can you run both xlr and 1/8 inch plugs at once? meaning can I put one mic in the 1/8 inch plug and one to the xlr and record both? how about all three at once? and exactly how does it record it, meaning is it each full stereo or is each xlr recorded as one seperate track left or right and then need to be plit and or combined later?

You can only record two channels. I don't know if one of them can be mini and the other XLR. Interesting question.

To the best of my knowledge, with the A1 you can record stereo (two channels) from the mic jack, or your can record one or two channels from the XLR connectors. But not from both at the same time, and you cannot mix the inputs in the camcorder.

FWIW: The XL series allows 4-channel recording.

You can not use the 1/8 inch plug and the XLR at the same time. When you enable XLR it disables the 1/8 inch plug and the built in mic.