Mic or Line position?

volcano

volcano

Carbonite Member
Hi,
Thanks to you all for the great info I got from this site so far...I got my DVX100 when it came out first and used a lot since... Great camera...My question is:
When I attach my wireless transmitter to a DJ's sound board I thought I have to switch that channel's INPUT from 'Mic' to the 'line' position. However, I never receive audio signal at all, am I missing something? (I use 16 bit, one channel on camera mike, wirelees on the 2nd channel)
(Mic position works very well, but sometimes sound is distorted due to high volumes, no matter how much i tweak the sensitivy or the AF out of the receiver/transmitter)
Or, is line used for something else?
Thanks
 
They key is your transmitter. Is it set to receive, then transmit line level or are you talking about the switches on the camera itself?

Not all outputs on an audio board are line level. You might be hooked up to a mic level output.

Start with the board, then track what everything is set at from there.

Your receiver may be set to receive line level but what counts on the camera is what your receiver is set at when it puts audio to the camera.

Personally, I always felt running my wireless gear at line level ate up my batteries faster and did little or nothing to truly affect the quality of sound.

But...I do news and documentaries, not commercial film work.
 
Hi Lensmith,
I was talkin about the switches on the camera.
But i think you answered my question by saying 'not all outputs are line level on a board'. Whenever I ask this to a DJ I never get any answer. I am not expert on audio, neither those guys running those big mixer or DJ boards at the parties...
Is there a way to know if an output on a sound board(or mixer) is line out? (If you look at the connections on most boards it just says 'in' or 'out'...)
 
When using a wireless system, Think of it as two separate systems that are comunicating by RF (radio frequency), Lets say both trans. and rece. are set to the same freq. (Aseential !!).

Usually the feed from a PA board will be line level, So you have to switch your trans. to line or reduce input sensitivity.

At the receiver end, If you have line/mic switch use either, BUT !!!! switch the camera input accordingly! If no such switch in the receiver it is probably mic output level, So set the camera input to mic.

You start with a line in to the transmiter and you end up with mic level at the camera.
 
Hi Danny,
Wireless System I use(Seinheiser Evo G2) doesnt have switchers for 'mic' or 'line' on neither trans. nor receiver. Switch for 'mic' or 'line' is on my DVX100 as you know it... That tells me my receiver is always on 'mic' level, that means i shouldnt bother switching INPUT(on the camera) to line and always leave it on 'mic' position... Thanks a lot...
 
First I'd take your wireless mic set, and set it up to work with your camera - with just a mic normally. Once that is working, then you know that your camera is reciving a proper signal form the reciver, then all you need is to plug in the transmitter to the house board and adjust that to match.

Most house feeds are line level, and non-switchable radio mics are 'mic in' on the transmitter (for a mic, obviously). Hopfully at least one or the other is switchable, or you may be in touble. If you can't switch either, use the "gain" control on your transmitter to drop the sensitivity way down (up to 24db, or more!) and/or ask the house mixer to turn down your feed (posible if s/he is sending you an Aux send)
One other, possibly simpler, option is to get a adapter which "pads" down the line signal from the mixer to a mic level for your transmitter. These are known as DI's (Direct Interfaces), they are normally used to connect instruments like guitars or keyboards to mic inputs on stage, most facileties have some DIs kicking around. They can be a godsend for this type of stuff.


Or of course, you could consider pulling cable and going wired, eliminating the whole uncertainty of radio and getting access to the audio controls on the DVX.

EDIT: your G2 DOES have controls for input level. Hit [Set] then scroll though the menu untill you get "SENSIT", Then hit [set] and then you can use the arrows to adjust the sensitivity (gain) of the input, whiel watching the level meter to get the right level from the house board.

- Mikko

- Mikko
 
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Hey Mikko,
Thanks for the wise suggestions...I think i'll look into the DI's which sounds like the absolute solution... Btw, i know I got the SENSIT and use it always, i just meant I dont have a switcher from 'mic' to 'line' on the transmitter just like the one on the camera...
 
Yeah, DIs are handy.

SENSIT is basically the mic/line switch, but it have more options too :)

Good luck, keep us posted on how it turns out.

- Mikko
 
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