Sound Mixer TASCAM HD-P2 to Canon XLH1

[Gilbert Khoury]

I got a sound mixer TASCAM HD-P2. It looks sweet but I am having problems to figure out what cable goes where with the boom and my camera (XLH1)

Your help is appreciated.

[Glenn Davidson]

The Tascam is a recorder, not a mixer. What are you trying to do with it?

[Gilbert Khoury]

I would like to record the dialogue for my film. I am not sure where to plug the cables in the recorder. I have a Time in Code plug and left/Right Mic Plug. Also I have a boom. So I am not sure where all these things are supposed to be hooked up. Is the recorder supposed to be connect to my XLh1? I would like to have specifics.

Thanks

[Dan Keaton]

You have to use the RCA outputs to connect to the XL H1.

The Tascam unit does not have XLR outputs, so you have to use an RCA to XLR cable or adapter.

[Steve House]

Originally Posted by Gilbert Khoury

I would like to record the dialogue for my film. I am not sure where to plug the cables in the recorder. I have a Time in Code plug and left/Right Mic Plug. Also I have a boom. So I am not sure where all these things are supposed to be hooked up. Is the recorder supposed to be connect to my XLh1? I would like to have specifics.

Thanks

There are a number of different ways you could use them together, depending on needs and circumstance. One basic way is to use record the production sound in the recorder with its sync chasing the camera's timecode and just don't bother sending audio FROM the recorder TO the camera unless you really feel the need for insurance. Take Timecode Out from the camera to the Timecode In terminal on the recorder to provide for the sync reference. For this connection you'll need a 75ohm BNC to XLR-M cable. Set the camera for Record Run timecode and the recorder to external TC sync. Take the boom mic and feed it to the left mic input on the recorder. Set the recorder to record in mono. Use the XLH1's on-camera mic to record a scratch track to aid in editing and to record a few miments of stereo ambience at the start or end of each take. Use an old-fashioned clapboard slate at the start of each shot to aid in lining everything up in editing, though strictly speaking it shouldn't be necessary since this arrangement puts the same timecode timestamp on each take in both the camera and the recorder..

As Glenn pointed out, the Tascam is not a mixer, though it does have some of the common attributes of one such as mic inputs, etc. You'd have more flexibility for various situations and more control if you also obtained a portable mic preamp or mixer such as a Sound Devices MixPre or 302 to go along with it.

[Gilbert Khoury]

Thanks Steve for your response I appreciate it a lot!!!

I have a couple of stupid questions to ask but I am new to the sound recording thing:

1) You mentioned to Set the recorder to record in mono. Does it mean in editing will I be stuck in the mono sound. My whole goal for purchasing the TASCAM HD P2 recorder is to have an HD quality sound that matches my camera.

2) I did not understand when you mentioned "XLH1's on-camera mic to record a scratch track to aid in editing and to record a few miments of stereo ambience at the start or end of each take". Why do I need this and how can I use it?

[Steve House]

Originally Posted by Gilbert Khoury

Thanks Steve for your response I appreciate it a lot!!!

I have a couple of stupid questions to ask but I am new to the sound recording thing:

1) You mentioned to Set the recorder to record in mono. Does it mean in editing will I be stuck in the mono sound. My whole goal for purchasing the TASCAM HD P2 recorder is to have an HD quality sound that matches my camera.

2) I did not understand when you mentioned "XLH1's on-camera mic to record a scratch track to aid in editing and to record a few miments of stereo ambience at the start or end of each take". Why do I need this and how can I use it?

If you have a boom mic, at least if you have one of the most commonly used boom mics, it's probably a mono mic - I assumed so in my comment. Dialog is usually recorded and mixed in mono anyway and most of the time sent equally to the left and right channels (and centre channels if you're doing 5.1 surround) when you create the final soundtracks in post. Music, ambience, and Foley are most often recorded in stereo, dialog in mono. Remember that what you record on location, whether it's on the tape in the camera or on a separate recorder, is only the raw material for the final soundtrack which is created in post production and the final apparent position of a sound in your scene can be adjusted using the pan control in your editor/mixer.

Think of a scratch track as being a lower quality copy of the actual track you plan on using, recorded on the tape alongside the picture. It can be helpful in lining up the higher quality recording against picture during post production. Because the camera's mic is stereo, you can also use the in-camera recording to capture 30 seconds to a minute or so of the "sound of silence" with everything/everyone in place on the set but no one moving or saying anything before you move on from the location, to use later to lay in under edits in the dialog that would otherwise be dead silence and thus very unnatural sounding.

[Gilbert Khoury]

Thanks for your help Steve.