Rode Ntg-2 problems

Y

yoclay

Veteran
I have a Rode NTG-2 microphone and strangely I am finding that suddenly it is barely picking up sound. I have to boost the levels to maximum in my beachtek and speak very closely to it for it to function with somewhat normal looking levels. I do get levels when I turn the beachtek down but they are very faint by comparison to what I should be getting. Now impossible to pick anything up even a few feet away. I have changed the microphones battery, but I have absolutely no idea what could be going on otherwise. Any ideas out there?
 
Try different cables, check the settings in the camera/recorder, try with a proper mixer, try with phantom power instead of battery, try the other channel on the beachtek (assuming there is one).

Worst case, Rode has a 10 year warranty.
 
JordanBlock said:
Try different cables, check the settings in the camera/recorder, try with a proper mixer, try with phantom power instead of battery, try the other channel on the beachtek (assuming there is one).

Worst case, Rode has a 10 year warranty.
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Tried different cables, settings are the same whether it's on the adapter alone (my beachtek has levels) or in camera. Tried it with phantom power. Tried both channels. No idea what's going on.
 
I did put a fresh battery in, but perhaps I will try a different brand. Also this would still not explain why it is not working adequately either with phantom power instead.
 
Check the capsule. Then check if any corrosion has developed on the battery connections. Lastly, the mic may need to be cleaned. The -10 dB pad may be engaged or the switch shorted out to the engaged position. I have seen a bunch of mics like this. Take it to a shop, if you are uncomfortable or don't know how to do this. Jordan is right, warranty time.
 
Doc Bernard said:
Check the capsule. Then check if any corrosion has developed on the battery connections. Lastly, the mic may need to be cleaned. The -10 dB pad may be engaged or the switch shorted out to the engaged position. I have seen a bunch of mics like this. Take it to a shop, if you are uncomfortable or don't know how to do this. Jordan is right, warranty time.
Click to expand...


Where is the -10db pad? Are you referring to the -80hz high frequency gain switch? If so I have tried in both positions, same result....
 
Just had the microphone checked out at a service center. They said there was no problem with the mike. Compared it to another one in the store and the other sounded exactly the same. They patched them through some big old thang, so I haven't a clue what is going on. One thing for sure though: Beachtek and NTG-2 together don't work well together. And the NTG-2 with the 5D + Magic Lantern doesn't work well either. Might have something to do with the passive adapter thing. Maybe this microphone must have a pre-amp like the Juicedlink...
 
Looks like that Beachtek model has 48VDC phantom for powering the mic, but doesn't contain a mic preamp. You should be coming out of that mic level on the Beachtek, pluging into a camera mic level input and adjusting the mic gain in the camera.
 
I know what the issue is now, the Beachtek needs a hot signal microphone. It's history as far as I am concerned.
 
Jon Fairhurst:

"According to Rode, the sensitivity of the NTG-2 is only 15 mV @ 94 dB SPL, which is on the low side. It's a nice mic, but needs clean gain."

So, this is not like an Sennheiser ME-66, which has a much hotter signal. Thus the Rode functions poorly with a passive adapter like the Beachtek and the Canon 5D Mark 2.

Sorry, the Beachtek just was sold to a buyer in Berlin.
 
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