Multi Camera ENG Audio / FP16a

S

Spudman

Member
Hi All from OZ
Have been doing more commercials of late and the chap who runs a particular agency in town is known for doing multi camera pre records using Sony Hi Def Digi Cam so have be contemplating the purchase of two Shure FP16a transformer distribution amplifiers before I get caught out. If anyone has used these I would be interested to hear of their experiences, good or bad!
cheers
Tony
 
Be careful with D/As. Bad ones can chew the signal up. I worked in a studio that did a buildin competition with two teams of three, plus three hosts. All mics were split through a D/A between to mixing consoles and two record racks. The b-unit sounded drastically different, despite using identical consoles. Good D/As won't affect the signal nearly as much, but I don't know about the Shure. Rolls makes a good one.

Depending on the number of cameras, you may not need this item. For two-camera shoots, I simply take an XLR splitter out of each channel from the mixer, which gives me two sets of sends. More than two cameras, and you will need a good D/A.
 
Consider using a Sound Devices 442 mixer. It has three isolated sets of stereo pair outputs (actually 4 if you count the unbalanced tape outs), perfect for feeding the same signal to multiple cams and recorders.
 
Last edited:
I was on a shoot with 2 of these that the prod. company wanted to use and one of them skanked up the signal pretty bad. Test test test. You cant use 'em on battery power so you are at the mercy of the local alternating current. Another vote for using a 442.
 
Shure FP16a runs on AC or 3x9volt batteries.
Maybe that's why you "skanked' up the sound, you don't know what to do.
 
Wow, BRH, just wow. I suppose that's one less Xmas card I have to send this year. A lot of folks might have called BS a bit more subtlety. I didn't have you pegged as an alpha-jerk.

A thousand pardons for the battery misconception, it was a couple years ago and the one unit (of two, the other was ok - same exact config.) was indeed introducing noise.

My main inspiration for chiming in was to second the praises of the 442's terrific routing options.

Have a better day, kay?

S


quote=BRH;1397348]Shure FP16a runs on AC or 3x9volt batteries.
Maybe that's why you "skanked' up the sound, you don't know what to do.[/quote]
 
Cheers Gents
I got the units today , like new from a university auction sale @ $200.00 each. I will be using these in studio application sending 2 ch line level from the mixer somtimes Wendt x4 or Audio Developments. They are transformer in and out with gain amps on each send so from where I sit they look pretty good and battery is a bonus inc phantom on Mic inputs, not that I will be using the device as a mic amp. Re paralell splits via cable I need the flexibility to send more than 2 and possibly over long runs and not worry about degredation .
PS The 442 is a lovely mixer .
Thanks for the input!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top