Can I Use a Sennheiser G3 Plug-on Transmitter Directly from My SD Mixer?

[TheDingo]

I've never used a plug-on transmitter this way, but I am wondering if it's ok to plug a Sennheiser SKP 100 G3 plug-on transmitter directly into the mic out from my mixer?

i.e. Boom op has shotgun plugged into a SD MixPre-D mixer, which has the plug-on transmitter plugged into the mic out, with Sennheiser receiver is plugged into camera 20 feet away

Any problems with using the gear this way?

 

[Mike Paul]

It'll work. Your range might not be fantastic, but 20ft should be ok.

I would advise using a short jumper XLR to go from the MixPre to transmitter. Plugging the transmitter straight into the mixer puts a very large mass (and stress) on the mixer output xlr and one ill-timed bump could conceivably damage the mixer output, the transmitter, or both.

Plus, using a jumper cable lets you move the transmitter to a better spot, if having it in a bag with the mixer gives poor RF results.

 

[Rick R]

Since the SKP100 plug-on is designed primarily for dynamic microphones, I don't know if will support a +4dB operating level that most mixers output, so some attenuation may be necessary.
I would concur with Mike, use a jumper, this should enhance the RF transmission as well, keeping it in 'open air'.

 

[Bruce Watson]

I've never used a plug-on transmitter this way, but I am wondering if it's ok to plug a Sennheiser SKP 100 G3 plug-on transmitter directly into the mic out from my mixer?

You can. It might work fine as long as you feed it a mic. level signal.

OTOH, I read somewhere that the Sennheiser plug-on transmitter (might be just eh skp 100, IDK) is designed to use the mic body as an antenna. I doubt it can "drive" the case of the mixer that way, or on that level, or with that result. IOW, your transmission range my be well less than what you'd get with the plug-on directly on the mic.

Also, you won't get any return from the camera, so you can't monitor from the camera, so you won't know what the camera is recording. If this is just a scratch track used as backup and for syncing wth audio from a dedicated recorder, fine, go for it. But if this is your primary audio, you're asking for trouble is you aren't monitoring it.

 

[TheDingo]

Also, you won't get any return from the camera, so you can't monitor from the camera, so you won't know what the camera is recording

I was thinking that the boom-op monitors from the mixer, and the camera-op can also monitor what the camera is recording. Maybe not a perfect set-up, but it should be workable.