Hello everyone,
I'm going to record a video of a conference (only voice - no music).
In that place they have a small audio system with 2 microphones going to a small console (and from there to the ampli).
In the console they have a headphone output (no other outputs available).
I thought that, instead of using my ME66 (or lav kit) i could plug directly to that output.
Can anyone suggest me if it's a good idea and what is the best way to connect, via my MA-100 or straight to audio 1.
Or maybe i could try using my ME66 (or lav kit) to the MA-100 and connect audio 2 to the console output?
Thanks,
Stefano.

Just to be safe: you are having the camera locked down (on a
tripod for example), right? No walking around when you are
wired to a system.

You should be able to take a feed from the headphone jack and connect it to the Audio1 inputs. Try the LINE setting and have the headphone amps output turned up to make it work.

Note, if the XL1 is A/C powered there may exist a possibility for a ground loop that could introduce some buzz/hum. If that is the case, using battery power, or an isolator such as the Radio Shack Automotive Ground Isolator, part #270-054, should help.

If you need to move the camera around and have a wireless system available, try feed the headphone output to a wireless transmitter's mic jack (use a pad to reduce it to mic level).

Some folks have been known to just put a mic pickup in front of the PA speaker. That usually can give better sound than an on-camera mic at some distance from the talent.

Thank you Rob,
yes, i will be using a tripod, even though sometimes, it looks boring when the spekaer is just sitting and talking and the camera is fixed (just zooming or paning). So a few times i move around with my camera and take a different view.

Good idea Don,
i'd like the wireless solution, but what do you mean by "use a pad to reduce it to mic level"?
(My wireless system is Senn. EW112P).

ciao

A 'pad" is an attenuator. It can be used to reduce a line-level signal to mic level. The headphone output is usually a good bit above mic level.

At one time Radio Shack offered a cord with a built-in line-to-mic level attenuator. However, not sure if it has the right amount of attenuation for your situation.

The reason to use the attenuator rather than to just turn down the headphone volume is to keep the signal-to-noise better. The attenuator reduce both signal and noise about equally, while a volume control does not reduce the noise (often 120 Hz hum) added by electronics following the volume control.