SD MixPre with XH-A1... Any definitive solutions?

[NonFiction]

Okay, there have been a couple of threads in different places (one here, and one at DVinfo.net that I know about) discussing issues related to using these devices together.

Here they are:

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=96563&page=2

http://dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=91427

Now, as I read these, it seems the way Canon configured the audio section of the camera, there's some compromise using the MixPre. The last post in the first thread seems to offer a solution, but it's just one guy...

Is anyone else using this combination reliably?

My goal is to get two channels of good solid sound, with a reliable (and unobtrusive) peak limiter, in pretty run-n-gun documentary situations. Mostly interviews, but in lots of different setting.

Sometimes a couple wired lavs, sometimes a wired lav and a shotgun on a boom or stand, sometimes a couple of sennheiser wireless lavs, sometimes just one mic thru a splitter, one input mixed hotter than the other.

I've been imagining I'd get a MixPre, and more or less bolt it to the bottom of the camera, to use its amps instead of the camera's. The main problem I want to solve is the XHA1's tendency to clip the peaks unless I run the levels what seems to be too low overall.

But I would really love to hear from somebody who can help me out. Maybe I'm barking up the wrong tree with the MixPre? Or maybe there is a solid configuration with it, and I just need to get dialed in.

Thanks!

 

[Petrus]

I have found out that feeding XH-A1 normal line out signal from SD302 with camera pots all the way open I can get over 90 dB S/N ratio and the signal never clips (in my test I got 0 dBFS peaks but no clipping). Perfect and easy. If MixPre has the same output level, it should, just do the same and never worry.

 

[NonFiction]

Thanks Petrus. I like the sound of that (err, no pun intended). Anyone else have similar experience? Or different?

 

[Jonathan_P]

I use the same setup as Petrus, except I dial the camera pots back 1 notch. I didn't do the statistical tests that Petrus did, but to my ears it sounded significantly cleaner than running mic level in with the XH-A1 attenuation set to on, which was the next best thing.