Best mic settings between Zoom H5 and Gh4

C

canada John

Member
I waited and have just purchased a GH4 with a serial number well past the point where the “buzz” is said to be fixed. So hopefully all will be well.



Till now I've been accumulating information on the “fixes” suggested when a “buzz” was the problem. Most commonly it was said to set the GH4 at -12dB and the Zoom Line/Mic out at 0dB (Erik Neso).


I'm wondering how that has changed. What is the best set-up for a “non-buzzing” GH4?


The Zoom H5 has the ability to adjust its Line Out to Mic Out levels. It is set at 0dB and can go as far as -30 dB.


I also note that a Sescom cable sold to connect the Line Out of earlier models of the Zoom to camera mics like the GH4's has an attenuator of -25 dB.


Can I draw from this that with the “fixed” GH4 one should set the Lin/Mic Out at -25 dB?


If so what would one set the GH4 at?


Or is there still reason to send a stronger signal to the GH4 and set the GH4 to something like -12 dB?


(I will be recording directly to the Zoom and may have to use that but was hoping to get as good a recording to the camera at I could. Life would be less complicated it that audio was good.)


Thanks.


John
 
Dropping the internal preamps as low as possible is a best practice for practically any hybrid/DSLR camera. Some tests have shown the GH4 to have some of the best audio quality of this type of camera, but even its preamps are not a match for a quality mixer or audio recorder. You'll almost always get the best quality by keeping the camera's preamps low and sending the camera a strong audio signal.

I don't have my H5 on hand right now, but adjusting its output to give the GH4 the right level is the way to go. You can load a -12dB test tone on an SD card to play back on the H5 to calibrate the output level for the GH4 (block 4 on the GH4's audio meters). You can get more information on calibrating levels in this audio meter guide for the GH4.
 
The GH4 likes a true -50 dB MIC level signal, so likely the standard MIC level from the H5 should do the trick.
 
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