at835b mic

[zucked]

Hi there-
I've been looking for a shotgun mic for my hv30. I make short films, will be shooting primarily outdoors but sometimes indoors, and will be booming the mic. I have recently been planning on getting the rode videomic setup for 200 from jacks music factory (mic, boompole, deadcat), but a new (and potentially better) option has emerged. Someone nearby me on craigslist has an audio technica at835b mic and boompole selling for $160. Although the 835b is now discontinued, I've read good things about it online, and it appears to be a cheaper way of getting xlr shotgun mic sound...if that makes any sense...it might not. So - considering the fact that this is used and discontinued equipment, which setup would be the better buy? Also, in the event that I end up going with the 835b, I already have a 25 foot xlr to mini jack wire, but I'll also need an impedance transformer, right? Can anyone point me to the one I want? Thanks a whole lot

 

[Steve House]

Hi there-
I've been looking for a shotgun mic for my hv30. I make short films, will be shooting primarily outdoors but sometimes indoors, and will be booming the mic. I have recently been planning on getting the rode videomic setup for 200 from jacks music factory (mic, boompole, deadcat), but a new (and potentially better) option has emerged. Someone nearby me on craigslist has an audio technica at835b mic and boompole selling for $160. Although the 835b is now discontinued, I've read good things about it online, and it appears to be a cheaper way of getting xlr shotgun mic sound...if that makes any sense...it might not. So - considering the fact that this is used and discontinued equipment, which setup would be the better buy? Also, in the event that I end up going with the 835b, I already have a 25 foot xlr to mini jack wire, but I'll also need an impedance transformer, right? Can anyone point me to the one I want? Thanks a whole lot

Your XLR to mini cable may or may not be wired correctly - many, if not most, of similar off-the-shelf XLR-to-TRS cables at the music store are not wired for this use. The XLR is a balanced mono output. The mini at the camera is an unbalanced stereo input. To record properly with the mic going equally to both left and right channels in the camera, pin 2 of the XLR connector needs to go to BOTH the tip and ring of the mini, pin 3 of the XLR needs to go to the sleeve of the mini, and pin 1 of the XLR goes to the cable shield which may, or may not, also connect to the mini sleeve. You also need a DC blocking capacitor in the cable to prevent the low voltage "mic power" on the mic input rom getting into the mic. Something like this ... http://www.trewaudio.ca/store/product.php?productid=146&cat=21&page=1