Juicedlink CX211 or CX231 (or something else)?

S

shleepy

New member
I have a Canon HV20 that I want to use with a Rode NTG-2 mic (already ordered). When searching for XLR adapters with pre-amps, I found that CX211 is a popular choice. At ~$190, it's probably not a bad deal. And then I found the CX231, which looks like virtually the same thing, except that it also has phantom power... and it also costs around $300.

So, my questions:
1) Are there any immediate advantages to using an HV20 + NTG-2 with the CX231, instead of a CX211?
2) Are there any long-term advantages? I.e., if I want to upgrade to a bigger camera or a more expensive mic in the future, would the CX231 be a useful thing to have (compared to CX211)?
3) Are there better alternatives for $300 or less?

Thanks for your help!
 
shleepy said:
1) Are there any immediate advantages to using an HV20 + NTG-2 with the CX231, instead of a CX211?
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You won't have to constantly be changing batteries in the NTG-2, although you will be changing the 9V battery in the CX231. The advantage would be if you use mics that require phantom power but cannot be powered with a battery like the NTG-1.

shleepy said:
2) Are there any long-term advantages? I.e., if I want to upgrade to a bigger camera or a more expensive mic in the future, would the CX231 be a useful thing to have (compared to CX211)?
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It depends upon the camera you would be getting. The juicedLink only has 1/8" minipin outputs, so if the new camera has TRS and/or XLR inputs you would need an adapter, which of course is another item in your signal chain.

shleepy said:
3) Are there better alternatives for $300 or less?
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There's Beachtek, which also has only 1/8" minipin outputs and uses 9V batteries.
 
Good info, thanks! A follow-up question on...

unclebob6958 said:
It depends upon the camera you would be getting. The juicedLink only has 1/8" minipin outputs, so if the new camera has TRS and/or XLR inputs you would need an adapter, which of course is another item in your signal chain.


There's Beachtek, which also has only 1/8" minipin outputs and uses 9V batteries.
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What about something that might be more expensive and would be more flexible for the long run (i.e., maybe has both, 1/8" and XLR outputs)? Are there any adapters like that?
 
shleepy said:
What about something that might be more expensive and would be more flexible for the long run (i.e., maybe has both, 1/8" and XLR outputs)? Are there any adapters like that?
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You are basically describing a mixer which has all the features you are talking about. But the downside is that it is too big to be mounted to a camera. Looking at your current set-up I´d say the Juicedlink without phantom power makes the most sense. You can always sell it for a good price when you move up. A better camera most likely will have XLR inputs and offer phantom power and the only thing that would get you a better sound would be a real mixer like the SD Mix-Pre or the SD 302 with good pre-amps and limiters and such. But that is quiet a step up price wise and might not be practical if you work as a one man band.
 
shleepy said:
Good info, thanks! A follow-up question on...



What about something that might be more expensive and would be more flexible for the long run (i.e., maybe has both, 1/8" and XLR outputs)? Are there any adapters like that?
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No comparrison betweent he Juicedlink and the Beachteks. Get the Juicedlink boxes.
Juicedlink boxes use ultra quiet pre amps, which keep your noise floor down and your audio clean.

Beachtek uses passive pre amps (no pre amps) in all but one of their adapters. Asa result your audio will be much noisier than that of the Juicedlink boxes. Beachtek only has one unit that sues built in pre amps, and it's still not as quiet as the Juicedlink boxes and is twice the cost of one Juicedlink box.

As for weatehr or not to get the CX211 or CX231, it all biols down to weatehr or not you need 48v phantom power for your mics.

I also ahve the NTG2 and use a battery with it ratehr than draining my Juicedlink box more by running a mic with phantom power. So I use the CX211 boxes with Rode NTG2 mics on mall of my Sony FX1's. My audio has been uber quiet and rock solid every time.

I woudl recommend picking up some of these iPower 9- volt batteries. As you will find that tehse hold a charge better than anything out there, and will run for an entire days shoot with no problems. They are expensive but woth it in the long run.

BTW I also own the 4 channel version of this box, and use it as a small field mixer. Works great as well. For this unit I use phantom powered mics.

Just so you know, I do not work for Juicedlink, but was contacted by the developer last year and did a comparison between the Juicedlink boxes and Beachtek boxes. And mu conclusion was that the Juicedlinks won hands down. I also helped them out with fixing a few bugs that they ahd in early development.
 
Excellent, excellent info - thank you very much so far. :)

So, it looks like it will come down to a CX211 (that I can later sell) or to something much more expensive. But as far as the latter goes, SD MixPre looks like it would have everything that I would need in the remotely near future, if I were to upgrade cameras, and in a pretty compact format, for a fairly affordable price ($500-600, if used). So, another follow-up question - if I were to get the MixPre to use with my HV20, how would I be able to mount it conveniently? Unlike the Juicedlink boxes, it doesn't have convenient tripod-able attachments, as far as I can tell. And would it be OK to use it straight to the HV20 (without any additional modifications or accessories/hardware, besides whatever mounting mechanism I would have to use)?
 
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shleepy said:
Excellent, excellent info - thank you very much so far. :)

So, it looks like it will come down to a CX211 (that I can later sell) or to something much more expensive. But as far as the latter goes, SD MixPre looks like it would have everything that I would need in the remotely near future, if I were to upgrade cameras, and in a pretty compact format, for a fairly affordable price ($500-600, if used). So, another follow-up question - if I were to get the MixPre to use with my HV20, how would I be able to mount it conveniently? Unlike the Juicedlink boxes, it doesn't have convenient tripod-able attachments, as far as I can tell. And would it be OK to use it straight to the HV20 (without any additional modifications or accessories/hardware, besides whatever mounting mechanism I would have to use)?
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That's the thing with the MixPre. It is a staple and as rock solid as they come. But it's not meant to mate with a camcorder. the Juicedlink is designed to be an XLR box first that can aslo be used like a mixer. you can mount it ti your camera and tripod easily. You can't with a Mix Pre.

As I said the Mix Pre is superiour to the Juicedlink, but it's not conventient as far as portability and compatibility with a camera. Espesially a small camera like the HV20.
 
This is the reason that I recommend the Juicedlink over any mixer, such as the Mix Pre.
The Mix Pre is superior, but it's a mixer, not an XLR adapter for camcorders like the Juicelink boxes are.

And the Juicedlink boxes are the best units out there at the moment for cameras with 1/8 inputs only to expand to multi channel input capability.

In essence the Juicedlink boxes are above average camera mountable mixers. Not top of the like like the Mix Pre, but definitely good enough.
 
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