Ex1 pre-amps quiet enough for Sanken Cs-3e?

B

badlaa

Well-known member
I'll try to keep my documentary gear as light as possible so would I get clean enough sound plugging my Sanken Cs-3e directly to the sony's xlr? I could always get the Sound Devices MM-1 with better pre-amp but I'm trying to avoid the extra bulk if possible. Any thoughs?

Sensitivity for the sanken is -28dB.
 
I have a EX1 and a CS-3e. I rarely use them toghether (I own the camera since a few months) but I have used the Sanken for long, on a boom or mounted on cameras. It is a very good shotgun but may be a bit too directional for on camera use. Still the sound coming from off axis degrades in volume relatively gently and doesn't get colored. I'd like to have this and a wider mic camera mounted.
Here is something I shot with the EX1 and the CS-3e on camera without caring enough about the sound. All you ear is from the Sanken on camera, the voice over included, no post at all. Might edit another version with no music and more sound.
(I realize now you didn't specify "camera mounted". The sound of the EX1 is good, the CS-3e is one of the best shotguns in the market. It is a bit hissy compared to some other microphones but not a problem unless you shoot nature/wild life. For dialogues, using it on a boom linked directly to the camera can give you good results in my opinion).
http://vimeo.com/15043256 passw Pamirs
 
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Do a search for Basspig's posts on the sound system on the EX1/3. He's done more testing and is more knowledgable about the subject than anyone I know. He is quite complimentary of the sound these cams are capable of recording.
 
-28dB is exceptionally 'hot' for a microphone of any time. I would be more worried about overload than noise!

As for the quietude of EX preamps, they're surprisingly clean. Last summer, I shot some interview footage with only one of the channels of my Rode NT4 plugged in. The other channel was connected to my Sennheiser EW100 wireless receiver. I didn't have my headphones on for some reason, and didn't realize there wasn't enough phantom power to operate the mic properly. The audio was there, about -50dB. I was able to normalize it in post and it was about as good as 'properly recorded' audio on my old Sony VX2000. It had some small hiss in there, but was quite usable. That was after boosting it by FIFTY dB.
So I'd say the mic pre's are pretty quiet on this camera.

I've recorded a number of piano recitals with this camera now, and it continues to make use of my high end audio recording hardware unnecessary, when 2 channels of audio is all that's needed.
 
Holy crap Mark 50 dB boost with just a little hiss? That's bordering on real world lower mid-range 24-bit audio's noise floor and right at pro 16-bit's audio threshold there! I'm going to have to try this out myself...

LOL, yeah I'd say the EX1 preamps are about as clean as you can get on a camera under 10K.
 
I have yet to use a my MixPre with my EX1! As a OMB most of the time I just plug a mic in, set the level to 5 or 6 in both channels and set the trim to -41db and I'm good with my NTG-3 or AT4053b. The NTG-3 is rated at -30db sensitivity, and the AT4053b is at -34db.
 
Considering that 16 bits offers 96dB of total dynamic range, 50dB still leaves some useful headroom, adequate for a pinch with on site interviews.

I recorded the GBSO last Saturday with two studio condensers feeding an EX1 in the balcony and my MOTU system recording 5 channels from a flown array. The EX1 audio stood up well, despite 60' extra feet from the orchestra as compared with the flown array.
 
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