Splitting mic input on PDX-10

[Brian Jacobsen]

I have a PDX-10 with the Sennheiser ME66 mic. My question is does splitting the XLR input by using a Y cable give any advantage over just putting the input into CH 1?

Thanks Brian

[Boyd Ostroff]

Maybe I don't understand you? You can plug the mike into CH1 and set the REC CH SELECT switch to CH1+CH2. That should have the same effect as using a y-cable, assuming your goal is to put the same mono mike into both channels. I don't have an ME66, but it works as expected with the supplied Sony ECM-NV1.

[Brian Jacobsen]

What I am talking about is taking the single line from the mic and splitting it into two lines, one each to CH1 and CH2. I just wondered if there is any advantage in doing it this way versus putting it into CH1/CH2.

[Boyd Ostroff]

Maybe somebody with ME66 familiarity knows a reason why that would be better? To me it seems that you want to reduce the number of physical connections since they each have a possibility of failing and inducing noise into the system, not to mention that fact that a y-connector adds weight and clutter to the camera.

[Jay Massengill]

The only advantage would be that you could set the Mic and Mic ATT switches separately for each channel when using a "Y" cable.
AFAIK the second channel switches are defeated when the Ch1+Ch2 switch is set.
If you use a "Y" cable, set only one phantom switch to on, and use a properly wired cable, or run on internal battery in the mic.
Otherwise I'd definitely use the internal switch to send a single mic to both channels.

[Carlos E. Martinez]

An advantage I would foresee, as the PDX10 has no limiter, is setting one channel to a lower volume in case there might be an unexpected clipping, which can sound very bad in digital.

On normal dialog situations, switching internally as suggested should do it fine.


Carlos

[Boyd Ostroff]

Actually my experience is that the auto-level setting (in the XLR menu) does in fact act only as a limiter. I see no evidence at all of it boosting low levels, and I've used it quite a bit. Just last week I recorded an opera with a line level feed the house board and sent it to both channels set on auto level. The result sounds great, with a lot of dynamic range.

Last year I used a line input in the same situation to record a couple shows, but I put CH1 on auto and CH2 on manual. Unless I'm very mistaken you can still configure each channel as either manual or auto, and set independent levels on each when you have the CH1+CH2 switch on. In other words, the hardware switches are completely independent of the XLR menu options, so the camera wouldn't "know" whether you were using a y-adaptor or the CH1+CH2 mixing switch.

[Ignacio Rodriguez]

> The only advantage would be that you could
> set the Mic and Mic ATT switches separately
> for each channel when using a "Y" cable.

I do that soemtimes with my DAT machine. If you are working in a context of extremely wide dynamic ranges this might be a very interesting idea, because the attenuator is much better than simply lowering the level in the menu. But under normal circumstances offsetting the level on both channels or setting one to auto and one to manual --as Boyd suggests-- can achieve the same advantage.