Field Mixers - for 5DMKII & 7D Sound

Field mixers ... I don't know anything about them but I think its what I need.

I have a 5DMKII & a 7D. I also have the Rode Stereo Mic.

I'm wanting to shoot loud bands and record basic, up close conversations.

The last time I shot a rock band, up close, the sound was terrible and sounded like a stereo with weak speakers on an amp with too much power. I think the sound was too much for the 5D's built in sound control.

Does anyone know of the solution to better sound in these conditions?
Is a field mixer the answer to my question/problem? If so, what are some good models?

Thanks for any help

Mark

I am not real familiar with the video capabilities of the 5dmkII, nor the microphone that you listed, so I may not be the best guy to answer this question.

You could try a field recorder but If the 5dmkII doesn't have a genlock with a TC out then you will have major problems in post. Syncing audio is no small task and it can take hours if you have alot of clips.

However I have used the beachtek microphone adapters with a few different sony cameras and had great success. It allows you to control the audio levels before going into the camera and even adds external meters. The best part is they go right into the tripod support on the bottom of the camera and then your quick release can go to the bottom of the adapter.

http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …_DXA_4_Audio_Ad​apter.html

I hope that helps! Good luck!

cnv wrote in post #9274205
I am not real familiar with the video capabilities of the 5dmkII, nor the microphone that you listed, so I may not be the best guy to answer this question.

You could try a field recorder but If the 5dmkII doesn't have a genlock with a TC out then you will have major problems in post. Syncing audio is no small task and it can take hours if you have alot of clips.

However I have used the beachtek microphone adapters with a few different sony cameras and had great success. It allows you to control the audio levels before going into the camera and even adds external meters. The best part is they go right into the tripod support on the bottom of the camera and then your quick release can go to the bottom of the adapter.

http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …_DXA_4_Audio_Ad​apter.html

I hope that helps! Good luck!

Thank you, CNV!
I called B&H and it took a while but they recommended this one for the 5DMKII & the 7D. http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …2S_Dual_XLR.htm​l#features

They look similar ... will look closely at both and most likely buy one of them.

HOSTED PHOTO
please log in to view hosted photos in full size.

you can start w/ a preamp to get a clean sound by using juicelink preamp. I have never tested the unit but many ppl w/ 5DII uses it. then get a hacked firmware(not installed permanently) and use it, and the firmware is safe. The firmware is called "magic lantern" developed by Trammel Hudson from D.C.

for a mixer w/ preamp, it's going to be pretty big and have to be bagged.

My recommendation: Use a separate audio recorder that lets you monitor sound when using a VDSLR! I use the Zoom H2 but there are many other reasonably priced devices. I can only speak for the Zoom products but a Google search will likely find you lots of good reviews.

Plural Eyes from Singular Software makes syncing audio incredibly easy. This is by far my favourite plugin.

I shot a wedding with two 5DIIs,one 7D, and a Zoom H2. After transcoding the video, syncing the three cameras and creating a multiclip took under ten minutes.

I recently shot three corporate spots with one 5D and a Zoom H2,and syncing when you have the time to use a sharp sound to help Plural Eyes was even quicker.

If you're shooting with a VDSLR dual system audio is the way to go, and Plural Eyes is essential for dual system sound.

I have a Zoom H4n I bought for use with the 5D MKII. I haven't had a chance to put anything together yet as I have a desktop that's down and the notebook is painfully slow.

It has 1/4, xlr with phantom power, and I believe 3.5mm mic input jacks. I took it out to test it out at a hardcord show at a decent sized venue and with using the two small built in compressors, the sound quality was awesome. This was a show that was so loud that it was staggering how much pressure the bass put out while standing in the pit for the sound check.

As far as syncing, you can sync the external audio source to the 5d MKII by matching it with the sound from the 5D MKII files or you can run the mic through the H4n if you wanted. I believe you would get better sound with syncing though.

The audio section of http://www.cinema5d.co​m is a good place to take a look in.

I have done a lot of research on this subject, because audio is obviously a large part of video. Any of those adapters that plug in to the body won't work. You must find a separate recording source. The cheapest I found (w/XLR), and have recently picked up is the Marantz PMD661.

http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …ional_Portable_​Flash.html

It gives you two XLR jacks (for any additional mics), and has two on board mics with manual control (that are a lot better than the mk2 mics).

Mark II wrote in post #9275736
Thank you, CNV!
I called B&H and it took a while but they recommended this one for the 5DMKII & the 7D. http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …2S_Dual_XLR.htm​l#features

They look similar ... will look closely at both and most likely buy one of them.

Please for the love of christ do not buy one of these!!!! They send a signal into one of the channels "keeping the auto db controller from fluctuating" in the mk2. All of the audio tests I've heard still produce static. You are also only able to use a mono channel, because the other channel is taken up by the hum that is supposed to keep the auto db under control. I was very upset that this did not work, because its kinda a pain in the ass to sync up the audio, but I promise these devices are a waste of money!!

That's not the one that send the inaudible sound to the camera, it's the DXA-5D.

I assumed no one understood about my post. All of these units are pretty useless if you don't have the AGC disable.

The issue isn't typically the need for a "mixer" per se, but a good, properly placed mic.

For bands, what I've done in the past is setup a simple DV cam-corder (set to 16bit audio) in the back area of the venue (ideally near the mixing board since that's where the audio engineer is judging his own mix work from) recording with a shotgun mic and auto attenuation on.
The camera's video is useful to sync the audio in the editing stage, and the audio quality is pretty much CD quality.

The same shotgun mic I use (an Azden SGM-1X) is also very good at recording conversation or voice over audio when needed.

In cases where I HAVE needed a mixer, I typically use a small Behringer mixer like this: http://www.behringer.c​om/EN/Products/1002.as​px
Alesis makes something similar: http://alesis.com/mult​imix6fx

mafibasheth wrote in post #9306506
I have done a lot of research on this subject, because audio is obviously a large part of video. Any of those adapters that plug in to the body won't work. You must find a separate recording source. The cheapest I found (w/XLR), and have recently picked up is the Marantz PMD661.

http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …ional_Portable_​Flash.html

It gives you two XLR jacks (for any additional mics), and has two on board mics with manual control (that are a lot better than the mk2 mics).

Cheaper, amazing qaulity, and packed with features. You can even use it as a 4 track.

http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …h4n&N=0&Initial​Search=yes