Audio into A7iii?

L

LennyLevy

Veteran
How are you guys getting audio into the A7iii or A7sii when you want audio from 2 separate mics ( typically boom and lav or wireless) or are getting audio from a sound person? I see a couple of possibilities.
Cheapest:
1- get a splitter type cable that mixes two inputs into a stereo mini and go right into the camera. This could be 2 female mini's to one stereo mini ( say for a Rhode and a G3) or especially if you have a sound person get a cable that takes 2 female XLR's to a stereo mini.
But if you do this you have no control over the individual input levels.

Middle Price:
2 - Get a little mixer that mounts on the camera hot shoe that accepts XLR's but connects to the camera through the stereo mini input .
There are lots of these around but i don't know which ones are most preferred.
This seems like a nice and reasonable solution but I'm wary of still relying on that mini connector .
Both options above rely on an unbalanced cable and I wonder if people have had problems picking up radios or hums .

More expensive
3 - The Sony XLR-K2M XLR Adapter. This avoids the unbalanced mini plug wire so would seem like the best solution, but its more expensive and I don't need the microphone that Sony insists on bundling with it. Plus the microphone is really big for a little mirrorless camera.

Would be grateful for any thoughts or experience out there.

Lenny Levy
 
I use the Sony XLR-K2M XLR Adapter. I have used other options on previous cameras like the one Nate posted but the Beechcraft version but nothing compares to the Sony adapter if you are recording in the camera. There are other ways with outboard recorders and double system etc. But in my case the A7iii is one of a a couple cameras and it is just easier in the long run tp set up the camera the same way as I would my Z150 and most other pro cameras. It is not a cheap option but a very flexible option with phantom power etc.
 
One of my favorite products ever made! (Highly recommended.)

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...cro_pro_dxa_micro_pro_active_xlr_compact.html

Quick review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGSpUgE0qP0

I usually mix 2 lavs, or one lav and a shotgun on top of the camera for scratch. I also love the safety track feature if using one microphone.

Here is the upgraded version which uses a rechargeable battery (it's worth it but more expensive).

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...a_micro_pro_dslr_camcorder_audio_adapter.html

If you require two XLRs they have more expensive ones. Solid product.
 
I used the Y-splitter method into the A7S II and it worked great (fed by two Sennheiser G3 receivers).
 
Thanks guys,
So far I've liked the design of all the Seramonics as long as you can testify that your not getting audio problems from the unbalanced mini plug to the camera.

The SR-AX100 looks great if I was a one man band just using my little Shure VP83 and a G3 or even 2 G3's . I like that its passive as I assume that is unlikely to add any noise. But it wouldn't cut it if I wanted an XLR boom mic for an interview.

The SR-AX101 2 Channel XLR version looks very good for working with a sound person because they can just plug into me and I leave everything else to them. Again I like the passive mixer because I assume it would not be introducing noise.

But then I would need to keep both units on hand all the time and switch them off for mini plug mics and XLR. Not impossible though.

The SR-PAX1 is more flexible because it handles both 2 mini plug and 2 XLR inputs so I could just have 1 unit for all purpose. But it doesn't have phantom power which I would need if I want to run my boom mic on an interview. Plus now we're into an active mixer and I worry about how quiet the gains are in a cheap Chinese made unit.

Finally the SR-PAX2 adds phantom power as well as a level meter so it covers all bases at a ridiculously low price ($139) but is it clean? and how much heavier do these get as you add features. Is there a comparable unit that's quieter or made better?

That Beachtek only has 1 XLR which won't work for me with a sound person and I don't see a version that has 2 XLR's .

Anyway that's what looks good so far.
 
I use the Beachtek DXA Micro with the a73 & a6300. I run a shotgun (Sennheiser MKE 600) on the XLR side and a Sennheiser G3 wireless into the 3.5mm input. I boom the shotgun -- having a 20 foot cable connected to a $600 device on the hotshoe makes me queasy in case of an accident - like someone tripping or slipping on ice. The XLR K2M interferes with my cage's top handle too, so I went Beachtek. I found it quieter than the Saramonic, I'm not an audio expert, but the preamps are quieter IMO.

The audio from this piece was exclusively from the G3 into the a73 on some increadibly noisy Toronto streets.

https://youtu.be/qP091xQotIg

Chris
 
well i ordered the AX-100, AX101 and the PAX-2 and I'll compare the PAX-2 with gain to the passive ones. I think that the little passive ones might be all I need though as long as the mics give me enough gain that I don't have to run the A7 preamps very high . I have a separate phantom power supply for my boom mic that I can use when doing an interview. I think the little AX101 might be perfect for working with a sound person and the AX100 when i'm using the little Shure by myself. The G3 can go either mini plug or XLR so it can use either. I'll post my results. Thanks for the help. It really clarified a lot of confusion for me.
 
Another unit that looks promising which has the beauty of being able to take two XLRs or a combo of XLR, 6mm jack or stereo minis is the Saramonic SmartRig+ 2-Channel XLR Microphone Audio Mixer. Claimed to have some decent peramps on board. I have no personal experience with this but I'm tempted to give one a run because it's quite reasonably priced.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod..._channel_mic_instrument_interface.html?sts=pi

A review of it here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRLwxllAIwQ

Chris Young
 
LennyLevy said:
well i ordered the AX-100, AX101 and the PAX-2 and I'll compare the PAX-2 with gain to the passive ones. I think that the little passive ones might be all I need though as long as the mics give me enough gain that I don't have to run the A7 preamps very high . I have a separate phantom power supply for my boom mic that I can use when doing an interview. I think the little AX101 might be perfect for working with a sound person and the AX100 when i'm using the little Shure by myself. The G3 can go either mini plug or XLR so it can use either. I'll post my results. Thanks for the help. It really clarified a lot of confusion for me.
Click to expand...

That's the beauty of the G3, you can still get great audio with the 3.5mm cable. I use it directly into my camera on a regular basis with the handheld and the lav pack - both are fantastic. I'm always on the lookout for other portable alternatives, looking forward to your results.

Chris
 
Damn I just got my AX100 and in testing it I can't seem to hear any audio from A1 even though I'm getting healthy levels on my meters. so far I've tried a Sony MDR-7506, 7502 and an MDR-V900 all with stereo mini plugs. Could I have something set wrong or could it have to do with my phones?

Even with the camera mic on I'm only hearing in the right ear.
 
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Well - The bad news is I have to send my brand new but out of 30day return period A7iii to Sony to repair the headphone jack.
The good news is I like all 3 of the Seramonic adapters and at those low prices I'm keeping all 3 - the AX-100 (passive mini) , AX101(passive XLR) and PAX-2 (w preamp and phantom for XLR and/or mini) and thanks a million for the tips that turned me on to them.



Lenny
 
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