mic input problems

flinty

Veteran
Has anyone else had problems with the horrible little 2.5 mic socket,virtualy all external mics including my two have 3.5 pins so an adaptor has to be used ,for some reason if i dont watch the sound bar at all times the sound may go or lose one channel the cause being the adaptor moving in the socket,its easy to miss this and some of my sound has been ruined by this,a pain in the arse.
 
do all that you can not to record serious sound directly to the camera.. dangerous.
there's no way to be sure you'll safely get a signal, and the 2.5 adapters etc, will only get things worse.
unless you need only reference sound, or an extra safety track.
 
do all that you can not to record serious sound directly to the camera.. dangerous.
there's no way to be sure you'll safely get a signal, and the 2.5 adapters etc, will only get things worse.
unless you need only reference sound, or an extra safety track.

So what do i do i film on the move not in one place all time,often i cover several miles filming.
 
in the meantime, keep on with what you have, and keep practicing on observing levels whenever you can, including awareness for any movement in cables.
save money for an external recorder.

very simple.
 
external recorders are ok for on set film making but i have enough to carry it would be impossible for a single person filming as i said with much to carry,out of interest how if i was filming lets say wildlife and had an external sound recorder where would it go and the mic etc, as i have no experience in such matters i am interested, with the canon i used before such problems did not occur perhaps because they have 3.5 mic sockets.Thanks for the input.
 
where does your mic based when you use it with the canon? basically you mount the recorder on the cam. that way you can even record directly to it, using it's mics.
anyway, for your needs, i suggest that you buy the best 3.5- 2.5 adapter possible, make all connections as solid as possible and use it the same as the canon.
just keep an eye for any changes.
 
Don't use an adapter unless it's audio that you're prepared to lose. ;) Using adapters, my audio always failed on the GH1.

Just get a digital recorder, and sync with Pluraleyes or Dualeyes in post with one click of the mouse. You don't need a $899 piece of aluminum bracketry to mount a tiny digital recorder to the camera...just drop it in your pocket, velcro it to your tripod, use gaffers tape to stick it to the rump of a black bear, etc...

Using a digital recorder not only means you can actually completely control the recording levels, but you can actually plug your headphones into it. Good luck!
 
you see? and don't even try to ask in the audio forum ;)
recording to camera (and a consumer camera with pretty basic audio) is unacceptable for professional use.
 
I shot every video on this page (and a new one of these today) with audio going into the GH2.

http://www.humans2humans.com/

I have never had a single problem, no crackles, hiss or drop out.


Thats great sound,so when you say You had audio going into the GH2 you meen into the mic input socket,useing my stereo mics including the Rode which has always given great sound for me even on a canon DSLR has been playing up with my GH2,http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=cart_accessories&A=details&Q=&sku=488047&is=REG
i have not been able to get an adaptor like this in europe and the link place wont send to europe but a friend of my son is sending one over soon hopefully.Why do panasonic put mic inputs if they are just for bits of unuseable sound as many seem to say.

The radio shack FTW is another option but i dont know if it only works with certain mics.
 
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Has anyone else had problems with the horrible little 2.5 mic socket,virtualy all external mics including my two have 3.5 pins so an adaptor has to be used ,for some reason if i dont watch the sound bar at all times the sound may go or lose one channel the cause being the adaptor moving in the socket,its easy to miss this and some of my sound has been ruined by this,a pain in the arse.

Flinty -- yes, i had trouble with the 2.5 mm mic socket until I traded my straight-in Radio Shack adapter to a Hosa 90 degree adapter. It is a lot less likely to get jostled and move in the socket. I also traded in my $65 Azden stereo mic, and am now using a $99 Zoom H1 recorder as a mic. I split the audio output so I can at least monitor what is going into the camera. The camera will remind you to turn the recorder power on, but you will have to remember to hit the record button if you want dual sound. The H1 is not that much bigger than the Azden, so it's just as usable for run and gun. The C bracket I put it on was only $11.95 and isolates the recorder from the camera enough that I don't need a shock mount.

Here's a pic of the setup (apologies for the low-res cellphone image): http://www.flickr.com/photos/45061726@N00/5439368387/
 
Flinty -- yes, i had trouble with the 2.5 mm mic socket until I traded my straight-in Radio Shack adapter to a Hosa 90 degree adapter. It is a lot less likely to get jostled and move in the socket. I also traded in my $65 Azden stereo mic, and am now using a $99 Zoom H1 recorder as a mic. I split the audio output so I can at least monitor what is going into the camera. The camera will remind you to turn the recorder power on, but you will have to remember to hit the record button if you want dual sound. The H1 is not that much bigger than the Azden, so it's just as usable for run and gun. The C bracket I put it on was only $11.95 and isolates the recorder from the camera enough that I don't need a shock mount.

Here's a pic of the setup (apologies for the low-res cellphone image): http://www.flickr.com/photos/45061726@N00/5439368387/




interesting i have the azden but its poo i prefer my RS, i have a double bracket ,what i dont get is when you say you will have to remember to hit the record button if you want dual sound IE does the zoom H1 recorder record sound itself or put sound into the GH2,much abliged
 
If I turn the H1 on and hit the record button, it records sound onto both the camera and the recorder. If I turn it on and forget to hit the record button, it records onto the camera only. I agree with you about the Azden. Hope this is helpful.
 
Flinty -- yes, i had trouble with the 2.5 mm mic socket until I traded my straight-in Radio Shack adapter to a Hosa 90 degree adapter. It is a lot less likely to get jostled and move in the socket. I also traded in my $65 Azden stereo mic, and am now using a $99 Zoom H1 recorder as a mic. I split the audio output so I can at least monitor what is going into the camera. The camera will remind you to turn the recorder power on, but you will have to remember to hit the record button if you want dual sound. The H1 is not that much bigger than the Azden, so it's just as usable for run and gun. The C bracket I put it on was only $11.95 and isolates the recorder from the camera enough that I don't need a shock mount.

Here's a pic of the setup (apologies for the low-res cellphone image): http://www.flickr.com/photos/45061726@N00/5439368387/

Nice bracket. Let's see, if I find something like it in europe.
 
T...Why do panasonic put mic inputs if they are just for bits of unuseable sound as many seem to say...

Because it fits THEIR GH stereo mic perfectly. ;) http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ..._DMW_MS1_DMW_MS1_Stereo_Lumix_Microphone.html
The jack works perfectly, technically speaking I guess...it's just the wrong size for non-Panny mics. :( Sure, you can shoot 2-3 home videos with no trouble using an adapter, maybe 100 movies, but it's Russian roulette. It just depends on how much you're willing to risk. You won't know if the adapter failed until the shoot is over, and you watch the footage.
 
Yeah, definately get a recorder like the H4n. It can be mounted directly onto a larger camera, onto a rig, or kept in a neat little satchel or something.. and it's battery will last longer then the cameras so no worries there. Just be careful with the recorder, get into the habit of always making sure it's going and update the firmware on whichever one you get asap and always preformat the SD cards. I used one out of box once and it's fubared on me on a clip of sound.

In the mean time though, try taping the mic connector and adapter down to the camera or rig to prevent as much movement as possible.. let the strain of any possible pull on the mic cable be on some tape or something, not the connectors.
 
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