i was connecting two mic up till now with my canon xl2 using both XLRs on the back , but now i need to use three mics for interviewing people ..what is the solution to this .. if i need to buy some thing .. can you guys make recommendations as well

thank you

You need a mixer. There are many options out there. Personally I use a Rolls MX422. It's not the best, but it gets the job done. It has 4 XLR inputs, and 2 XLR outputs, and is powered by 2 9 volt batteries. You can also look at the SoundDevices 302 or 442. Also take a look at this thread (http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/all-things-audio/110967-audio-forum-frequently-asked-questions.html) under Mixers.

You need a mixer. There are many options out there. Personally I use a Rolls MX422. It's not the best, but it gets the job done. It has 4 XLR inputs, and 2 XLR outputs, and is powered by 2 9 volt batteries. You can also look at the SoundDevices 302 or 442. Also take a look at this thread (http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/all-things-audio/110967-audio-forum-frequently-asked-questions.html) under Mixers.

thanks ... i might record discussing later where i might have upto 7 people ... is there some thing with more then 4 inputs? any recommentations?

PSC makes a 6 input field mixer. (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/392260-REG/PSC_FPSCDVMIX6_DV_PROMIX_6_.html) 7 inputs gets past field mixers and into studio mixers (ie not battery powered/portable ones.) If it's a one-time thing, you can look into renting a studio mixer with 12+ channels.

PSC makes a 6 input field mixer. (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/392260-REG/PSC_FPSCDVMIX6_DV_PROMIX_6_.html) 7 inputs gets past field mixers and into studio mixers (ie not battery powered/portable ones.) If it's a one-time thing, you can look into renting a studio mixer with 12+ channels.


ohh this is expensive ... i want to stay under $500-$600 dollers ... then ill stay with a 4-channel mixes .... what is the best mixer i can get in that price range?

The best for your price range would be the DV ProMix 3, but it is only 3 channels. The Rolls MX422 has 4 inputs, but it's preamps are not as good as others. The called "best" are the Sound Devices, but those start at $1,300. I have the MX422 and have had no problems with it. I'm not a true audiophile, but it serves my purposes. The big thing that drew me to the Rolls (besides the price) was the fact that each input had independent control of phantom power.

The best for your price range would be the DV ProMix 3, but it is only 3 channels. The Rolls MX422 has 4 inputs, but it's preamps are not as good as others. The called "best" are the Sound Devices, but those start at $1,300. I have the MX422 and have had no problems with it. I'm not a true audiophile, but it serves my purposes. The big thing that drew me to the Rolls (besides the price) was the fact that each input had independent control of phantom power.

i will be conducting interviews basically ... no music or any thing other then voices would be recorded ... by ur experince you recommend rolls Mx422 ?

I haven't tested any other field mixers, but based on reviews, it is the best value for the price. The only complaint I have is no low battery indicator, although there is a "check battery level" button. It also comes with an AC adapter if you are hear an outlet.

I haven't tested any other field mixers, but based on reviews, it is the best value for the price. The only complaint I have is no low battery indicator, although there is a "check battery level" button. It also comes with an AC adapter if you are hear an outlet.


ill be in shooting in a room where i wil have electrical outlets ..so u think i should be ok without batteries then ?

Yeah, the AC adapter is good for situations like that. The batteries can stay in the unit, they just get bypassed when the AC adapter is plugged in.

There's also the Canon MA-300, which is an additional XLR mic input module that attaches to the accessory shoe on top of the XL2. It gives you two more XLR inputs in addition to the two that are already on the camera, for a total of four XLR inputs. You'll have to go into the menu and configure the XL2 for 4-channel audio recording, but it will definitely do what you want for the least amount of money (the MA-300 is $165 at B&H):

Canon | MA-300 Dual XLR Microphone Adapter | 8032A002 | B&H (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/256059-REG/Canon_8032A002_MA_300_Dual_XLR_Microphone.html)

Hope this helps,

Perhaps I'm missing something here, but I usually run three mics for interviews etc. using two lavs mics along with the onboard stereo mic -- and then set the XL2 to record 4-channels.

-- peer

My company has a Sign Video ENG44 4-channel field mixer which is a nice piece of work, in your price range as well. Very pro construction, nice audio.

I have an Azden FMX42, a similar mixer with similar quality and features but with vu meters instead of led peak meters...I've worked with both and find them very usable. I must admit I like the peak reading led's better for digital audio, but both these do the job.

FWIW we started out with a (ok, laugh) Behringer UBB1002 battery-powered mixer (about $100) and, while the preamps are nothing to write home about, in a pinch it works....not that you would want to use this all the time, but for a one-off situation, it will do the job. 18v phantom power in battery mode, 5 xlr input..../Battle Vaughan/miamiherald.com video team

Perhaps I'm missing something here, but I usually run three mics for interviews etc. using two lavs mics along with the onboard stereo mic -- and then set the XL2 to record 4-channels.

-- peer

To take Peer's thought out a little further, assuming you wanted to use three Mic's but not the on-board Mic on the XL2....
Of course, two of the Mic's will use the XLR inputs on the back. Then, disconnect the on-board microphone, and plug the third mic into one of the front mic terminals located on the side of the camera. They are different sized inputs, but one of them is standard 1/8" input. I've used this method several times in recording 3-mic situations, and it works very well.
If all threee of your mic's are XLR, you can get an XLR to 8mm adaptor pretty inexpensively mostly anywhere. This last 6-8 inches or so of unbalanced cabling will have negligible affect on your sound quality.

Good Morning,

the three mics on the xl2 works just fine as mentioned above with or without the ma 300.


Just in case you did not know this, you will have to capture the multi channel audio with a program like scenalyzer.

It is dirt cheap, works well; however, I have had the driver interfer with adobe drivers. It also does not capture HD.

I wouldn't recommend trying to mix seven mics down to two channels, to tell you the truth. You'll likely end up with two blown tracks. As problematic as recording four tracks to the XL2 is, that's probably your best bet, as mentioned in here.

i bought a MA300 .... but i am not able to connect it right! ... i hooked it up on the shoe .. but i cant get to hear any thing from the XLRs on the shoe... i did change the setting in the audio to 4 channels 12 bits but still dosnt seems to get it work.... is there any thing else i need to do? using XL2 with MA300

Once in a while when I run four channels I forgot to switch the monitor meters on to four channels, making me think that I get no sound -- your problem might be as easy. The Audio Monitor button is located just above the White Balance.

-- peer

Once in a while when I run four channels I forgot to switch the monitor meters on to four channels, making me think that I get no sound -- your problem might be as easy. The Audio Monitor button is located just above the White Balance.

-- peer

so not turing the audio meter ... i wont be able to hear any thing on the headphones either?

is there any thing else i need to do?Set the Audio 2 input select switch to SHOE. This switch is located on the left side of the camera under the audio controls panel door. See page 52 of the operator's manual for more details.

Set the Audio 2 input select switch to SHOE. This switch is located on the left side of the camera under the audio controls panel door. See page 52 of the operator's manual for more details.

i did and thats great! i was able to get audio to the headphones ..but strangly when i try caputring the audio in Sony Vegas 8.0 it dosnt get the audio from the SHOE ... from the MA300 that is ... am i suppose to setup some thing in Sony as well??

Search our Vegas forum for discussions relating to four-channel audio capture. In some NLE systems, you have to make a second capture pass to get channels 3 & 4. Our Vegas forum will have much more info though.