HMC80 audio help

Roni

Roni

New member
Hi everyone, I am new here as I now have an HMC80 :) I have previously shot on a Canon HV30.

I have no problem with audio through the xlr inputs, but when I hook up my Audio Technica ATR-3350 Lav mic to the 3.5 mini jack in the front, I get a really loud hiss. I can hear the recorded voices but cannot even make out what they are saying due to the loud hiss. The 3350 works fine with no hiss at all on my HV30.

I'd appreciate any advice to what I may be doing wrong, as this camera is much more complicated than my HV30.

Thanks in advance for any advice you have for me.
Ron
 
Hi Roni

The first thing you need to do is change the 3.5mm plug for an XLR (or get an adapter) Use the XLR channels rather....if you have to use the front input did you make sure that both the audio panel switches have been set to FRONT??? For starters I would just set the mode on the panel to "Auto" and then you can change it to Manual later...in most situations the auto ALC does a good job....!! I have never tried the 3.5mm on my cameras as they all have XLR plugs fitted!!

I would suspect that audio is switched to REAR instead of FRONT

Chris
 
I have only XLR microphones, so I've never used the front mic jack on my HMC80, but one thing that immediately strikes me is that the HMC80 jack is wired for a stereo microphone (tip-ring-sleeve), while the ATR-3350 is a mono mic with tip and sleeve connections only. At the very least, that means you'll only get audio on one channel when you plug it in; the other one will be shorted out at the input. So, are you sure you're listening to both audio channels during playback? Can you switch between left, right and both to see if the sound appears better on one side than the other? (I *think* it's the left input, if either, that ought to be working, but I'm not certain how the jack is wired.)

And also check the really obvious -- is the battery installed in your mic correctly, and is it good?

I agree with ChrisHarding, though, that getting an XLR adapter for your mic and plugging it into one of the rear inputs (mic level, side switches to rear inputs, +48V phantom power OFF) would almost certainly give you more reliable results. When you can afford it, get some professional microphones with balanced XLR outs (the XLR jacks are one of the HMC80's most important features, and something many of us would pay real money to have available on our cameras) and enjoy the lower noise levels and long cable runs they can facilitate.

- Greg
 
Hi Greg and Roni
Very good point, in fact if the ATR has a MONO plug then once inserted the HMC will "hear" only one channel and if in auto, the ALC will try to lift the other channel until full gain is reached...with tons of hiss!!!! The first thing I do with new mics is cut off the 3.5mm plug and solder an XLR plug in it's place .... just connect the "live" wire to pin 2 on the XLR male plug and then the screen wire to pin 1 and 3 on the XLR plug...yeah I know it's an unbalanced output but it will still work very well!! Of course remember to switch the channel you plug into to "REAR" (You can also adjust mic sensitivity via the menu)

The HMC80 XLR channels are great so use them !!!

Chris
 
Chris and Greg thank you for your thoughtful replies.

Yes, the lav is mono, that must be where my trouble is, as I have tried every possible configuration (manual, auto, back, front, etc.) and even with a mono to stereo adapter.

As I am not much of a DIYer, could you recommend a 3.5 to xlr adapter? I could only find adapters going the other way (xlr to 3.5).

Also, can you recommend an xlr lav mic to use with the HMC80? Funds are tight right now but I can start saving.

Many thanks for your astute observations and your help!

Ron
 
Hi Roni

If you want a ready-made one the Rode ones are the neatest ones I have seen. Full Compass have them . Grab two, one for each channel and you can plug any mono 1/8" jack into them!!!

http://www.fullcompass.com/product/235523.html

I only use wireless mics and all my Azden mics come with a 1/8" to 1/8th cable as well as a 1/8th to XLR cable with the kit I have two sets of 330ULT's which are dual receivers but you probably only need a single channel unit.... My choice for on-cam mics have to be the RodeVideoMic ..I have one on each camera and they are awesome for weddings!! With the Rode you will need the Rode adapter if you don't want to rewire your mics!!!

