Peaceful coexistience of a Squid and a DVX

[Michael Carter]

Hey there audio folks. I've searched this forum (and DVinfo.net) extensively, but still don't quite get something... (but heck, I tried before pestering!)

I have a need for a lavalier setup, hard-wired. At this point it's strictly for testing -- to get some real-world understanding of lav use & placement, and real-ears comparisons with my "real" mics and booming. Even if I always rely on a sound pro on set, I have an obsessive need to know things -- lighting, monitoring, mixing, dialog, 24p vs. 60i, FCP, I'm there... but lavs are a new world for me.

The Giant Squid mono omni seems like a great choice for the above -- (I'll happily shell out big bucks later for pro-level stuff if needed -- this is just for learnin'). (Truth be told I'll happily shell out cash to someone with gear & know-how and just concentrate on yelling "BOOM'S IN THE SHOT, MAN...")

All my googling and reading points me to the non-powered version (as opposed to their mic and power pack combo) as this one supposedly delivers more gain. And remember, I'm not interested in VHF right now.

I come from the musical world of big, phantom powered condensers (and Sure 57's/58's) and view big, fat balanced XLR cables as my dear (and quiet) friends. How then does one hook up the little 1/8" squid plug to a DVX? 20 feet of skinny cable? Get a 5-footer and plug it into an impedance box with an XLR out. Pre-amp it with a nice portable pre and use the DVX line-in?

Or get the mic and power combo and a 20' or so 1/8" extension cable?

Is either model truly "balanced" in the sense of XLR-style noise cancellation? (My gut is sayin' "boost & balance that signal within 5-10 feet of the mic!")

Looking for the cleanest signal path and minimal fussiness. How does a DVX live happily with a squid?

Or, feel free to suggest an affordable alternative that fits my XLR-based worldview! Thanks all -- MC

 

[ullanta]

Hey Dude,

1) Look, I don't know these mics, but my gut tells me that if you want to experiment with the sound of a lav, get a real, decent lav, respected model of lav. Unless someone can assure you that these are very similar to commonly used lavs, you won't be learning what you want to learn.... though you may learn a lot about these particular mics, which would be interesting to hear.

2) The DVX does not supply plug-in-power, so you'd need to use one of the battery-pack versions. When they say "non-powered", they mean "non-self-powered", and rely on power from the recording device.

-Barry

 

[wabbit]

Those mics are very popular with some wedding videographers and others. A guy on set had one attached to an Iriver, it sounded ok through the hp he was using. If you want to attach it to a DVX you will need a power module.

I do love the name.

Cheers

 

[Michael Carter]

Yeah, from what I've heard, a squid and an iRiver tucked in the groom's pocket seems to be all the rage now for weddings; they're even selling iRiver-specific versions.

Sounds like the squids have ridiculously good quality vs. price... I'll keep poking around, plenty of decent mini-XLR phantom lavs out there, too.