Audio Tests (T2i ML, NTG-2, Mixpre-D, Zoom H4n)

[Jalum]

This is a little video I shot to test out a few of the possible configurations and settings you can achieve with the following gear:

Canon T2i running Magic Lantern, AGC disabled.
Rode NTG-2 Mic.
Zoom H4n.
Sound Devices Mixpre-D.

For the longest time I'd been recording audio onto the Zoom and syncing it in post. In December, based on a few recommendations I read on this forum, I purchased the Mixpre-D. I was on the fence and spent a while deciding between that and a much cheaper Juicedlink pre-amp. The deciding factor was that I felt more confident in the Mixpre-D holding it's value if I have to upgrade to something else in the future.

When I get a chance I will upload the same footage with all the audio normalized, which should highlight the differences in the signal to noise ratios.

 

[Alex H.]

Thanks for sharing your experiences. Unfortunately, this doesn't tell us very much. Adding normalized audio for comparison also won't give much. It would be much more informative to hear these samples with audio from all the different sources set to record at approximately the same levels. This won't be perfect, as there are numbers on the meters for the H4n and not so much with the T2i and ML, but you can get in the neighborhood.

One example of a mic and recorder driven into clipping is not a fair comparison for a clip of a camera's built-in that is set to record so low that it's barely there.

This will also simplify things: compare the T2i with AGC off using the internal mic and the feed from the MixPre-D/NTG-2, getting the levels in the same neighborhood in-camera, with the NTG-2 and the H4n with and without the MixPre-D in the chain, also with record levels in the same spot. Four setups, four clips for comparison. That will tell us what the noise floor is with everything else in the gain staging that's necessary to get the right record levels. I'd also recommend getting the NTG-2 closer. You're frame is tight enough that you can get the mic within 6" and still be out of frame, which will also give you a better s/n ratio for comparison.

And, honestly, using the T2i with internal mic isn't really necessary... it's kind of an assumption that this will give very poor results. Using the NTG-2 across the board will even the playing field a bit. If you really wanted, you could use the NTG-2 on battery with an adapter cable straight into the camera, but that's not even necessary for what you're trying to demonstrate.

 

[Jalum]

Thanks for sharing your experiences. Unfortunately, this doesn't tell us very much. Adding normalized audio for comparison also won't give much. It would be much more informative to hear these samples with audio from all the different sources set to record at approximately the same levels. This won't be perfect, as there are numbers on the meters for the H4n and not so much with the T2i and ML, but you can get in the neighborhood.

One example of a mic and recorder driven into clipping is not a fair comparison for a clip of a camera's built-in that is set to record so low that it's barely there.

Those are excellent points. I'm still stumbling through a lot of this stuff, so if I get a chance to do another test I'll be more mindful of it.

With that said, here's the (questionably useful) normalized test: