Thought I knew audio for DVX100a

[brownhood]

I video taped a small performance at a local club(ala Stone Pony). I set up my DVX next to the sound guy at the board.. he gave me the XLR tape out from his board and plugged into the DVX100a into input 1 (eventually tried both). I'm preety sure i followed the instructions as per the manual, but no matter what i did i couldn't get the audio straight from the house board into the DVX for recording. I checked to make sure I was getting a live signal from the tape out(XLR). The only signal I kept recieving was from the internal mic. Tried changing the switches on the cam but no luck..... I ended up using the internal mic and getting the audio from the house speakers...... Looking for help.. when plugging a live XLR cable into either input 1 or 2 what should the settings be on the cam and/or in the menu........ I appreciate any help......

Thanks
Chris

 

[Slapdragon]

Re: Thought I knew audio for DVX100a

He was likely sending you a line out, and you were overpowering your inputs because you had them set for mic in.

First off, I usually never shoot a club / actuality with my camera audio (if I do, I use a wireless connection to an outboard audio set up of my own design that consists of lavs and PZMs and if I have talent a belt pack.)  You are too restricted if you do, and you have to rely on some clubby who may be working for drinks giving you a feed that sounds right not only in his alcohol sodden mind through the house speakers, but to your sober mind onto your 48khz stereo tape.

If I do take the board audio out, I usually take a Marantz CDR-300 or a Marantz PM-620 (MP-3 is not as high quality, but you can collect 4 hours of acceptable quality easy) field recorder, or best of all, a G4 Laptop with a line in, out with me and use a clapper board / hidden clapper to sync sound.  Then I retain my gun on my camcorder plus my ability to use belt packs on my talent. The trick is, if you stop your camera, you have to reclap.  Often, I just point the camera at the lead singer to get lip sync again, and since I am running the gun it is rarely too tough to resync footage.

For your camera though, first off, it may not have been your fault.  The audio guy, and I have often had problems with them, has to know how to take a feed from his or her own board and send it to you, and they get often touchy if you start going over their stuff. Your first step is to trace his board and make sure he has turned the send he is feeding you on, that he has potted it up, and that the send channel even works (how often does he really use it).  It is easier if he has a multi-channel board and is simply feeding you a downstream fader, but in any case the feed will most likely be a hot line that he does not monitor all that well.  I often slip a pad between my equipment and his to keep from blowing mine out when he decides to base rumble the place.

Next, feeding it into your camera, you have to set your camera up properly.  Most camcorder ins default to phantom power mic level input to handle microphones like mounted guns.  You have to turn phantom off, and set yours to line.  If his signal is hot and you did not pad at the board or set an attenuator into the line, then you can set many camcorder to -4db to give you some breathing space.  I suggest to set your camcorder to AGC at this point also, unless you have time to ride levels.

IF you are at a real good establishment, and luck into a board op with a head on his or her shoulders, then you can go further.  Have them send a 1khz 0db (shows up as -20db on your VTR if you use one) tone down the pike and balance your camcorder to that (I think 4 bars is your zero point in the viewfinder).  A good house DJ will ride levels on the board to stay out of the red and will adjust house volume on the amps to handle the times he wants to house to shake versus when he or she wants more control of vocals, and this means you will always get a legal signal from his or her board.    

When in doubt, bring along something like an iPod with a set of cables to get into your camcorder. If the iPod can register in your camcorder, then you have proven your half the system works. The problem lies on the club end.