Azden SGM-1X Shotgun on GL-2 - INFO

Jeff Klein · March 17th, 2004, 09:06 PM

It should. I have a GL1 and I built a homemade one that's the same as the Hosa as far as I can tell. It's the same wiring as the schematic posted a few replies ago minus the capacitor. I'm pretty sure the Hosa brand one is straight wired, no capacitor, but even if it has one it wouldn't hurt anything.

Jeff

Dennis Parker · March 19th, 2004, 05:04 AM

<<<-- Originally posted by Rick Gann : I whole heartedly agree, I just got the sgm-1x for my gl1, along with the studio 1 xlr adapter and could not be more pleased.

Rick -->>>

I'll jump into this thread and agree with the above post. I purchased a GL2 & SGM-1x a few months back and I have been very happy with the sound it has reproduced. The studio 1 xlr adapter made it a snap to connect the mic to the camcorder. The shotgun mic is purched just out of view of the frame on top of my GL2, so I have not had any problems with it dropping into view.

I highly recommend it to anyone looking to get good sound for their projects without breaking their bank. I'm about to use my setup on a no budget short of mine!

Chris Wright · April 6th, 2004, 09:18 PM

I'm about to buy the SGM-1X also, but am still somewhat confused on the adapter I should buy. Like others here, I'd rather buy the cheaper Hosa adapter. Is the more expensive Shure transformer adapter really necessary?

Eventually I will be buying the XLR adapter, but for now I just need to use the mic with a mini plug adapter.

Someone please tell me there's no reason not to buy the cheaper Hosa adapter :)

Jeff Klein · April 7th, 2004, 06:30 AM

Chris,
Your GL-2 should be the same as the GL-1 as far as not passing phantom power through the mic jack, therefore internal capacitors in your adapter are not necessary but also won't cause any problems. The difference between the Shure and Hosa model is the impedence matching transformer and DC voltage-blocking capacitors.

If you are using the Azden mounted to the camera or on a boom pole with <20 ft of cable you should be fine with the Hosa. You can even go longer, depending on how much interference there is in the area (I've gone 30-40 feet in good conditions).

The SGM-1x is a 680 ohm mic and the GL-1(2) mic input is designed for a 600 ohm mic input. Therefore, no impedence matching transformer is required. Also, although all XLR mics are balanced output the GL series does not use balanced mic inputs; both the Hosa and Shure adapters convert the balanced mic output to unbalanced for the camera's mic input.

For longer than 20 ft runs you usually run into the signal loss and interference concerns associated with unbalanced cabling. For these longer runs you would want the Shure adapter. Why? Because the Hosa adapter will make a balanced XLR cable act like an unbalanced cable, regardless of whether the XLR cable portion is 1 inch or 100 feet, since there's no transformer in the Hosa.

The Shure, on the other hand, will only be unbalanced from the internal transformer to the camera (a foot or so), even if you have the Azden connected to it with a 100 foot XLR cable. The Shure will also be a better impedence match if you ever get a true low impedence microphone. Nominal impedence for a low impedence mic is 150 ohms, although it varies; the Azden's 680 ohms would still be considered low, but most professional microphones are closer to 200 ohm range. From what Shure says, it's designed for a 600 ohm mic input, but can be user-modifed internally for a 150 ohm mic.

Basically what this means is that as your microphone impedence drops (say from 680 to 150) your mic signal will drop slightly, but the Shure would boost that back up a bit by you modifying the internal wiring from 600 to 150 ohm setting. That being said, before I got the Azden, I used to use a 200 ohm MXL-603s cardioid condenser instrument mic with an inline AC powered phantom power supply and a straight XLR to 1/8" cable just like the Hosa with absolutely no problems achieving sufficient levels.

Bottom line to all of this rambling <G>?; if you get the Azden I would start out with the Hosa unless you're planning on having your mic farther than 20 feet from the camera on a regular basis. You can always upgrade to the Shure at a later date if you really need to.

