Camera Mounted Wireless Lav Mics for HD100?

[Lisa Bennett]

What do you suggest for a good camera mounted wireless lavs? I need to setup for a 2 person interview shoot. Plus, need it for location shoots when there is no power. Using the JVC GYHD100U(A)

Thank you.

[Don Bloom]

Lisa, I've been using the AT1821 dual receiver with 2 mic paks since the AT18xx series came out. I've used that setup on all kinds of different camera kits including HD100, HD200 and HM700 which is where the system has lived for 4 years.
I ran the rec & xmittrs off of double A battery's but on the 700 I run the rec off the D tap on the camera. I like vet my system and setup but pretty much any sets of wireless will work just fine. Sennheiser, Lectro whatever, depends on budget and if you have any preferences.

[Seth Bloombaum]

Hey Don, how do you mount the receiver to the camera? I think I only have a belt-clip pouch. Fine in a sound bag, but how *do* you stick the double 1800 receiver on a camera?

PS. Love the 1800-series. I've been using eneloop rechargeables in it.

[Rick Reineke]

I've worked with a camera person's dual 1800 once or twice and stuck it to the back of his cam's battery pack w/ Velcro. As I recall he had a mid-sized JVC camcorder w/ a dual NP1 battery box and the AT 1800 system worked fine and was comparable to a Sennheiser G2/3. Depending on one's camera size, two G3 EK100s receivers may be a better option. The EK100 receivers also come with the accessory for a hot-shoe.

[Don Bloom]

I've always pretty much used the BEC cups with a mounting bracket on my cams. With the HD/HM series l have the old JVC bracket with the BEC cup. Like I've said I've used this setup for a bunch of years and prefer the dual receiver over 2 separate receivers but that's a personal thing. The bracket setup has worked for me really well.
BTW this whole rig is up for sale so pm me if you have any questions.

[Donald McPherson]

Or for cheapskates like me. There is always this.

ROWA FC-2410S Wireless Stereo Interview Microphone For DSLR Camera DV Camcorder | eBay

[Chris Harding]

Hi Donald

They work don't they ? My mate Roger uses the Boya WM-5 units which are also cheap as chips and reports they work well. Hmmm I need to try the Rowa out I think during our Winter off season and see how they perform ... the only downside I can see on the cheaper units is that the cases are a bit plastic looking. I do like the fact that the Rowa uses Li-Ion 3.7v batteries ... Having to change silly AA or AAA cells the whole time is a pain and all you have to do is accidentally leave a unit on with it's tiny AAA and it's dead after a few hours.

[Donald McPherson]

Yes they work.I posted this. but you make up your own mind.

YouTube (Short URL)

[Greg Miller]

Thanks for posting that clip. A few questions come to mind.

1.) Are you sure the receiver's audio output combines both mics into one mono channel? It's rather disconcerting that they would clearly call it "stereo" if it is not. If the receiver has enough output to drive headphones, that would be a simple test ... it would eliminate any camera connectivity issues.

2.) Do the mic inputs provide low-voltage "plug in power" to the mics, so it can be used with a variety of other electret elements? (Of course if the provided mics are electrets, the answer would be "yes" ... but are we sure they are electrets? I can't find any detailed specs.)

Thanks again!

[Rick Reineke]

More than likely a China built device, and 'stereo' may have a different meaning and/or tech info written by non-audio folks.

[Greg Miller]

Also known as "deceptive advertising."

Or it may be the case of an unbalanced stereo output (TRS) being fed to a balanced XLR input, so the two channels are inadvertently combined (out of phase, at that).

Hopefully Mr. McPherson can clear this up for us.

[Chris Harding]

That's what worried me too. The pic of the whole kit shows a stereo to stereo output cable but the XLR cable has a stereo 3.5mm plug on one end and only one male XLR connector which would mean the signals are combined. I will often chop and change my channels in my NLE at weddings, depending who is talking so a combined signal (even running to both camera inputs) is useless to me. If your audio signal from transmitter 2 had a bad signal or external noise there is no way you could split it from the other transmitter and could easily end up with the "bad" signal ruining the good one. I had a dual receiver at one stage (Azden) and it was very poor compared to having individual receivers so I always use my wireless kits in pairs ... costs a little more but it's worth it I think!

[Donald McPherson]

Yes this is what I have stereo jack going to XLR male. Looking at the monitor bars it does not matter which lav I talk into both bars bounce at the same time. Same when I put it in video editor so you can't adjust one without the other. There is another set almost identical but each transmitter looks to have individual controls, i think it was £40 dearer. Mine is either off or on.

[Chris Harding]

Thanks Donald

That's what I figured out with the XLR ... what it should have is a stereo jack going to 2 x XLR plugs so the signal from transmitter A goes to channel 1 and the signal from transmitter B goes to channel 2 ...that way you can switch tracks in the NLE to control levels. Have you perhaps tried the stereo plug to stereo plug connector ?? I wonder if that might split the signal into left and right ... making up a genuine twin channel cable to XLR is easy enough to do!

[Donald McPherson]

Haven't tried that. But I will look into it.

For £5 delivered I'll try this.

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item...584197&alt=web