XLR adapter problem

[natemac42]

Ok here's the situation.

Long story short, I now don't have an XLR adapter for my GL2 and I have filming to do Monday (actual short film). I need to buy an adapter this weekend.

I don't know any stores that would carry something like the Beachtek dxa4p or MA300 (what i had). I'm wondering if I can get away with a $20-$30 xlr to 1/8in adapter cable or am I in big trouble.

I'm in Columbus, Ohio so there might be stores but i didn't see any in the yellow pages...

 

[Huy Vu]

Well, an adapter would work only if the mic is battery powered. If it's phantom power only then you'll need an adapter that provides that.

 

[natemac42]

Thanks for your reply

I have the Azden Sgm-2x Xlr 2 Barrel Shotgun Mic which as a triple A battery slot.

I read somewhere online that there might be some static with the cheap cable adapter, which I dont want obviously. There won't be much movement going on with the xlr cable (20 ft long). I'm just wondering if it'll work out.

thanks

 

[berniebeaudry]

Thanks for your reply

I have the Azden Sgm-2x Xlr 2 Barrel Shotgun Mic which as a triple A battery slot.

I read somewhere online that there might be some static with the cheap cable adapter, which I dont want obviously. There won't be much movement going on with the xlr cable (20 ft long). I'm just wondering if it'll work out.

thanks

You might be referring to the small amount of phantom power that the camera provides to the mic input on the camera. You need to get an adaptor that blocks that voltage. In Columbus there should be a store like National Camera that might have such an adaptor. Most rental houses won't be open on the weekends but if you can find a pro rental house tomorrow they should either have what you need or can make you one. I'm talking a place that rents lights, camera, and audio for film and television. You could also do a google search for that type of adaptor configuration and make your own if you're good at soldering. I'm sure Radio Shack would have the necessary parts. Best of luck!
Bernie

 

[Steve House]

Ok here's the situation.

Long story short, I now don't have an XLR adapter for my GL2 and I have filming to do Monday (actual short film). I need to buy an adapter this weekend.

I don't know any stores that would carry something like the Beachtek dxa4p or MA300 (what i had). I'm wondering if I can get away with a $20-$30 xlr to 1/8in adapter cable or am I in big trouble.

I'm in Columbus, Ohio so there might be stores but i didn't see any in the yellow pages...

This is what you need ... http://www.trewaudio.com/store/product.php?productid=146&cat=31&page=1 ... call remote audio and see if there's a stocking dealer in the Columbus Area or call Trew and see if Fedex will get there in time.

 

[marlen]

Ok here's the situation.

Long story short, I now don't have an XLR adapter for my GL2 and I have filming to do Monday (actual short film). I need to buy an adapter this weekend.

I don't know any stores that would carry something like the Beachtek dxa4p or MA300 (what i had). I'm wondering if I can get away with a $20-$30 xlr to 1/8in adapter cable or am I in big trouble.

I'm in Columbus, Ohio so there might be stores but i didn't see any in the yellow pages...

FWIW - I had a similar challenge this weekend and solved it (of all places...RadioShack!) I already had an XLR adapter which took the 3 pin out of the mic to 1/4 mono plug (male end). I then took a Female-1/4 inch adapter to an RCA adapter and connected that to a two sided female RCA Connector. I used an RCA cable to an RCA to mini plug (mono) adapter and then connected "mono to stereo" adapter to plug into the camera.

I know - not your conventional solution, but I had to shoot this weekend. I only needed two adapters (as I had the others) so this cost me less than $10. The sound is very good. No hum or cracks. However, I'm only using about 10 foot of XLR cable before hitting the adapters and then going into the camera.

 

[natemac42]

Hey thanks for the replies
Marlen, that would be quite the contraption you have

I went to radioshack too and got an xlr female jack and soldered it with a 1/8 headphone cord like you guys mentioned. I don't have a capacitor on it right now, but I ran a few tests and didn't hear any extra noises. And if there are I should be able to take it out in post because the noise will be consistent.