Hope this helps,
Jeff (slow day at work) K.

Bill Hardy · April 16th, 2004, 10:31 PM

Is the Azden a stereo mic?

Jean-Philippe Archibald · April 17th, 2004, 05:36 AM

No, it is a mono mic and the SGM-2X is mono too.

Bill Hardy · April 17th, 2004, 06:14 PM

There is a "mono in", "stereo out" 1/8" adapter plug from Radio shack. Mono from both audio channels of the GL2 will be louder than a mono plug going into a stereo GL2 input. You will only hear one channel. You guys know the GL2 has a stereo input right?

Jeff Klein · April 17th, 2004, 07:23 PM

<<You guys know the GL2 has a stereo input right?

Yeah, all the adapter configurations that have been mentioned have a stereo 1/8" connection for the GL-1(2) input. The XLR output from the mic will be balanced mono converted to unbalanced stereo (simply the mono signal sent to both left and right stereo inputs of the camera input).

Jeff

Bill Hardy · April 19th, 2004, 02:15 AM

Thanks, missed that. Those balanced and unbalanced terms were going over my head and I overlooked the stereo mini in Kevin's first post. My A69F transformer cable and the Shure Shotgun should arrive today. I have a wedding comming up in May. I also have a Panasonic PVDV953 cam comming to be with my GL2. But I notice Panasonic has even cheaper 3 chips on their site.
I was surprised to see one listing for $699

http://catalog2.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ModelList?storeId=11251&catalogId=11005&catGroupId=11303

Incidently B&H sells this cam also. It even has an external mic input, although not sure if it is stereo.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=314960&is=REG

Keep in mind the chips in these cams are not as low light sensitive as the GL2.

How are you guys getting the links that you post clik-able?

March 17th, 2004, 09:06 PM	#16
Jeff Klein Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Brooklyn Park, Maryland Posts: 60	It should. I have a GL1 and I built a homemade one that's the same as the Hosa as far as I can tell. It's the same wiring as the schematic posted a few replies ago minus the capacitor. I'm pretty sure the Hosa brand one is straight wired, no capacitor, but even if it has one it wouldn't hurt anything. Jeff __________________ Jeff K (If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.)

April 7th, 2004, 06:30 AM	#19
Jeff Klein Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Brooklyn Park, Maryland Posts: 60	Chris, Your GL-2 should be the same as the GL-1 as far as not passing phantom power through the mic jack, therefore internal capacitors in your adapter are not necessary but also won't cause any problems. The difference between the Shure and Hosa model is the impedence matching transformer and DC voltage-blocking capacitors. If you are using the Azden mounted to the camera or on a boom pole with <20 ft of cable you should be fine with the Hosa. You can even go longer, depending on how much interference there is in the area (I've gone 30-40 feet in good conditions). The SGM-1x is a 680 ohm mic and the GL-1(2) mic input is designed for a 600 ohm mic input. Therefore, no impedence matching transformer is required. Also, although all XLR mics are balanced output the GL series does not use balanced mic inputs; both the Hosa and Shure adapters convert the balanced mic output to unbalanced for the camera's mic input. For longer than 20 ft runs you usually run into the signal loss and interference concerns associated with unbalanced cabling. For these longer runs you would want the Shure adapter. Why? Because the Hosa adapter will make a balanced XLR cable act like an unbalanced cable, regardless of whether the XLR cable portion is 1 inch or 100 feet, since there's no transformer in the Hosa. The Shure, on the other hand, will only be unbalanced from the internal transformer to the camera (a foot or so), even if you have the Azden connected to it with a 100 foot XLR cable. The Shure will also be a better impedence match if you ever get a true low impedence microphone. Nominal impedence for a low impedence mic is 150 ohms, although it varies; the Azden's 680 ohms would still be considered low, but most professional microphones are closer to 200 ohm range. From what Shure says, it's designed for a 600 ohm mic input, but can be user-modifed internally for a 150 ohm mic. Basically what this means is that as your microphone impedence drops (say from 680 to 150) your mic signal will drop slightly, but the Shure would boost that back up a bit by you modifying the internal wiring from 600 to 150 ohm setting. That being said, before I got the Azden, I used to use a 200 ohm MXL-603s cardioid condenser instrument mic with an inline AC powered phantom power supply and a straight XLR to 1/8" cable just like the Hosa with absolutely no problems achieving sufficient levels. Bottom line to all of this rambling <G>?; if you get the Azden I would start out with the Hosa unless you're planning on having your mic farther than 20 feet from the camera on a regular basis. You can always upgrade to the Shure at a later date if you really need to. Hope this helps, Jeff (slow day at work) K. __________________ Jeff K (If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.)

