Audio input from Aircraft at DVinfo.net

Paul Taylor · September 21st, 2005, 07:19 AM

Hi all,

I need to have the audio from an aircraft radio system input to the XL2 during a shoot. I will be filming another aircraft during tests to determin the air flow over parts of the structure.

Does anyone know which pins to use on the back of the XL2 (mic in) and any info on connector part numbers?

What is the impedance as I may need to do some matching?

Many thanks

Paul

Nick Jushchyshyn · September 21st, 2005, 08:06 AM

Why not just get/rent a batter operated aviation frequency radio with a standard audio out. (Generally not good to be connecting non-spec electrical things to aircraft your travelling in. :) )

Or even just have someone on the ground recording with something like this:
http://www.icomamerica.com/products/avionics/a23/

Good luck

Paul Taylor · September 21st, 2005, 08:31 AM

I am an aircraft electrical / avionics engineer and so have no problem with the aircraft connection or any safety issues associated with this connection. I need to make a cable that will connect to the headphone output of the aircrafts intercom system which will then be recorded to the tape will have the conversations between the pilot and myself and also the transmissions of the other aircraft.

Andrew Khalil · September 21st, 2005, 10:22 AM

if the aircraft already has a headphone output, you can probably just go strait into the camera with the proper cable and maybe an adapter, depending on the type of jack it is.

Jeff Miller · September 22nd, 2005, 11:53 AM

I might be doing the same thing for a project someday. The best thing I came up with was putting lav mics in an unused headset and record everything that happens on the intercom. That's not a super solution but the plane will be a rental and I don't want to be messing with it a lot. And it'd be harder to blame me for interferring with the plane.

Interested to know what you do!

Paul Taylor · September 22nd, 2005, 01:05 PM

It is actually the ch3 and ch4 inputs on the camera itself.
I need to know which pin of the 3 is mic hi and mic lo or is mic lo the case of the connector?

Is there a connector part number?

Jeff Miller · September 22nd, 2005, 01:32 PM

XLR pins are shield, positive and negative.
Here's a pinout
http://www.faqs.org/faqs/theatre/sta...ection-25.html

If you are looking for the plug itself you can get them at any good electronics shop, and yes, even Radio Shack has them.

Jeremy Davidson · September 22nd, 2005, 01:38 PM

Coming from a headphone output, it might be more desireable to make an unbalanced adapter cable to go from the headphone out to a 1/4" plug. This could go into a direct box and then on to the camera via a balanced XLR cable.

If it were my camera I would feel better using a DI box instead of a direct connection. It might also help to tame the signal down to mic level. 'Just a thought.

Paul Taylor · September 22nd, 2005, 01:46 PM

Thanks all, just what I needed.

Will let you know how it goes.

Bob Thompson · September 23rd, 2005, 08:19 AM

In an emergency just tape a lav.mic directly to the earpiece of the headset, I have done that with success in the past

September 21st, 2005, 07:19 AM	#1
Paul Taylor New Boot Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Near Munich. Germany Posts: 9	Audio input from Aircraft Hi all, I need to have the audio from an aircraft radio system input to the XL2 during a shoot. I will be filming another aircraft during tests to determin the air flow over parts of the structure. Does anyone know which pins to use on the back of the XL2 (mic in) and any info on connector part numbers? What is the impedance as I may need to do some matching? Many thanks Paul __________________ Paul. XL2 with 20x working on some extras EOS-1DS Mk2

September 21st, 2005, 08:06 AM	#2
Nick Jushchyshyn Major Player Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Philadelphia, PA, USA Posts: 548	Why not just get/rent a batter operated aviation frequency radio with a standard audio out. (Generally not good to be connecting non-spec electrical things to aircraft your travelling in. :) ) Or even just have someone on the ground recording with something like this: http://www.icomamerica.com/products/avionics/a23/ Good luck __________________ Nick Jushchyshyn Matchmoving, Compositing, TD imdb

September 21st, 2005, 08:31 AM	#3
Paul Taylor New Boot Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Near Munich. Germany Posts: 9	I am an aircraft electrical / avionics engineer and so have no problem with the aircraft connection or any safety issues associated with this connection. I need to make a cable that will connect to the headphone output of the aircrafts intercom system which will then be recorded to the tape will have the conversations between the pilot and myself and also the transmissions of the other aircraft. __________________ Paul. XL2 with 20x working on some extras EOS-1DS Mk2

September 22nd, 2005, 11:53 AM	#5
Jeff Miller Major Player Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: St Louis, MO Posts: 227	I might be doing the same thing for a project someday. The best thing I came up with was putting lav mics in an unused headset and record everything that happens on the intercom. That's not a super solution but the plane will be a rental and I don't want to be messing with it a lot. And it'd be harder to blame me for interferring with the plane. Interested to know what you do! Last edited by Jeff Miller; September 22nd, 2005 at 11:56 AM. Reason: it's my way, my way or the tri-county bipass

September 22nd, 2005, 01:05 PM	#6
Paul Taylor New Boot Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Near Munich. Germany Posts: 9	It is actually the ch3 and ch4 inputs on the camera itself. I need to know which pin of the 3 is mic hi and mic lo or is mic lo the case of the connector? Is there a connector part number? __________________ Paul. XL2 with 20x working on some extras EOS-1DS Mk2

September 21st, 2005, 10:22 AM	#4
Andrew Khalil Major Player Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 424	if the aircraft already has a headphone output, you can probably just go strait into the camera with the proper cable and maybe an adapter, depending on the type of jack it is.

September 22nd, 2005, 01:32 PM	#7
Jeff Miller Major Player Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: St Louis, MO Posts: 227	XLR pins are shield, positive and negative. Here's a pinout http://www.faqs.org/faqs/theatre/sta...ection-25.html If you are looking for the plug itself you can get them at any good electronics shop, and yes, even Radio Shack has them.

September 22nd, 2005, 01:38 PM	#8
Jeremy Davidson Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Eau Claire, WI Posts: 167	Coming from a headphone output, it might be more desireable to make an unbalanced adapter cable to go from the headphone out to a 1/4" plug. This could go into a direct box and then on to the camera via a balanced XLR cable. If it were my camera I would feel better using a DI box instead of a direct connection. It might also help to tame the signal down to mic level. 'Just a thought. __________________ There's no way for you to know if what I'm saying is true unless you know what the truth is, and there's no way for you to know what the truth is unless there is a truth that you can know. -- Frank Peretti

September 22nd, 2005, 01:46 PM	#9
Paul Taylor New Boot Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Near Munich. Germany Posts: 9	Thanks all, just what I needed. Will let you know how it goes. __________________ Paul. XL2 with 20x working on some extras EOS-1DS Mk2

September 23rd, 2005, 08:19 AM	#10
Bob Thompson Major Player Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Hong Kong Posts: 340	In an emergency just tape a lav.mic directly to the earpiece of the headset, I have done that with success in the past