ME66 direct into mic input jack for interview shoot

R

RandyQ

Well-known member
Hi folks,
I am thinking of shooting an interview using a GH1, and I am wondering if I can plug my Sennheisser ME66 right into the mic input jack? Of course, I plan to use an XLR to mini-PL cable, but I am wondering if this is a foolish thing to do considering the auto-gain issue.

Reason for asking (despite the obvious posts on this subject) is that I'm unsure whether I could get a ZOOM H4N in time for the shoot, and I'm also trying to limit the number of stuff I bring with me. The small size and portability is the reason I got the GH1 in the first place, and external audio will add yet one more link in the chain to worry about.

Thanks in advance!
 
Excellent, Mattsan... is there a video demonstrating its ability? I'm also looking for an audio solution for my GH1.
 
Pelerino said:
It doesn't have phantom power, it does but not enough, so this may not work.
Click to expand...

No need for Phantom power - the ME66 has a battery powered option. You can feed it directly into a mini PL input (been doing this for years with TRV900/VX2000).

My concern has more to do with the auto gain control messing up the recording. Its an interview, so the voice quality is important, and I'm hoping it wont be THAT much of an issue.
 
And, as has been discussed here many times before, the GH1 doesn't have live audio out or a headphone jack, so you can't monitor sound while it's being recorded. So you're flying blind -- er -- deaf.

You can certainly record directly into a GH1, but it's risky. If you can shoot a retake if the sound is no good on playback, then it can work out OK. But if getting the sound right on the first take is important, then use an external audio recorder that has live monitoring during recording.

If loud sounds cause the output level of the ME66 to overload the GH1's input you can use an inline mic attenuator to prevent this. These are available for sale or you can build one:
http://www.vimeo.com/7616987

Refer also to:
http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showpost.php?p=1692295&postcount=12
http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=177740
 
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Thanks for pointing this out, Peter. Makes me realize that the GH1 isn't the right cam for what I'm trying to do then. If I need to bring another piece of gear just to guarantee that the sound is right the first time, then I'm defeating my original goal.

On the other hand, if I were not shooting an interview, the GH1 will be perfectly alright.
 
Folks are using the GH1 to record program audio (with the mic plugged directly into the cam), and getting results ranging from pretty good to not-so-great. This is exactly what you'd expect since one can't monitor & control the sound while it's being recorded. With excellent planning, experience, care, proper cabling, luck, and if necessary, retakes, you can get good results.

Here are a few examples:
http://vimeo.com/groups/gh1/videos/5860184
http://vimeo.com/groups/gh1/videos/8430972
http://vimeo.com/7161051

But as I said before, it's risky. Audio problems such as poor mic placement, electrical & machinery hum, background & handling noise, wind & breathing noise, overload distortion, dead/dying mic batteries and so forth are everyday issues when recording sound. The chance of one or more of these issues ruining a take are greatly increased if you aren't/can't monitor the sound while recording (and aren't using a cam with XLR audio connectors).

If possible, use an appropriate external recorder with headphone monitoring (such as a H4N, or a prosumer DV camcorder just for audio, etc.) together with a DSLR (GH1, 7D, etc.) will greatly improve the odds of getting good sound.

Slating your takes (even a hand clap) will make it relatively easy to sync your video & audio tracks in most NLE software. Software such as PluralEyes can also be used to automagically sync multiple A/V clips.
 
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