DV Info Net - BeachTek DXA-5D XLR Adapter

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BeachTek DXA-5D Press release

Quote:

KELOWNA, CANADA – April 9th, 2009 – BeachTek is happy to announce their new DXA-5D XLR adapter that has been highly anticipated for the Canon 5D Mark II camera. The DXA-5D provides an easy way to connect professional microphones and other audio gear to this popular camera. This adapter brings a whole new functionality to the Canon 5D Mark II that was previously unavailable. It is now possible to capture professional sound with control and monitoring ability. The suggested list price of the DXA-5D is $379.00 in the United States. Expected shipping date is May 26th, 2009
The DXA-5D features dual transformer-balanced XLR inputs with phantom power and built-in level meters. In addition, the built-in headphone jack allows the user to monitor the audio – a feature missing on this camera. The trim controls allow the user to dial in the proper signal levels for optimum recording quality.
Most importantly, is the unique AGC Disable function which was the most sought after feature by users of this camera. The AGC Disable circuit is activated by a switch which controls the wild swings of the Auto Gain Control in the camera to reduce the hiss generated by the preamplifiers during quiet moments of recording. It works by sending a high frequency inaudible tone to the left channel of the camera. This feature greatly decreases the camera noise which has always been a problem in the past.
The DXA-5D also provides an unbalanced mini-jack input for many wireless receivers that use mini-plug connectors. There is an additional mic level output jack for connecting the adapter to external audio recorders such as the popular Sony PCM-D50 when very high quality recording is required. The LCD display shows the state of the various switches and battery life, as well as a vu meter that shows the audio levels from - 54dBu to -33dBu. This allows the user to verify the proper recording levels and eliminates any guesswork.
BeachTek is the original and most popular maker of XLR adapters for DV camcorders. The company specializes in making unique audio accessories for demanding video professionals.
BeachTek is located in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. For additional information on BeachTek or the products that they offer, including full specifications on the DXA-5D, visit their web site at Welcome to the new BeachTek website! or call (416) 690-9457.

Very interesting that the unit features a Mic level output for attaching an additional recorder-nice touch.

Nice to know there is a specific designed product.

Looks great. Hoping for some hands on reviews from NAB. I guess I thought it was going to be released a little sooner.

Wow, this a big step forward for Beachtek!!
Assuming the AGC Disable functions properly, I might actually buy and keep one of their product!

It indeed looks like a promising device, though from the shots I'd have preferred it to be a little bit smaller for running-around work.
On the other hand... HOW HARD could it really be for Canon to add an "AGC completely OFF, getting the correct volume is in your hands" menu option via firmware?

If you "turn AGC off," then you pretty much need a manual level control and a meter on the screen. Alternatively, I guess you could swap a meter for monitoring functionality. Point is, it's not as easy as just turning off AGC -- using AGC was their way of not needing manual level control, meters, and monitoring, LOL.

I'm not suggesting for a minute they take away AGC completely... it's clearly useful in many situations particularly when using the internal mic.

But it would be very easy indeed (I imagine) to give you an OPTION to switch it off or provide one or two levels of fixed gain. It would then, for example, make it easy to use any of Beachtek's simpler xlr adapters or indeed any other company's hardware that gives you volume control.

Yes.... that could indeed result in bad audio if you don't know what you're doing, it's use would be at the user's risk.... the same as using manual exposure can result in badly-exposed still photos, but they don't force you to use Program-mode-only for stills shooting, so why do it with audio?