Rode Filmmaker Kit - Can I input anything else apart from microphone ?

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bigmouthmedia

Active member
I haven't had a chance to test it, so hoping someone else has !

I'm about to film a run through of a stage show, and the mixing desk is quite high up behind the tiered seats. I'm able to film it at stage/ground level, but don't want to have a cable trailing me around, so I'm thinking of connecting an output of the desk to the input of the Filmmaker TX and connecting my RX to the camera/Zoom H6 on the camera, leaving me free to move around.

Has anyone done this (i.e. not used a microphone to input to the TX) ?
 
You can do it but you will need to attenuate the signal from the mixer as it will probably be line level.

Sennheiser make this easier on their radio mics as there is a cable wired to use the line input that is available.

I suspect the rode does not have a line input so you will have to reduce the level by around 30-40db using an in line XLR attenuator or a special cable.

It will also be mono so you may need to consider a Y cable to output stereo and feed your mono radio system.

One of these boxes would be an ideal solution and will also allow you to adjust the level too: http://artproaudio.com/active_di/product/av_direct/

You then just need an XLR female to whatever the rode has as an input connector.
 
Yes, people do this commonly. It simply requires an appropriate interface between the source and the transmitter input.
For example, if the source is balanced (such as an XLR or TRS connector) then it needs to be "un-balanced" to interface to the transmitter.
And if the source is line-level, then it must be attenuated down to mic-level which is probably what the transmitter input expects.
The Rode product is new, so there isn't "tribal knowledge" available yet as to the exact details of the transmitter input connection.
 
Looks like a std 3.5mm TRS locking jack on the lav mic but you will also need to consider the plug in power for the mic but if you use a buffer interface box that should not be a problem.

Also as Richard says you may be going from a balanced feed to an unbalanced so that also needs to be considered at the mixer end and at the transmitter input.

Also a basic DI box would do this but you may not have the ability to interface to different connectors or have any control of the levels.
 
bigmouthmedia said:
I haven't had a chance to test it, so hoping someone else has !

I'm about to film a run through of a stage show, and the mixing desk is quite high up behind the tiered seats. I'm able to film it at stage/ground level, but don't want to have a cable trailing me around, so I'm thinking of connecting an output of the desk to the input of the Filmmaker TX and connecting my RX to the camera/Zoom H6 on the camera, leaving me free to move around.

Has anyone done this (i.e. not used a microphone to input to the TX) ?
Click to expand...
Apart from the challenge of can the Rode do this, why not have the Zoom record directly from mixer, scratch audio on camera, sync in post? I have done this on a stage performance using a Zoom H4n, it only drifted a few frames over one hour
 
Most DI box outputs are via a balanced XLR, (and most active DIs require Phantom Power) so a balanced to unbalanced adapter/cable /plug would be needed.
But why even bother... as was stated: "why not have the Zoom record directly from mixer, scratch audio on camera, sync in post?"
 
Rick R said:
Most DI box outputs are via a balanced XLR, (and most active DIs require Phantom Power) so a balanced to unbalanced adapter/cable /plug would be needed.
But why even bother... as was stated: "why not have the Zoom record directly from mixer, scratch audio on camera, sync in post?"
Click to expand...

I do have a DI box but it's RCA out then to the XLR.

For everyone's benefit, I ran a test at my studio then at the gig I was shooting last night and it works fine without anything but a 3.5mm-3.5mm cable :)

I padded the input onto the Zoom down to -20db and it sounds fine - no attenuation needed, and all I did was take a feed off the headphone amplifier at the sound desk. It allowed me to then wander round stage side (the back of house is up about 20 steps !) with a direct feed through the Rode RX box to the Zoom to the GH4.

I know everyone says to sync it later in post, but I haven't had a chance (or the faith) to do that just set - I will set aside some time this week for tests. I have Plural Eyes, but again haven't had a chance to test it (we run another business too). Plus I'm trying to cut down the amount of time in post syncing.
 
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