Some explain the 4 audio channels to me.

DavidBeier

DavidBeier

Veteran
I keep hearing different explanations of how the audio channles work. Is there a way I can have an external mike plugged into one of the XLR cables that will take up two channels (left and right) and the internal mike take up the other channels (once again left and right)?
 
yes. Split the xlr signal going into 1 & 2 in the camera, and then the internal mic can switch over to 3 & 4.
 
Why couldn't you plug the mic into input 2 then select input 2 on Ch.1 select switch and select input 2 on Ch.2 select. Wouldn't that send the ext mic to both channels 1 & 2? Then the camera mic would be channels 3 & 4.
 
Just as an FYI, doing this wouldn't actually give you Left and Right Stereo, it would just be dual mono on Channels 1 & 2.
 
Well out of curiosity I just tried this and, YES you can do this without an XLR "Y" splitter. Just plug into input 2 and switch both CH1 & Ch2 select switches to input 2.
 
Did an interview this week for an out of state producer. Set up the HVX to record one channel from camera mic, the other from XLR wireless lav. When I ingested into FCP, I had three channels of audio. Seems that the channel I thought was recording the lav, bumped the camera mic on that side down to CH3. Or so it seemed. Lav came out properly on CH1. On-board mic on CH2 was at the level I set. Then CH3 picked up the other on-board mic, but a tad lower level than it's sister on-board mic.

Never thought much about it, assumed I was doing just like I did on my old DVX100. But a very plesant suprise. Now I'm going to have to look into this in more detail!
 
The other good thing about feeding a mono audio signal, like 1 mic, into say channels 1 and 2 of the HVX is you can set channel 1 to say -3db to channel 2 on the HVX onboard audio levels. If you had a setup with say someone with normal level dialogue, then another talent thereafter starts yelling his/her dialogue, you can avoid possible clipping and mix and match audio channels 1 and 2 in post. Helpful is you don't have a dedicated mixer/boom on set who could ride the audio channels and/or you don't have a audio "limiter", like on a Sound Devices 302 or MixPre field mixer.

Nothing new raised, it has been said here before by others also in various threads. Hope it helps. :D
 
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