benefits of beachtek and similar XLR adaptors?

[Maximo Salaberry]

I am planning to use a wired lavalier AT803b with XLR connector attached to a camera without XLR connection (optura 50).

I found out i can use a Shure A96F XLR adapter/transformer ($40), or i can go for a Beachtek 2A for $120.

I am asuming the Shure will allow you to have a balanced connection the same as the beachtek. What advantage would the beachtek give you over the shure connector? Volume control only?

My question is: if you are using a canon optura 50 with manual audio control, do you really need the Beachtek?

thank you

max

[David Ennis]

You don't need the Beacktek for your setup. But the advantage of having one is increased versatility.

If you wanted to route the AT's signal to one channel and use a second mic for the other channel, the Beach would make that easy.

If you wanted to take a line level signal in one or both channels, the Beach would make that easy.

[Laurence Kingston]

I prefer this one to the Beachtek because I like the belt mount format better than the under the camera format.

http://www.studio1productions.com/xlr-bp_pro.htm

[Maximo Salaberry]

sorry for my ignorance: what's line level signal? Is that sound from a CD player for sintance? What's the purpose for that when you want to capture sound from interviewee?

thank you

[Steve House]

Originally Posted by Maximo Salaberry

sorry for my ignorance: what's line level signal? Is that sound from a CD player for sintance? What's the purpose for that when you want to capture sound from interviewee?

thank you

In general you could say that there are two basic signal strengths used to send signals from one piece of equipment to another - mic level and line level. Mic level is the voltage put out by typical microphones and is much much weaker than line level. Line is the output of preamplifiers, CD players, tape players, camcorders, etc. The mic input on your camera would be expecting to see signals at the mic level while the audio input jack, if it has one, would be expecting to see line level inputs. The analog audio output of your camera will be sending its signals at line level. (Just to make things interesting, there are two different line level standards, one standard on professional gear and another that is standard on consumer gear, consumer being about 12 dB lower than pro.) It matters because all electronic gear is designed to handle a certain range of signals and a maximum signal before it overloads. If you plug a line level source into a mic level input the voltage will be over that range and serious distortion is likely to result. OTOH, if you plug a microphone into a line level input, the voltage it sends will be too small to drive the circuit properly. You might be able to hear it by turning the volume way up, but doing so means you're also boosting the level of circuit noise and hiss and so forth at the same time. To get the best possible results, everything must be in balance.