and have found it to be a bit cumbersome. I don't like how far it sticks above the handle and the build quality doesn't really impress me.

I also see that it's generally north of $600.

I'm curious what others are doing if they want to use more than 2 channels of audio with the FS7. Are you just hiring an audio person, or are you using something like a Sound Device Mix 3 Pre, or perhaps something else?

My typical need for more than two channels would be if I had a couple of lavs and a boom or two.

Thanks!

Tim

Hey Tim, I’m an FS7i owner/op and ran into the same situation a lot last year. I ended up going with the XLR-km2 (because I too didn’t like the km1 sticking fore and up so much. I use it rigged vertically on a cold shoe plate at right angles from my top cheese-plate, which is pretty snug.

One thing to note is that is DOES introduce a slightly raised noise-floor on its two inputs, so I usually go with two radios into the native XLRs, and keep the top mic into the km2, cos top mic is usually less critical to keep super-clean.

I’ve got no experience with the preamp route, so can’t comment!

Good luck,

Jason

 

[Vintegreo]

Hey Tim, I’m an FS7i owner/op and ran into the same situation a lot last year. I ended up going with the XLR-km2 (because I too didn’t like the km1 sticking fore and up so much. I use it rigged vertically on a cold shoe plate at right angles from my top cheese-plate, which is pretty snug.

One thing to note is that is DOES introduce a slightly raised noise-floor on its two inputs, so I usually go with two radios into the native XLRs, and keep the top mic into the km2, cos top mic is usually less critical to keep super-clean.

I’ve got no experience with the preamp route, so can’t comment!

Good luck,

Jason

Can you shoot a picture of that and post it? How do you mount it to a cold shoe? Isn't the connection in the shoe or does this one have a little cable that goes to the shoe on the FS7?

 

[Publimix]

I am in the same situation, found this review at BHPhoto.com: This Unit accesses the 3rd and 4th audio channels in the Fs7. Note that the 3rd and 4th channels cannot be monitered in the viewfinder.

The controls are well laid out, and the unit pops on and off the camera easily.
Reading other reviews, I was happy to see that the unit was not as large as I had feared. It does, however, stick up higher than it has to. It could be made to have a lower profile. There is also a mic holder which is useless for the Fs7, and is not easily removed, and makes the unity more unwieldy.
The included mic and overlarge case are useless to me, and I imagine most Fs7 users. It would be much better to not have to buy the whole "kit"..

 

[jasonbrooks]

Can you shoot a picture of that and post it? How do you mount it to a cold shoe? Isn't the connection in the shoe or does this one have a little cable that goes to the shoe on the FS7?

Hey,

The hot/cold shoe mounting is the only difference between the KM1 & KM2 AFAIK. The KM2 comes with a standard COLDshoe mount, and the MI connectivity is achieved via a ~6" cable with dongle on the end to attach to your MI hotshoe.

Here's some pix that show the mounting technique and footprint of the unit. The right-angled coldshoe adaptor is a ~$10 part made by TinyRig, which I found on Ebay:








Any other questions, just shout!

jason

 

[jasonbrooks]

I am in the same situation, found this review at BHPhoto.com: This Unit accesses the 3rd and 4th audio channels in the Fs7. Note that the 3rd and 4th channels cannot be monitered in the viewfinder.
The controls are well laid out, and the unit pops on and off the camera easily.
Reading other reviews, I was happy to see that the unit was not as large as I had feared. It does, however, stick up higher than it has to. It could be made to have a lower profile. There is also a mic holder which is useless for the Fs7, and is not easily removed, and makes the unity more unwieldy.
The included mic and overlarge case are useless to me, and I imagine most Fs7 users. It would be much better to not have to buy the whole "kit"..

A coupla notes in response to this review:

- It's true that the 3rd & 4th channels can't be displayed permanently as overlays in the VF (that's limited to CHs 1&2). HOWEVER, it takes only a few clicks of the often-overlooked "Status" button on the operator-side of the FS7 to toggle through to the channel monitoring view, where you can check ALL the levels in much more visible detail than the overlayed level meters give.
- The mic holder is not necessarily useless for the FS-7, and even if it's not desired (as in my setup, which uses a third-party shotgun cradle when needed), it is in fact pretty easy to remove with a screwdriver (as I have). ;-)

Hope that clarifies things.

-jason

 

[Vintegreo]

A coupla notes in response to this review:

- It's true that the 3rd & 4th channels can't be displayed permanently as overlays in the VF (that's limited to CHs 1&2). HOWEVER, it takes only a few clicks of the often-overlooked "Status" button on the operator-side of the FS7 to toggle through to the channel monitoring view, where you can check ALL the levels in much more visible detail than the overlayed level meters give.
- The mic holder is not necessarily useless for the FS-7, and even if it's not desired (as in my setup, which uses a third-party shotgun cradle when needed), it is in fact pretty easy to remove with a screwdriver (as I have). ;-)

Hope that clarifies things.

-jason

Jason, your responses and photos are incredibly helpful!

Thanks so much! I may go this route at some point as I'm encouraged by you mounted it. Strikes me as just about as good of a mounting option as one could devise.

Thanks!

Tim

 

[Vintegreo]

I guess the only thing I might imagine not liking in the configuration shown is the fact that the level adjustments and switches would be hard to see without standing on your head. :grin:

 

[moldcad]

I have a somewhat related question : would like to record 4 audio channels; 2 front (stereo or 2 mono), a single rear and still have one channel for either a long - reach shotgun or a lavarier radio mic. As you've already guessed, I'd like to mix them into a surround sound (not saying 5. 1 as the 2 surround tracks would need to be created from the single mic, etc.) With FS7 that should be easy with the K1M unit, but here comes the more difficult part : I'd like the solution to work with my A7RII as well as my GH5 cams... Now, I assume the K1M is compatible with A7 series (or is it?) - however as to the GH5, we know Panasonic offers their own XLR unit... Does any one happen to know if they are compatible with each other? In other words : could I buy just one unit (Sony or Panasonic) and use it in the way described with any of my 3 cameras?

Piotr

 

[Vintegreo]

I have a somewhat related question : would like to record 4 audio channels; 2 front (stereo or 2 mono), a single rear and still have one channel for either a long - reach shotgun or a lavarier radio mic. As you've already guessed, I'd like to mix them into a surround sound (not saying 5. 1 as the 2 surround tracks would need to be created from the single mic, etc.) With FS7 that should be easy with the K1M unit, but here comes the more difficult part : I'd like the solution to work with my A7RII as well as my GH5 cams... Now, I assume the K1M is compatible with A7 series (or is it?) - however as to the GH5, we know Panasonic offers their own XLR unit... Does any one happen to know if they are compatible with each other? In other words : could I buy just one unit (Sony or Panasonic) and use it in the way described with any of my 3 cameras?

Piotr

Highly unlikely that similar devices made by different manufacturers will work together. The K1M and K2M are, I believe, compatible with the Sony A7, but it's pretty much guaranteed that it won't work with Panasonic. Even for my application I start to scratch my head about needing to hire an audio person when I start getting into the realm of three channels or more!

 

[moldcad]

Unfortunately I think you're right... This is why I've been also considering option 2: getting the Sony unit for FS7 and /or A7Rii, and use the 2 analog channels my Shogun offers when recording with the GH5... Opinions?

Piotr