Octava MK012 Sounded like $hit - Settings

[ShamrockFilms]

We shot a shorty over the weekend with the Octava MK012 hooked up to the DVX100 via XRL cable. The audio was so low in some spots that I had to add subtitles or the audience would have no idea what the character was saying and that's after cranking it up to 12db in Final Cut.

Here is how it was set up. Please let me know if you see something wrong here because something was definately wrong. We should of heard a pin drop and the MK012 is a great mic. The Mic also cam with two little frequency adapters.

MK012 SET UP for interior dialogue
I flicked the switch next to where the XRL INPUT 1 to LINE and behind the LCD screen where it reads MIC POWER, both input 1 and input 2 were set to OFF. CH1 Select set to INT (L) and CH2 Select set to INT (R). Also Channel 1 and Channel 2 Audio dials were cranked almost all the way.

 

[ullanta]

Ummm... you weren't using the MC012. In fact, all your settings were the opposite of what they should be...

The input the mic's plugged into should be MIC, not LINE. The Mic needs 48v phantom power. INT (L) and INT (R) refer to the built-in mics... you have to set them to Input 1 or 2 to use an external mic.

 

[ShamrockFilms]

Okay, the input the mic was plugged into "may" have been set to MIC, I'll have to ask the person who was working the camera, but we definately were't using the phantom power and that was probably why we couldn't hear anything in post. The ALC graph on the LCD screen was moving up to the red bars though, so I think that is what had us thinking the MK012 was working.

 

[craigbowman]

Settings on front of camera for audio:

If your plugging in a Mic set that XLR to Mic. (Plug mic into Input 2)

Set switch to line ONLY if your plugging a mixer into XLRs or a wireless receiver unit.

Side of camera behind LCD:

If mic needs power, turn the mic power to on to supply mic with 48V Phantom power for the channel you plugged you mic into. (Highly likely - most condensor mics need phantom power.)

Set the CH1 and CH2 to input 2. That puts the external mics audio on both your sound channels. The INT(L & R) settings make the camera audio revert to the cameras own interal mics on the handle not your OKTAVA.