EVA1: Low signal using a Rode NTG2 with EVA1

J

james.parsons

New member
Is there anyone using a Rode NTG2 with the EVA1? First experience of shooting with the camera this week and we're having to turn the audio input all the way to 10 to get any decent levels from the mic (peaking just over -18dB). Is this common with this mic on the EVA? Or is there some setting we're not aware of to get better levels? Cheers (Mic sensitivity set to -40dB, phantom on, input set to mic).

Is there a recommended shotgun mic for the EVA?

What audio settings are people using if shooting vox pops with boom mic into camera?

Cheers
 
I've never shot with an EVA1, but the NTG-2 is well known for having a weak signal. I would either add on an inline XLR amplifier like the Triton Audio Fethead Phantom which will boost the NTG-2 signal by 20 dB without raising the noise-floor, or use a hotter shotgun mic like the Sennheiser MKE600, Rode NTG-3, or the Sennheiser MKH416. I owned the NTG-2 for about 6 months and ended up selling it off because of the low signal output and it's muffled higher end. Today I mainly use the NTG-3 mic.
 
The Rode NTG-2 has only a sensitivity of 15.00mV @ 94 dB SP. I never understood why it became so popular. Don't mess around with Triton Fethead. Sell it and go for a proper mic. On boom I am using a Sennheiser ME66/K6 with good results.
 
Clermond said:
The Rode NTG-2 has only a sensitivity of 15.00mV @ 94 dB SP. I never understood why it became so popular. Don't mess around with Triton Fethead. Sell it and go for a proper mic. On boom I am using a Sennheiser ME66/K6 with good results.
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Probably 1) it's cheap, and 2) someone that bought it because of reason 1 had never used a good shotgun and started spreading all over the internet that it was a good shotgun.
 
-40 dB is the LEAST sensitive mic input level available in the EVA1 menus. (It means, the mic is expected to output a signal of about -40 dBv.) Try changing the setting to -60 dB, which will give you an extra 20 dB of gain from the preamps.

- Greg
 
I've been using the NTG-1 (which is the same mic, but it runs on -48db phantom power only). At the time that I purchased it, the camera mic was totally an afterthought: I just needed something decent and relatively inexpensive to pick up occasional NATs and scratch audio for reference (since the EVA1 doesn't have internal mics like most Sonys do). When I first tested it out, I was a bit shocked by how underpowered it is. As Greg says above, I had to boost the camera's input level to -40db (and then recalibrate my wireless receivers so I don't have to mess with the setting when switching different mics in/out). That did help tremendously, and I usually only need to set the gain dial at about 11 o'clock.

Do not bother with the EVA1's internal Limiter (super slow response) or Lowcut filter (weird robotic transient noise). Each of these circuits will yield unusable audio that you can't fix in post.

The mic itself, however, is not that wonderful. The pickup pattern is astonishingly wide for even a small shotgun and the sonic range is not the best. I would never use it for Vox pops, but it works well as a decent camera mic for picking up room sound and quick NATs, which is all that I use it for (I have a larger, less practical Bayer Dynamics that I dig up for those rare occasions that I need good sound from my camera mic). Nonetheless, I continue to use mine, but if you need more out of your camera mic, then I recommend you return it while you can.

As Run & Gun mentions above, I bought it (probably too quickly) based on the price point and reviews. It's definitely over-rated (over-hyped), and highly praised by folks who are likely more excited to have a well known brand name painted on the wind screen (just like the pics of the cool rigs that they see on the interwebs!).
 
I agree with what everyone else is saying about the NTG 1 & NTG 2
After buying the NTG 3 a couple of years ago, my NTG 1 basically became a seldom-used backup.
The clarity and overall presence of the NTG 3 is so much better than the NTG 1 -- trade up to the better mic!
 
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