padded cable for h1/h4n or SD mixpre to DSLR

[Tom Morrow]

This cable:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/750963-REG/Sescom_LN2MIC_ZMH4_MON_3_5mm_Line_to_Mic.html
Is recommended for converting line level sources such as the Zoom H1 headphone out, or the Sound Devices MixPre 1/8" output into the right level for feeding a DSLR such as my canon 60d.

The reason is that it attenuates the signal by 25db, which is presumably the right about to drop from the supposedly -10dBu line level signal down to something nearer the -40db mic standard level, but I suppose with some extra "hotness" so the DSLR preamps can be turned all the way down.

What I can't get an answer to though is why these attenuator cables are any better than just turning down the signal with the headphone level on the H1 or the gain on the MixPre?

Anyone?

[Jay Massengill]

With the MixPre the answer would be because usually you're sending the Main XLR line level outputs to the XLR-equipped camera or recorder at full level, and the 1/8-inch auxillary output jack was secondary instead of primary as you may intend to use it. The 1/8-inch output has no separate control, nor is there a "Master" control on the MixPre.
With a small number of LED segments in the metering, as well as excellent limiters, running the MixPre at a low level would be less than ideal but you could certainly do that if you had to. Keep in mind what control levels you've set at lower than normal in order to be consistent. Also remember that working with an output that can be a much hotter signal is often non-linear and very touchy in the field, especially if you can't monitor directly from some dSLR's.

[Chad Johnson]

Even though you can turn down the cameras record level, there is no trim to protect the input. So you could clip the input even though your level meter is not in the red.

[Tom Morrow]

Thanks for the responses. I'm starting to get it now. The only control the mixpre has to tweak the signal lower are the main faders, and if I turn those down then everything is lower, including my 0VU target, so I have to reinterpret the LED display. And I can't be as confident of limiting engaging on big signals.

Also, another person on another forum said they tried a regular nonpadded cable and got bad results:

what I see on the photo's is a XLR line output from the
mixpre to the mic input from the camera...
I did this connection to try out but there is almost no range
to adjust the volume level and the noise is killing..
The level control on the camera is one step away from all
down left..and still must get careful and impossible to prevent distortion sometimes..
So good setup but un unusable or you do something what I miss so tell me please ??

That main fader may simply not have the range to adjust low enough.

[Chad Johnson]

Is the camera input set to "Line" or "Mic"? It should be on "Line" to handle a line level signal from the MixPre.

[Tom Morrow]

Camera has no Line/Mic switch; the 60d is always in mic mode, which is the genus of this whole kerfuffle.

[Chad Johnson]

Yeah then you need a pad cable with the MixPre, or get the new MixPre-D with mic out as well as line. Or a JuicedLink, which is designed for DSLRs. I have a DT454. Not too shabby.