Using a Line as Mic In?

[niklasR]

Hi folks,

I have a recorder - a Zoom H1. I was wondering if it was possible to use the recorder's line out on the 550D as mic in.As far as I know, a line out just gives mro "power" than a mic, doesn't it?, If yes, can we just lower the external mic gain, to use the line out from the recorder? Quick & dirty solution for better sound. I could imagine this would help, if I didn't have a pc to edit the video, and put the other audio-track on, or if I just don't have time. And the line-out of the Zoom H1 still gives much better quality than the 550D could record with its internal mic! (And it's stereo ;)

Niklas

[James Donnelly]

I use a zoom H2 for this approach occasionally.  For best results you need to use a pad cable to attenuate the signal.

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[Morgan Look]

You can just turn the output down from your recorder, so that the meters on the recorder match those on magic lantern, I have done this and had good results.

Just be careful to have it turned right down before you plug it into the camera so not to overload the input.

You can make a pad cable, I used 1.8k Ohm, and 100 Ohm resistors, but anything similar will probably work fine.  You're just trying to get the signal down a bit.

Put the resistors at the camera end of the cable, to keep the maximum signal level in your cable, this will reduce the effects of any induced noise.

It's quite tricky to get the 4 resistors into a tiny little 3.5mm stereo plug shell, but it can be done.  Try to get 1/8Watt resistors or smaller if possible.

One advantage of the PAD cable is that you can split the output from the recorder top monitor that with your headphones, but remember if you change the output volume to adjust the headphones, this will also change the recording level in the camera.

I like to carefully set the output of the recorder (and the analogue gain on the camera) so that the level meters on the camera show red as the same time the recorder peaks out, this way you don't need to be able to see the levels on the recorder while filming.

Maybe I'll make a video tutorial about this one day.

Regards, Morgan.

[Niklas Rahmel]

Huh, thanks! I haven'T done electronics in a while, but if I can find the parts, I will try!

Regards,

niklas

[Morgan Look]

On a related note, it is theoretically possible to build an adapter cable which will allow you to connect the Rode Video Mic into the camera using a balanced input configuration.

Why would you do this?

It will give you 6dB of attenuation, which might be desirable (I like to record loud music so attenuation helps).

Presenting the output from the RVM into a balanced line should improve it's noise rejection over long cable runs.

Having a shield conductor connected at only one end helps prevent noise from ground loop currents, not really an issue in this case.

    RVM                     Camera

Tip+Ring -----<red>---------Tip

     Sleeve ----<black>-------Ring

          n/c -----<shield>-------Sleeve

I haven't tested this, more likely I will build a RVM->XLR cable first (as shown in the RVM manual) so I can use the H4N to record from the RVM as well as the internal mics.

Morgan

On 6/08/2011, at 12:01 PM, Niklas Rahmel wrote:

Huh, thanks! I haven'T done electronics in a while, but if I can find the parts, I will try!

Regards,

niklas

On 6 August 2011 01:43, Morgan Look <morga...@gmail.com> wrote:

You can just turn the output down from your recorder, so that the meters on the recorder match those on magic lantern, I have done this and had good results.

Just be careful to have it turned right down before you plug it into the camera so not to overload the input.

You can make a pad cable, I used 1.8k Ohm, and 100 Ohm resistors, but anything similar will probably work fine.  You're just trying to get the signal down a bit.

<Line2Mic.png>