 

[Steve House]

Hey thanks for the replies
Marlen, that would be quite the contraption you have

I went to radioshack too and got an xlr female jack and soldered it with a 1/8 headphone cord like you guys mentioned. I don't have a capacitor on it right now, but I ran a few tests and didn't hear any extra noises. And if there are I should be able to take it out in post because the noise will be consistent.

A note of caution and a suggestion to double-check your wiring before betting the farm on it in your shoot.

What did you wire to what? The correct pinouts would be ...

XLR-1 to 1/8 Sleeve
XLR-2 to 1/8 Tip, jumper to 1/8 Ring
XLR-3 to 1/8 Sleeve along with the connection from XLR-1

Some wiring diagrams for simple XLR to TRS cable adapters that you'll commonly encounter are intended for cable adapters for balanced XLR to balanced TRS connections, not unbalancing a mono signal and sending it to both channels of a stereo mic input. They call for XLR-1 to sleeve, XLR-2 to tip, and XLR-3 to ring. If you wired your adapter used that scheme, you'll send the mono signal from the mic to both left and right channels but the right channel will be phase inverted with respect to the left. It'll sound fine in your headphones but will sound very weird when played back on stereo speakers, smearing all over the room, and it'll dissappear altogether if you mix the two channels down to mono in post. To unbalance the mic and have everything to work right without phase inversion, XLR-2 (hot) has to go to both left (tip) and right (ring) while both XLR-3 (cold) and XLR-1 (shield) both go to ground (sleeve).

I mention it because it seems a LOT of shooters make this mistake - I can't spend an evening watching the tube on my home theatre setup that at least one commercial or local news report doesn't "phase flip" with the dialog either smearing to the outside of the speakers instead of centering in the screen as it should or even jumping over compeletely into the rear surrounds instead of staying in the front of the room. Sending phase inverted signals through a Dolby decoder gets just plain weird. Such phase disruptions can happen anywhere along the broadcast chain but an improperly wired mic adapter is going to screw it up from the very start.

 

[John Willett]

I went to radioshack too and got an xlr female jack and soldered it with a 1/8 headphone cord like you guys mentioned. I don't have a capacitor on it right now, but I ran a few tests and didn't hear any extra noises. And if there are I should be able to take it out in post because the noise will be consistent.

You don't need a cap. on the output cable - only on an input cable connected to the mic. input of the transmitter.

The cable is supplied with the system - but it is *not* wired as stated above.

A G2 100-p output cable is wired as follows:-

Mini-jack tip to XLR pin 2
Mini-jack ring - no connection
Mini-jack sleeve to XLR pins 1 & 3


If it's a 500 series - A G2 500-p output cable is wired as follows:-

Mini-jack tip to XLR pin 2
Mini-jack ring to XLR pin 3
Mini-jack sleeve to XLR pin 1


100 o/p us unbalanced - 500 o/p is balanced.

 

[Steve House]

You don't need a cap. on the output cable - only on an input cable connected to the mic. input of the transmitter.

The cable is supplied with the system - but it is *not* wired as stated above.

A G2 100-p output cable is wired as follows:-

Mini-jack tip to XLR pin 2
Mini-jack ring - no connection
Mini-jack sleeve to XLR pins 1 & 3


If it's a 500 series - A G2 500-p output cable is wired as follows:-

Mini-jack tip to XLR pin 2
Mini-jack ring to XLR pin 3
Mini-jack sleeve to XLR pin 1


100 o/p us unbalanced - 500 o/p is balanced.

uuuhhhhh Sorry, John .. he's not working with a wireless receiver; he's connecting a mono balanced XLR shotgun mic into a Canon GL2 camcorder's 1/8" stereo mic input.

 

[John Willett]

uuuhhhhh Sorry, John .. he's not working with a wireless receiver; he's connecting a mono balanced XLR shotgun mic into a Canon GL2 camcorder's 1/8" stereo mic input.

Oops - I read GL2 as G2.

In that case you are correct.

A capacitor is definitely needed, unless the mic. has a cap. internally (as many do).