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silentsmith

Member
Aright guys, help me out.

For tomorrow's shoot I've got an AT4073a, a Sound Devices MixPre, a boom pole with a K-Tek Fuzzy and 2 separate XLR cables.

I'm working with the HVX200 and I'm shooting in Standard Definition.

So...
1) Line In or Mic In?
2) 48V or 15V Phantom?
3) Difference between TAPE and RTN (Regarding the SDMixPre)

Anything else I should know? I feel I've got everything, now I just need to know the basic setup configurations and I'm good to go.

Thanks guys.
 
You've certainly taken care of your equipment priorities.

1.) Line in from your MixPre to HVX200. Mic in from your AT4073a to MixPre.

2.) I think you're referring to 12V rather than 15V. Select 48V Phantom on your MixPre. Select no phantom power on the HVX200.

3.) Tape and RTN are the same thing. This insert here is for receiving the return signal from the HVX200 for monitoring purposes. Thus, making sure the levels going into the camera aren't distorted or too low.

Make sure you get the microphone as close as possible to the talking talent. Calibrate both the MixPre and the HVX200 so signals are within a good range. Double check for extra batteries in case you run out or have a faulty one. Read over the script, if provided, and plan things out accordingly to shot and angle. Be prepared.
 
Hmm... weird.

I must be doing something wrong because when I just monitor my sound, everything sounds crisp and I hear it from both Left and Right headphones. But when I play back, and listen through the camera with headphones plugged in, the sound sucks and comes through only one earphone.

Here are my settings, maybe you can set me straight:

MixPre settings:
-48V
-80
-Limiter ON
-C (Not L or R)
-RTN

HVX200 settings:
-Input 1 LINE (not Mic)
-Channel 1 is INPUT 1
-Channel 2 is INPUT 2
-INPUT 1 is OFF
-INPUT 2 is OFF

I played around with the settings but whenever I playback what I just recorded and listen in, it's very weak and one-sided. Help!
 
The reason your sound is coming from only one side of the headphone is because you recorded into one channel. If you select Channel 1 as Input 1 and Channel 2 as input 1, then you'll hear it on both sides. When you're monitoring from your MixPre, you hear the source on both sides of the headphone because you selected your source to send through both left and right channels (C as in center). It acts like a mono when you're hearing through your headphones.

I'm not sure why the sound sucks when you listen through the HVX200. Suck as in not clear, phase, distort, change in levels?
 
Okay, so it no longer sucks. I was accidentally MICed in and not LINE in. But I'm still confused by the one side thing. My Channel 1 is on INPUT 1 but my Channel 2 has only INPUT 2 or INT (R). INPUT 1 is ON and INPUT 2 is OFF.

What adjustments must I make?


And thanks for being so helpful thus far. I sincerely appreciate it.
 
Sounds like you're short one XLR cable, Silentsmith.

If you use a third XLR to connect the MixPre Right output to the camera Channel 2, you're sound will be recorded to both channels. For safety's sake, try setting channel 2 a bit lower than channel 1.

As a general rule, monitor from the tape return whenever possible. It doesn't matter how great the mixer sounds if the camera's distorting. If you find two XLRs and a tape return to be an akward tangle of cables, consider investing in a breakaway ENG snake (eg. Remote Audio CABETACFP33).
 
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