Chris
 
Thanks Chris! I'll order this adapter and let you guys know how it works for me.

Thanks again, great forum!
 
Roni said:
Also, can you recommend an xlr lav mic to use with the HMC80? Funds are tight right now but I can start saving.
Click to expand...

That ATR-3350 you have is actually a pretty respectable offering for an inexpensive lavalier, so keep using it until you can afford the jump to something better. But here are some suggestions for when you're ready:

On the lower end of the price scale, I've had good luck with the Audio-Technica AT803B (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/68272-REG/Audio_Technica_AT803_AT803B_Mini_Clip_On.html). This is far from the smallest lavalier mic available, and they do have a power module that is a bit oversized (kind of looks like a wireless mic transmitter), but for the money, the sound is good and you can power them either from batteries or 48V phantom from the camera (an important point to me).

A little higher up the scale, the Rode Lavalier (about $250) is getting good reviews, and sounded very good in Chad Johnson's lavalier mic shootout that was posted in the Audio forum here a few months ago. ( http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?226641-Lav-Shootout!-Rode-Tram-Sanken-amp-Sennheiser&highlight=Chadfish ) You would need to buy the Micon-5 adapter to plug these into an XLR input. I don't have any of these yet, but am planning on getting some very soon.

At the real high end, the Sanken COS-11D, Tram TR-50 and various Countryman lavs are all very popular -- and much smaller than the lower-end offerings, but with prices all in the $300 and up range. My budget does not quite allow me to get into that kind of territory yet, although I've rented Trams on a couple of occasions.

- Greg
 
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Greg, thanks so much for this info. I hope to get my lav working, but in the future I will want to move up to something better and your post provide an excellent jump start for my research!
 
I got the XLR adapter so I could plug the lav into one of the rear inputs, but it only 'sort of' works. If I plug the connector from the mic all the way into the adapter, I get no audio, but if I back it up out of the adapter just a tiny bit, I get clear audio. The problem is that any movement moves the plug just enough to disconnect the audio. It's like the plug almost fits, but not quite ... or something <sigh>

I'll save for an xlr lav. Thanks again for your help.
 
Hey Roni

I had a set of headphones that also did that on my camera!! Push the plug fully in and there is no audio but pull it back just a tiny bit and it works fine. What I did (until I bought another headphone set) was to take a cheap ball-point pen (or anything that consists of a plastic tube) and cut a tiny "spacer" from it and then I glued it to the back of the plug shaft which restricts it's depth...not really a professional fix but it does work OK....I still like to cut the plugs off my mics totally and then replace them with XLR plugs and solder the wires so there are no adapters that can cause issues....surely you know someone who can solder or your local electronics shop or TV repair shop could do that for you...all you need to do is cut off the 3.5mm plug and ask them to solder the hot wire (the coloured one) to pin 2 on the male XLR plug and then the screen wire to both pins 1 and pin 3 and it will work 100% and never give you a problem again!!

Chris
 
Chris I'm glad you mentioned your headphones had the same problem. I was starting to think it was just me!

Good idea about the pen. I had thought of a tiny rubber band, but hadn't yet found one small enough. I hesitate to do anything permanent to the mic connector (cutting and soldering), because I still use it with my HV30. I will look into buying one of the lavs Greg listed for the HMC.

Thanks again!
 
Hey Roni,

Ok so I just picked up a HMC80 not to long ago with the same lav set that you have. When I would plug the set into the camera I would get static above the audio feed. I solved this problem with a shielded 3.5mm mono to stereo adapter from RadioShack and it works perfectly now. The XLR option would still be better but I needed a fast solution for the problem.
 
Thanks Kesmic,

I have a mono to stereo adapter from Radio Shack (although I don't recall if it is shielded or not?), but still no luck getting good audio from it. I have an H1 I can probably use with the lav until I can buy an xlr lav.
 
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