Hey gang. I used my me66 with a trv900 running through a Beachtek without any real issues other then an overall lack of sound quality when compared to the dvx.

The issue I'm having with the dvx is that it seems almost impossible to get the best out of this mic with this cam. I'm wondering if I'm alone on this or if you guys can help. Here's my issue:

In the past the first thing I do is shut off the auto-gain to reduce camera induced hiss on my recordings. I figured with the manual level control right on the side of this cam that it would make an unbelievable combo with my me66. Today I'm going to begin experimenting WITH auto-gain just to see what that yields because when I tried to run the cam with manual audio levels it seemed like the sound was the OPPOSITE of compressed... almost like the range was expanded. Sounds would go from being almost inaudible to clipping.

When I run the me66 through a wireless I can monitor the sound and it's like listening to a foley track. The fantastic details would amaze you! Since I got this cam and it is so good with audio I expected to get more of that detail into my videos.

I've played with mic gain -50 and -60 and the difference is negligible between the two. Frankly the detail IS good, you can record whispers and things that you'd never get with the onboard mic, but it just sounds like the range is freaky... as I said it goes from too low to too loud without a really big change in real volume levels.

So do I need to sell my me66 and get an mkh416 to get a more compressed and detailed range (from a far more sensitive mic)? OR can you guys tell me what's happening?

FYI I'm booming the mic with a Softie so that's not the issue. Also I've run it wired and wireless and the wireless is a Lectro, so that's not the issue either. Also I've tried phantom vs. battery so that has been addressed as well.

Thoughts?

Just to clear things out.
The ALC function on the DVX100 does not automatically set your levels. It's NOT an automatic level control, but a Limiter, which cuts of your tops to prevent distortion. To my knowledge the DVX100 has no way to automatically adjust the levels.

Unfortunatly I can't help you with your problem, I just wanted to make this ALC thing clear.

Actually that helps a LOT. Thanks. I was trying to figure out how I couldn't hear any difference using the mic at low levels with or without the ALC on. That explains it.

I'm developing a theory that perhaps the me66 is SO hot when compared to normal mics that it creates this issue.

Either way I want to tell you guys that I've been experimenting for the better part of the day and it seems that with this mic it is definitely best to keep the ALC on. You can turn up the levels so that the mic is plenty loud on whispers and then pot it down as need be for louder passages.

I'm guessing this is how the pros have to do it anyway. I was almost hoping that somebody would tell me some other mic could handle loud and soft in a manner similar to digital compression, but I think that goes against the laws of physics.

Either way I feel my problem is 90% solved and I've been pretty happy with the mic when it's actively controlled.

I think your expieriencing the same problem i had.The 66 preforms well under low audio levels but soon as the music got loud it distorted.The factory tech tells me its just to hot and they have it now to remove a capacator which they tell me will solve the problem.

Digging up this old post....Well I'm in the same predicament. I find quite sounds like soft talking and wispers come out astoundingly clear yet if someone speaks up or I pick up a loud sound it distorts so easily. All the while the audio levels "showing" no distortion.

I was wondering if there WAS a fix for this. Does Senheisser have some sort of mod they do to the ME66 to fix this? Hopefully, because right now it's only good for interview shooting...and only if they keep their voice at a calm tone.

You need to run the mics through a mixer and have the sounds that clip not go straight through.

i thought i might share this with you guys, i'm using a k66 with power capsoul but i'm using a low power capsoul for the 66 (there are two), so far so good, sensitivity is way down...

i also use the same setup on my xl1

Yeah after talking to the tec at Sennheiser he explained all they do to "mod" the ME66 is remove a capacitor. They now offer the K6 retail with this mod already completed. He explained the K6 tends to over-power the ME66 which causes the signal to be too strong. He assured me I wouldn't lose my dynamic range or low end sensitivity. I'll have to hear it to believe it. Regardless, I'm definitly sending it in to be modded. Without it- on my DVX it's practically worthless unless I'm shooting something extremely quiet.

Glenn whats the cost for the modification?

Free- under 2 year warranty. However it it weren't under warranty it would have costed $17.95

Glen, Since you brought this post back to life you owe it to us to let us know how the mod works...

Please follow up in either this thread or better still, start a new thread proclaiming success so others can reference it in the future... something like "me66 factory mod removing capacitor fixes mic" or some title that makes it easy to search...

Hey if anybody else did this then please chime in! I was 80% happy with my me66 and I'd be about 95% happy with the price/performance relationship IF this mod works. As it is I'm working around it thanks to the advice of you guys...

If you have an me66 you can set both mic inputs to one mic and then set the levels differently... then in post you pan to ch2 everytime the volume gets too high. Thanks to a kind member for that tip! It works!

Will do Matt. I first have to troubleshoot my camera beings I'm running into intermittent problems with audio. I'm hearing odd audial anormalities. I don't know if it's the media, the camera, the mic, or any combination of them.

Once I figure out what the problem is I'll then send the mic out. I just want to rule out the possibility that the mic is damaged and causing the audio problems I'm experiencing.