April 17th, 2004, 05:36 AM	#21
Jean-Philippe Archibald Trustee Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Saguenay, Québec, Canada Posts: 1,051	No, it is a mono mic and the SGM-2X is mono too. __________________ Jean-Philippe Archibald http://www.jparchibald.com - http://www.vimeo.com/jparchib

April 17th, 2004, 07:23 PM	#23
Jeff Klein Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Brooklyn Park, Maryland Posts: 60	<<You guys know the GL2 has a stereo input right? Yeah, all the adapter configurations that have been mentioned have a stereo 1/8" connection for the GL-1(2) input. The XLR output from the mic will be balanced mono converted to unbalanced stereo (simply the mono signal sent to both left and right stereo inputs of the camera input). Jeff __________________ Jeff K (If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.)

March 19th, 2004, 05:04 AM	#17
Dennis Parker Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Jacksonville, Florida Posts: 58	<<<-- Originally posted by Rick Gann : I whole heartedly agree, I just got the sgm-1x for my gl1, along with the studio 1 xlr adapter and could not be more pleased. Rick -->>> I'll jump into this thread and agree with the above post. I purchased a GL2 & SGM-1x a few months back and I have been very happy with the sound it has reproduced. The studio 1 xlr adapter made it a snap to connect the mic to the camcorder. The shotgun mic is purched just out of view of the frame on top of my GL2, so I have not had any problems with it dropping into view. I highly recommend it to anyone looking to get good sound for their projects without breaking their bank. I'm about to use my setup on a no budget short of mine!

April 6th, 2004, 09:18 PM	#18
Chris Wright Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Lee's Summit, Missouri Posts: 146	I'm about to buy the SGM-1X also, but am still somewhat confused on the adapter I should buy. Like others here, I'd rather buy the cheaper Hosa adapter. Is the more expensive Shure transformer adapter really necessary? Eventually I will be buying the XLR adapter, but for now I just need to use the mic with a mini plug adapter. Someone please tell me there's no reason not to buy the cheaper Hosa adapter :)

April 16th, 2004, 10:31 PM	#20
Bill Hardy Major Player Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 205	Is the Azden a stereo mic?

April 17th, 2004, 06:14 PM	#22
Bill Hardy Major Player Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 205	There is a "mono in", "stereo out" 1/8" adapter plug from Radio shack. Mono from both audio channels of the GL2 will be louder than a mono plug going into a stereo GL2 input. You will only hear one channel. You guys know the GL2 has a stereo input right?

April 19th, 2004, 02:15 AM	#24
Bill Hardy Major Player Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 205	Thanks, missed that. Those balanced and unbalanced terms were going over my head and I overlooked the stereo mini in Kevin's first post. My A69F transformer cable and the Shure Shotgun should arrive today. I have a wedding comming up in May. I also have a Panasonic PVDV953 cam comming to be with my GL2. But I notice Panasonic has even cheaper 3 chips on their site. I was surprised to see one listing for $699 http://catalog2.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ModelList?storeId=11251&catalogId=11005&catGroupId=11303 Incidently B&H sells this cam also. It even has an external mic input, although not sure if it is stereo. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=314960&is=REG Keep in mind the chips in these cams are not as low light sensitive as the GL2. How are you guys getting the links that you post clik-able?