GH5 Describe quality difference between Panasonic XLR1 vs -12 setting & external preamp?

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analogs

Well-known member
Describe quality difference between Panasonic XLR1 vs -12 setting & external preamp?

Does anyone have the Panasonic XLR1 and have compared the difference between audio quality using -12 setting and using an external preamp for audio.

eg.
Sennheiser G3 > XLR1 > GH5
Sennheiser G3 > GH5 @ -12
Sennheiser G3 > Portable Audio Recorder > GH5 @ -12
Sennheiser G3 > Portable Audio Recorder

Is the XLR1 bypassing the GH5 inbuilt preamps overall or is it still using it in some way?

Thank you.
 
FWIW, I have an under-camera audio mixer/preamp from a company called Comica. It will accept XLR and unbalanced mic- and line-level signals, then output them as mic-level via a 3.5mm jack. I have tested it (Comica model CVM-AX3) with my GH5 and it works fine, but I have not done a review of it yet -- too busy. I do have an unboxing video of it up on YouTube if you want to see it: https://youtu.be/8DfES4QFdX4

Obviously, the Comica CVM-AX3 does not bypass the GH5's internal preamp, as the CVM-AX3 has a mic-level output. At $100, the Comica CVM-AX3 is a helluva lot less expensive than Panasonic's solution. Obviously, it is not as elegant, and I can can't compare the sound quality between the two.
 
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Hi BobKo,

Thanks for the quick reply. How would you describe the difference in sound quality of the GH5 built in preamps against the Comica? Are you using -12 settings on the camera and using the Comica for gain?
 
analogs said:
Hi BobKo,

Thanks for the quick reply. How would you describe the difference in sound quality of the GH5 built in preamps against the Comica? Are you using -12 settings on the camera and using the Comica for gain?
Click to expand...

I don't have answers to your questions, as I have been too busy to do more than test the Comica to confirm it works. And my high-end hearing is none too good. For me, the Comica adds convenience if I need to connect an XLR mic or line source. Obviously, if it is a line source, the Comica will be reducing the level just so the GH5 can re-amplify it. That's never the best solution, but it is better than not having the ability to connect line-level sources.
 
I had similar questions when I bought the GH5S with it's line-level input - but I never got to compare in the end - I do recommend the XLR1, though.

Very clean pre-amps with higher bitrate audio files too - I wouldn't bother with using a separate recorder as a substitute, unless I was using a high-end Sound Devices with very low noise mics etc and needed the absolute nth degree in quality or multiple audio legs - but then I'd probably employ a sound recordist to concentrate totally on that.

I also recommend the Smallrig "helmet" kit that locks the XLR1 into place with a bit more support and protection around it.

Ben.
 
I have not done any direct comparisons of noise level but I can tell you that I use the XLR1 as often as I can now. I've used a few external pre-amps (marantz and beachtek) and I've used zoom and tascam recorders and patched them through the 3.5mm jack. I'm not a fan of this avenue because it's one more device in the chain that can fail. And especially when it comes to marantz and beathtek device, they would just die without warning. The XLR1 is quick and convenient and relatively clean IMO.
 
I finally had a chance to do some testing and recording with the Comica CVM-AX3 under-camera audio mixer/interface. I used it with my GH5, which has the audio input set to -4 dB. I could not hear the difference between the sound of a microphone plugged directly into the camera, and the same microphone plugged into the Comica mixer and then routed to the camera. In other words, as far as I could tell, the Comica mixer added no noise. I also tried a line-level signal, and that worked with no problem. I tried both a regular (dynamic) mic and a phantom-powered mic, and both worked fine.

I made a YouTube review video of the Comica CVM-AX3, shooting most of it with my GH5. The remaining shots were with my wife's Panasonic GX8. Here's the link:

https://youtu.be/_VRcJnQ-eEE

I like the Comica CVM-AX3, and at $100, it is a helluva lot less expensive than Panasonic's XLR1.
 
I have the XLR adapter and definitely recommend it unless you want to do dual sound. The only issue that I've seen is if you are using a shotgun microphone, you've got to be pretty close to your subject, which means close-ups or medium close-up shots. If you are much further and need to boost the gain much beyond unity, you might have to run NR on it. However, the RX Elements De-Noiser is amazing and does a really great job cleaning up audio. It actually kind of blows my mind how good of a job it does.
 
karma17 said:
I have the XLR adapter and definitely recommend it unless you want to do dual sound. The only issue that I've seen is if you are using a shotgun microphone, you've got to be pretty close to your subject, which means close-ups or medium close-up shots. If you are much further and need to boost the gain much beyond unity, you might have to run NR on it. However, the RX Elements De-Noiser is amazing and does a really great job cleaning up audio. It actually kind of blows my mind how good of a job it does.
Click to expand...

That will depend on the quality of the mic and it’s noise characteristics and output level - each mic model Is different. The pre amps on the XLR1 are perfectly acceptable when fed a good quality signal. With a decent 416 or NTG3, I’ve got very good performance, with plenty of latitude in gain. I haven’t compared with really low noise pres like a Sound Devices or Nagra, but I’ve got 3 decades of experience with them and my gut feeling, after 2 docs shot with the XLR1, is that it’s a goodun when used with conventional high quality gear and not difficult sources like dynamic mics etc.

Ben.

Ben.
 
I've used a wide variety of adapters and pre-amps with my GH5 and to date the best sounding recording has always been the set-up where I use a Sound Devices MixPre-D to power and amplify my mic audio signal which is then fed into the GH5 mic input or the XLR1 adapter mounted on my GH5. They both show the same noise-floor when fed a strong signal ( around -72 dB RMS ), but I prefer to use the XLR1 adapter because it's all XLR connectors which I trust more than 3.5mm plugs.
 
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