ART preamp
- Thread starter ROCKMORE
- Start date
I like the color!
Seriously, in what capacity are you looking at using this? I have several ART devices in my kit (direct boxes, XLR splitters). The key word on the A/D converters is 16bit/44khz. Most production sound people would say the standard is 24bit/48khz so using it into a laptop to record production sound would be (what I consider) substandard. Not a bad solution for getting more gain and phantom power to condensors and then sending the signals downstream to a small recorder such as the H4n or DR-100. If your camera supports 24bit/48khz audio, then it would also work to send the feeds to the camera by using the the 1/4" TRS outputs and using an adapter cable to adapt 1/4" TRS to XLR.
The downside is the form factor is a bit awkward, no tone to set camera/recorder levels, and output levels are not adjustable.
Seriously, in what capacity are you looking at using this? I have several ART devices in my kit (direct boxes, XLR splitters). The key word on the A/D converters is 16bit/44khz. Most production sound people would say the standard is 24bit/48khz so using it into a laptop to record production sound would be (what I consider) substandard. Not a bad solution for getting more gain and phantom power to condensors and then sending the signals downstream to a small recorder such as the H4n or DR-100. If your camera supports 24bit/48khz audio, then it would also work to send the feeds to the camera by using the the 1/4" TRS outputs and using an adapter cable to adapt 1/4" TRS to XLR.
The downside is the form factor is a bit awkward, no tone to set camera/recorder levels, and output levels are not adjustable.
ROCKMORE
Veteran
Just to knock down the floor noise into my 60D until I can come up with the $1,600 I need for a relatively decent start up audio package. If the Art will work at all with the 60D that is.
Noiz2
Sound Ninja
It kind of depends on what he wants to end up shooting, but I kind of agree with you.
Chadfish
Veteran
Yeah I'm just not fighting with the DSLR set any more. If they want simple and cheap who am I to argue? The art thing looks like it introduces hum from the video. However the 16bit/44k thing does not apply when you use it as a preamp for a camera. That's just for the USB. So no limit to bitrate etc. But how good is the analogue signal?
Anyway, of course I'm all for a pro audio rig, and using the DSLR audio for scratch, but if you must use the DSLR audio, the VMP and an extension cable might just get you a decent sound at the level you're working at. The 20db boost is the key with the VMP. That makes it more useful than, say, an NTG-2 plugged in directly. Getting the signal over the camera hiss is top priority with DSLRs IMO.
Anyway, of course I'm all for a pro audio rig, and using the DSLR audio for scratch, but if you must use the DSLR audio, the VMP and an extension cable might just get you a decent sound at the level you're working at. The 20db boost is the key with the VMP. That makes it more useful than, say, an NTG-2 plugged in directly. Getting the signal over the camera hiss is top priority with DSLRs IMO.
markblasco
Well-known member
I've got one ordered, and I am going to do a somewhat thorough test like I did with the NTG2 and the H4N, so when that happens I will have some numbers on how quiet it is, and some impressions on the sound quality.
Where did you order from? Is there anyone in the states that has them in stock yet?
ROCKMORE
Veteran
Look forward to the tests. It would be great if you could plug the preamp signal directly into a camera to hear the result as well.
Thanks.
markblasco
Well-known member
I will likely do the same tests I did before, just adding in the ART preamp, so it would be tests of a mic into the camera directly vs. into the camera through the ART, and then into the H4N directly vs. through the ART into the H4N.
Steve House
Veteran
I would be concerned about over-driving the mic input on the camera. Most electronic gizmos operate best when they're operated in the middle third of their adjustment ranges. For the ART preamp, that means it will be adding between 8 and 18 db of gain to whatever the mic's native output might be. I haven't been able to locate a sensitivity spec for the 60D's external mic input but it is clearly designed for mic level and the output of the ART will be pretty hot in comparison. While it might work, it seems it would be pretty touchy to keep from overloading the input on peaks. There's a slippery slope to avoid, where you're increasing the signal strength going to the input while reducing the gain in the recording amp to avoid clipping. Eventually you get to a point where a hot signal going in overloads the input circuits before the gain control has a chance to affect it. The result is you're recording unclipped distortion. To avoid this you may find that you're running the ART on the bottom couple of notches on its gain control, so why bother with it at all.
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ROCKMORE
Veteran
Would that go the same for a recorder like PCM-M10?