Canon XH-A1 Shotgun Microphones at DVinfo.net

Ken Nelson · March 2nd, 2007, 06:22 PM

I would appreciate any recommendations on a Shotgun Microphone for the Canon XH-A1. I previously had a Canon GL2 with their mic. Canon would not make a recommendation for a mic yet there literature shows one attached to the camera.

Thanks for any help

Steven Fokkinga · March 3rd, 2007, 04:55 AM

Hi Ken,

Mics are not generally particularly good with one camera or the other. When they're good, they're good with anything. Now apart from just good or bad you have a lot of different types of microphones, one more suitable for certain tasks than the other. I can recommend these threads for investigating more into this matter:

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=30261
http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=64609
http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=30781
http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=41642

Good luck!

Ken Nelson · March 3rd, 2007, 07:33 AM

I will check them out

Brad Tyrrell · March 3rd, 2007, 09:06 AM

Just bought a Rode NTG1 for the XH-A1 from B&H. They sell a kit (mic, isolation mount, 1 foot right angle XLR) for $250 with free shipping.

Rode actually makes a mount to adapt to the clamps on the A1 although the one in the kit slips into the shoe.

I have to shoot a school performance this week and am planning to take a feed from the board. Boards and techs sometimes being mismatched (Is that cleaning it up or what?), I HAVE to have another audio source and can't use the on-board mic with the XLR feed.

Let you know how it works.

Brad

Brad Tyrrell · March 10th, 2007, 09:17 AM

OK. Did the shoot. Two of them actually.

The NTG-1 works great. I think the only difference between the NTG-1 and NTG-2 is that the 2 can be battery powered. (I suppose I should have gotten the 2 in case, but I'm almost always on AC.)

It's a pretty hot mic, but I had an interesting catastrophe workaround because of that (I think):

Took a board feed (balanced line) along with the Rode mounted on the camera (external preamp to boost it to line - annoying necessity). The board/operator had problems! Anyway, I'm maybe 100' from the stage and intermittantly there's NO sound working. The Rode is cranked on the preamp and on auto in the A1 and I GET AUDIO. I have to run a noise filter in post (Audition - I use the Adobe Collection) to drop the hiss but I end up with useable audio (not great, but useable) even though most of the audience couldn't hear the performers at all.

I'm definitely not recommending the NTG for 100', but when disaster hits ...

Ty Ford · March 11th, 2007, 11:47 AM

I hate when that happens.

Ty Ford

Stephen Sobel · August 24th, 2007, 06:57 PM

As a newbie to the audio side of things - can you explain what you mean by the Rode being a hot mic? What is the issue here, and how do you deal with it?

Ty Ford · August 24th, 2007, 08:19 PM

Hello Stephen,

Rode makes a number of mics. To which one do you refer?
A hot mic is one that is relatively more sensitive, generating a larger voltage than others. At some point (in a loud enough sound field) it might overdrive the inputs of the camera.

Regards,

Ty Ford

March 2nd, 2007, 06:22 PM	#1
Ken Nelson New Boot Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Clearwater, Florida Posts: 9	Canon XH-A1 Shotgun Microphones I would appreciate any recommendations on a Shotgun Microphone for the Canon XH-A1. I previously had a Canon GL2 with their mic. Canon would not make a recommendation for a mic yet there literature shows one attached to the camera. Thanks for any help

March 3rd, 2007, 04:55 AM	#2
Steven Fokkinga Major Player Join Date: May 2004 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 204	Hi Ken, Mics are not generally particularly good with one camera or the other. When they're good, they're good with anything. Now apart from just good or bad you have a lot of different types of microphones, one more suitable for certain tasks than the other. I can recommend these threads for investigating more into this matter: http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=30261 http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=64609 http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=30781 http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=41642 Good luck! Last edited by Steven Fokkinga; March 3rd, 2007 at 09:30 AM. Reason: typo

March 3rd, 2007, 07:33 AM	#3
Ken Nelson New Boot Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Clearwater, Florida Posts: 9	Thanks for the help I will check them out

March 11th, 2007, 11:47 AM	#6
Ty Ford Inner Circle Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Baltimore, MD USA Posts: 2,337	I hate when that happens. Ty Ford __________________ Ty Ford's Audio Bootcamp Field Guide Ty Ford's Audio Video Blog

August 24th, 2007, 08:19 PM	#8
Ty Ford Inner Circle Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Baltimore, MD USA Posts: 2,337	Hello Stephen, Rode makes a number of mics. To which one do you refer? A hot mic is one that is relatively more sensitive, generating a larger voltage than others. At some point (in a loud enough sound field) it might overdrive the inputs of the camera. Regards, Ty Ford __________________ Ty Ford's Audio Bootcamp Field Guide Ty Ford's Audio Video Blog

March 3rd, 2007, 09:06 AM	#4
Brad Tyrrell Major Player Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Morristown, New Jersey Posts: 249	Just bought a Rode NTG1 for the XH-A1 from B&H. They sell a kit (mic, isolation mount, 1 foot right angle XLR) for $250 with free shipping. Rode actually makes a mount to adapt to the clamps on the A1 although the one in the kit slips into the shoe. I have to shoot a school performance this week and am planning to take a feed from the board. Boards and techs sometimes being mismatched (Is that cleaning it up or what?), I HAVE to have another audio source and can't use the on-board mic with the XLR feed. Let you know how it works. Brad

March 10th, 2007, 09:17 AM	#5
Brad Tyrrell Major Player Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Morristown, New Jersey Posts: 249	OK. Did the shoot. Two of them actually. The NTG-1 works great. I think the only difference between the NTG-1 and NTG-2 is that the 2 can be battery powered. (I suppose I should have gotten the 2 in case, but I'm almost always on AC.) It's a pretty hot mic, but I had an interesting catastrophe workaround because of that (I think): Took a board feed (balanced line) along with the Rode mounted on the camera (external preamp to boost it to line - annoying necessity). The board/operator had problems! Anyway, I'm maybe 100' from the stage and intermittantly there's NO sound working. The Rode is cranked on the preamp and on auto in the A1 and I GET AUDIO. I have to run a noise filter in post (Audition - I use the Adobe Collection) to drop the hiss but I end up with useable audio (not great, but useable) even though most of the audience couldn't hear the performers at all. I'm definitely not recommending the NTG for 100', but when disaster hits ...

August 24th, 2007, 06:57 PM	#7
Stephen Sobel Major Player Join Date: Nov 2002 Posts: 408	As a newbie to the audio side of things - can you explain what you mean by the Rode being a hot mic? What is the issue here, and how do you deal with it?