Two XLR inputs for a theatre show help!

[Steve Quantrill]

Got a show in a couple of weeks to film. Taking a direct XLR feed off the mixing desk to pick up the radio mics on the actors and band into Channel 1 on my A1. Was going to setup a second ambient mic to pick up the audience reactions (laughter, clapping etc) and to also cover any radio mic dropouts should they happen and input this mic into XLR Channel 2. (otherwise there will be just nothing).

Is this even possible with the A1 to do. Having two seperate sources recording at the same time. What setting and switches do I have to set to do this. (the manual is really pony!).

Basically I have enable XLR in the menu and got channel 1 working fine. When I plugged the same mic into channel 2 (switching off Phantom power first of course) I got nothing which led to believe I am missing something or it is not possible. Flicked through all the settings and no luck.

Really hoping that it is possible to record audio this way and then edit afterwards in a NLE having two seperate audio tracks to play with.

Look forward to some help, thanks in advance....

[Andy Wong]

Flick the switch to CH1.

When this is done, I believe CH1 and CH2 will be recorded as left and right tracks respectively. I think.

[Tripp Woelfel]

If you're using the original XH A1 (not XH A1s), the problem you'll have is that it cannot simultaneously record line level on one channel and mic on the other. They both need to be either mic or line level.

I shoot motor racing with my A1 where I take a feed from the announcer console on Ch2 and record ambient on Ch1. In order to accommodate the line level from the console I use an impedance changer and a pad to lower the level. It works out well although I cannot tell if my setup hurts the announcer fidelity as no one rides levels the board so the output is always clipped.

I don't do anything special with the levels, aside from setting them to manual and setting them so they peak at around -12dB. I do not use auto because the excessive ambient motor noise will push down the announcer channel. The AGC on the two channels are tied together somewhat.

You might also think about buying/renting a quality mixer for the mic. That will help insure quality audio.

As to the switches, I think that you're sending Ch1 to both channels. Check the switch above the XLR connectors. Make sure that the one labelled "Ch1 Ch1-Ch2" is set to Ch1.

[Steve Quantrill]

Thank you for this advice. It didn't occur to me that one would be line and of course one being the mic. I do fortunetely have access to a small mixer that I can place between the ambient mic and the camera to get the level right as the A1 is limited to either Line or Mic for both. Thank you for this advice will test it tonight.

Cheers

[Bill Pryor]

Yeah, that setup is a little counterintuive, just like the gain knobs that turn down to go up.

[Larry Shilkoff]

I shoot live stage productions with my two XHA1s and use an external mike as a safety source and get inputs from the booth. I set the XLR inputs as mike inputs, and enable the attenuation switch for the booth inputs. I get pristine results.

[Steve Quantrill]

Originally Posted by Larry Shilkoff

I shoot live stage productions with my two XHA1s and use an external mike as a safety source and get inputs from the booth. I set the XLR inputs as mike inputs, and enable the attenuation switch for the booth inputs. I get pristine results.

Are you saying that is is possible to have a line in and a seperate mic with the camera set to MIC and the line in sounds ok? Wicked if this is so.

[Bill Pryor]

Not with the XH A1, he has the new S model.

[Battle Vaughan]

Actually, on the original XHa1, you can throw on 25dB of mic attenuation on either or both mike channels. If this is enough to drop your line level to mic level, you're good to go. But it's usually not, particuarly if you have pro (+4DB) line source, then you need about 30dB more attenuation...AudioTechnica makes a switchable 10/20/30 db in-line xlr pad which we issue to our team, can save you at a press conference....B&H and Markertek have them...
nice that the new S series has individually selectable mic/line, which is the best solution, of course...
/Battle Vaughan/miamiherald.com video team.

[Joe Woolbright]

Another option would be to use a voice recorder to capture one of the sources I use the Edirol R-09HR. Zoom H2, and H4n are also popular choices.

[Larry Shilkoff]

Originally Posted by Bill Pryor

Not with the XH A1, he has the new S model.

I have two XHA1s (that's s for plural). I use an SM58 wired mike for input 1, and get the booth on input 2 with the attentuation on.

[Jeremiah Rickert]

For my live events, I use a matrixed (mono) XLR out from the site's mixing board into CH1 and I use a mic for ambient sound on CH2. You're telling me this shouldn't work with my XHA1? (the original). The last few events (a concert and two plays), I switched the audio to "auto" and ended up with excellent sound each time.

Does the "auto" make the Mic/Line switches irrelevant? Or is it maybe a workaround?

JR

[Michael Hutson]

here is a link to an xlr adapter...you can select line and mic seperately.
XLR Adapter XLR Pro Audio Adapter The XLR-BP XLR Audio Adapters For Camcorders XLR Adapter
hope this helps.