Which microphone preamp? Advice needed!

D

Dark

Member
Hello,

I've been using a JuicedLink CX231 for a while now but have just changed camcorder to the new Canon HF G25 (Or G20 in US) and I seem to be getting noise with the camcorder mic level set to minimum and high gain on JL. I'm using a Rode Lav for the whole setup. Anyway, I can get reasonable results if the mic level is low on the camcorder but the JL isn't giving enough gain... I need more.

I'm no audio guy but I have been trying to figure out what to replace the CX231 with. So my question is, which of these would offer me more gain:

Audio Developments AD071
Fostex FM-1
Sound Devices MP-1
Azden FMX 22 DSLR

Any help, pointers or tips would be greatly appreciated. I'm after getting as clean audio as I possibly cam by using the Canon camcorder plus the Rode Lav (Need a lav, can't use anything else for use). :)
 
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Sound Devices MixPre-D has a 1/8" mic level out for DSLRs. It ain't cheap though, but high-quality usually isn't.. you get what you pay for.
 
If you can find a used MixPre (not the D) you could use that, but you would need a -25db attenuator cable to lower the hot like level output. The MixPre is line level only, and most consumer cameras with a 3.5mm input are at mic level.

If the JuicedLink didn't do it for you, that has 16db of gain. So we need to find something with more than that. The Sound Devices stuff puts out 60db of gain! The MM-1 would be nice, but I just discovered today that SD raised their prices to exorbitant levels! The MixPre-D is now 900.00! Screw that....
 
Dark said:
Hello,

I've been using a JuicedLink CX231 for a while now but have just changed camcorder to the new Canon HF G25 (Or G20 in US) and I seem to be getting noise with the camcorder mic level set to minimum and high gain on JL. I'm using a Rode Lav for the whole setup. Anyway, I can get reasonable results if the mic level is low on the camcorder but the JL isn't giving enough gain... I need more.

I'm no audio guy but I have been trying to figure out what to replace the CX231 with. So my question is, which of these would offer me more gain:

Audio Developments AD071
Fostex FM-1
Sound Devices MP-1
Azden FMX 22 DSLR

Any help, pointers or tips would be greatly appreciated. I'm after getting as clean audio as I possibly cam by using the Canon camcorder plus the Rode Lav (Need a lav, can't use anything else for use). :)
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Of the ones listed, I would say that the Audio Developments unit is definitely the best - it's certainly the most flexible of the ones listed.

The Fostex and Sound Devices listed are the most basic they do, they also do better and more flexible units (at a higher price) - and ther is also the AETA MIXY that could be considered.

But, from the ones listed, the Audio Developments unit is definitely the winner.
 
Tascam DR-60D

Tascam DR-60D

I think you might want to give a good hard look at the new Tascam DR-60D. Preamp, mixer, and recorder in one box. Mount the DR-60D to your tripod, mount the camera to it. It has a reference feed to the camera so sync isn't going to be much of a problem, and I can't imagine that the audio from the DR-60D won't just wipe the floor with the camera audio. It seems to be the most value for the buck out there right now. But it really depends on what you need / want.

EDIT: Added link to the DR-60D.
 
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Bruce Watson said:
I think you might want to give a good hard look at the new Tascam DR-60D. Preamp, mixer, and recorder in one box. Mount the DR-60D to your tripod, mount the camera to it. It has a reference feed to the camera so sync isn't going to be much of a problem, and I can't imagine that the audio from the DR-60D won't just wipe the floor with the camera audio. It seems to be the most value for the buck out there right now. But it really depends on what you need / want.
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This is interesting... can't seem to find it in the UK though :(

The Audio Dev is perfect but price is putting me off. The Fostex looks good but I can't find a single review or video of it, is this brand any good? The Sound Devices is great but from what I see you can't mount it on tripod and have the camera attached too. :undecided
 
The Sound Devices preamps will all give the same gain (66db mic to line), which should be ample. The MM-1 gives more future-proofing than the MP-1 - e.g. for boom use - for little extra cost (the recent price hikes are grim), tho both these SD preamps lack a mic-level output. The 25db Rode lav (along with many, or most, lavs) won't show off the low noise of an SD or similarly specced preamp, and, for that reason, I often plug mine direct into a Sony M10 - but obviously that's a quite different set up. Cheers, Roland
 
Throwback said:
The Sound Devices preamps will all give the same gain (66db mic to line), which should be ample. The MM-1 gives more future-proofing than the MP-1 - e.g. for boom use - for little extra cost (the recent price hikes are grim), tho both these SD preamps lack a mic-level output. The 25db Rode lav (along with many, or most, lavs) won't show off the low noise of an SD or similarly specced preamp, and, for that reason, I often plug mine direct into a Sony M10 - but obviously that's a quite different set up. Cheers, Roland
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Do you mean the Rode Lav is bottlenecking the system - so even if I do get a decent preamp I will still get noise?
 
The Tascam only just came out, so it's normal that there are no reviews yet. Knowing Tascam, it's gong to sound good. But I don't even know if it's available for sale yet.
 
The Rode lav isn't very noisy for a lav but it's self-noise will be what you mainly hear when you crank up the gain on an SD or similar preamp. Whether that self noise will be obvious or will matter for your planned use is another thing! Roland
 
Chadfish said:
The Tascam only just came out, so it's normal that there are no reviews yet. Knowing Tascam, it's gong to sound good. But I don't even know if it's available for sale yet.
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B&H have it in stock :) Really good price too, even imported
 
Once you are into the Tascam 60-d (which the specs, the op amp, and price all strongly suggest has preamps comparable to the DR 100 mkii) the benefit will be in a double sound system, even if giving a mic-level feed from it to the camera: this would be better, and, of course, opens the door to other - cheaper and smaller - external recorders if you don't want all that the Tascam 60d offers . R
 
If you liked working with the JuicedLinks, the Riggy Assist series offers 30db of gain. I upgraded from the same CX231 model to the RA222 model and it's quite noticeable.
 
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