I have become partially educated by you all. The thing about learning anything is that the more you know, the more you relaize that you still don't know.
I am leaning towards the Azden SGM-2X shotgun....but have not decided. Now, if I were to buy one, I would need a XLR to miniplug adapter. What is the Beachtek XLR box that some people use. I bare my complete ignorance in the hope of learning! I can use the mike without it? What are the advantages of haveing such a unit?

Thank you in advance.

Marcello

Yes you could use a mic without it, but you'd have to get a XLR-Miniplug converter as you said. This is unbalanced audio. The main advantage of the Beachtek is you will have balanced audio (much better). You can also plug two mics into the adapter.

I use the SGM-2X and a Beachtek with my VX2000. Until someone told me what I should have known was: All shotgun mics are monaural. You don't get stereo sound. So, if you plug into the miniplug with an XLR adapter, you will get the mono and have to duplicate the track in post if you want it in both channels. Easy or hard, depending on what kind of editing program you use.

What I like about the Beachtek is that it has a mono-stereo switch, so that the SGM-2x can be plugged into it, the switch set to stereo, and the clean sound is already there -- albeit in two mono channels instead of true stereo. But for dialogue, it works very well.

Actually, you can deal with the stereo/mono issue relatively easily. It just requires a mono-miniplug to stereo-miniplug adaptor. Then you end up with two identical tracks (still not stereo but eliminates duplicating tracks in post).

You CAN get stereo shotgun mics - big bucks though.

So, is there an XLR to stereo miniplug adapter that will simply take the mono sound fom the mike and put it into both channels for me? Or do i have to go XLR to mono miniplug, then mono miniplug to stereo miniplug? Whew!

Maybe, then again, you might not need it. I thought I read somewhere else on dvinfo that the VX-2000 will automatically split it into stereo if it is coming in on mono. I use a GL1/2 so can't help with the specifics there.

Otherwise you need to look at the tip of the miniplug. If you can find an XLR to miniplug adaptor where the miniplg has TWO black rings near the tip then that could do it.

I use a beachtek box with my VX-2000. Aside from these other issues, consider the wear and tear on the fragile mini phone jack built into the camera. With the Beachtek you just plug it in once. Repeated plugging and unplugging can be rough, especially if a heavy adaptor is hanging on the plug. I've never personally seen a problem, but have read about them.

Marcello,

Most people it seems have the Beachtek adaptor. I was in your position a few weeks ago and bought one with my SGM-2x and using it on the VX2000. But it is a little pricey.

Check out the 4th page of the Shotgun mic help thread below for someone who just uses an XLR adaptor - mini plug.