I'm just a beginner in the video world and I have a couple of questions. I have an XL2 and was wondering what everyone does for mounting their microphone on the camera. Do you use the Lightwave Mini-Mount Isolator? or some other way? I get too much tape noise now. (I know this sounds like it should be in the xl2 Forum but I shoot outside and mainly alone so I thought this would be the best place) I haven't bought another microphone yet still trying to decide what to do there also. Most of my subjects will be birds from distances to 20' to who knows.

Thanks

Richard

To isolate camera noise completly you need to have the mic mounted off the camera. I know that is not always practicle. I have a Sennheiser 66 which when mounted on the H1 with additional foam arount the mount does a reasonable job, but does eliminate zoom noise. I do have a rycote mount for it that I have yet to try. I will post the results when I have had time to try it on the camera. This was used on my Z1 but again did not completly isulate camera or handling noise.

Mick

I think anything where your mic is supported by elastic and not attached by hard contact will greatly reduce the noise. Products start at around 45$ for azden.

If you have money left over, you may want to look at system I use by K-tek, it has a mount that fits into the XL series exsiting mic holder, and comes with a heavy duty wind sock. It's pricey, but having clean audio is a must. I often us elastics or tape around the mounts to give some added strentgh. One downside to the K-tek is the screes come loose, so make sure you glue them prior to tightening them.

I put my camera through really rough conditions and never have a sound guy and get great results.

A good trick is to split the mono cable with a y cable and input it into both your XLR adapters and stager their levels. This way if it is too low, or too high, you are covered by the other.

Michael

To isolate camera noise completly you need to have the mic mounted off the camera. I know that is not always practical. I have a Sennheiser 66 which when mounted on the H1 with additional foam around the mount does a reasonable job, but does eliminate zoom noise. I do have a rycote mount for it that I have yet to try. I will post the results when I have had time to try it on the camera. This was used on my Z1 but again did not completly insulate camera or handling noise.

Mick

I have just reread the above and it should read - does not eliminate zoom noise -

regards

Mick

I may be talking non-sense, but I think the zoom noise can be removed in post with a high pass filter? I know I get bad noise from my GL2, but my post audio guy does something that takes it out.

There is a high pass filter in the audiosuite tools (1 band eq, and then select highpass)

michael

Yes I agree with you, but its still better to elimate as much as poss in the first place. By the way I like the idea of your mic set up to record different levels to the seperate channels.

Mick

Thanks everyone for your ideas. I am checking into your suggestions Michael.

Richard

For on-camera microphones on the XL2, I use two items in the Light Waves System - a System Isolator SI-XL1 mount for the viewfinder, and a Light Waves System MM-XL1 Universal Mini-mount for the microphone.

The XL2 Canon mic does tend to pick up quite a lot of lens and tape chamber noise, so the Light Waves System certainly helps to absorb a lot of the vibrations and noise; but I still prefer to often also use a much longer shotgun mic (such as the Audio Technica 815b) that moves the sound cone further forward away from the tape mechanism. A good fur-cat also helps (I mostly use the Reinhardt models).

Look at the description and photo of my VX2100 on a shoulder-mount rig, in another thread on this forum. The key element I use on it for good audio, is a wood crossbar for the two mikes, that absorbs most of the vibration coming from the camera. They are high enough above the camera and their sensing elements are quite a bit forward of it, to further reduce noise on the audio track.