Zoom H4n Settings + Sennheiser Wireless G3 Lav Kit

[Petrus]

The receiver can send out mic level signal and line level signal and everything in between. If your recorder has only a mic input, you must use low signal levels (reciever acts like a microphone) like -18 dB or lower, or the mic pre-amplifier in the recorder will overload and distort. If the recorder has a line-in possibility, it is better to turn the reciever output gain as high as possible and use line-in on the recorder. This way the signal does not go through a mic pre-amplifier twice.

And yes, -24 dB is lower value than -18 dB and 0 dB is much higher value, 18 dB much higher still... Remember basic math with negative numbers...

 

[rjs460]

I am not saying to set the zoom for 0, set the zoom for minimum sensitivity, set the sennheheiser receiver at 0, then adjust to the zoom input level to hit about -12 on the zoom meters. We seem to be bouncing around here, and I'm not sure where Audiotronics came in since we were talking about sennheiser. If you got someone else helping you, and you're getting what you want, go for it.

Bottom line, if you are working directly with the Zoom, no preamp mixer, and wireless lavs, It is not advisable to go under -18db of the AF out.

Thanks for the help.

 

[8string]

Sorry, I didn't mean to hi jack this thread, but only to see if i could match the results. What I have found seems to match what RJS460 was saying, when using a field mixer between the receiver and the Zoom, but I agree with GPFORET that when I take the Mixpre out of the chain, that the levels for the Zoom work fine at -12db. No peaking. I just tried it out with a lav and receiver, plugged directly into the Mic 1 on the H4N and with Phantom power OFF to the Mic1 input.

When I put the Mixpre in between the two, then the H4N -12db seems too high, under all conditions. I can't stop it from peaking at around -18db. Must be because of the information you supplied above. I bet that you could record on the Zoom at -18 or -24 but it seems like it would be better to shoot for -18 if there is no preamp in the way. At least that's how I'll work from now on, depending on whether I need the preamp or not.

Thanks for this. A most educational thread.