microphone mounting

[Richard Day]

I'm just a beginner in the video world and I have a couple of questions. I have an XL2 and was wondering what everyone does for mounting their microphone on the camera. Do you use the Lightwave Mini-Mount Isolator? or some other way? I get too much tape noise now. (I know this sounds like it should be in the xl2 Forum but I shoot outside and mainly alone so I thought this would be the best place) I haven't bought another microphone yet still trying to decide what to do there also. Most of my subjects will be birds from distances to 20' to who knows.

Thanks

Richard

[Mick Jenner]

To isolate camera noise completly you need to have the mic mounted off the camera. I know that is not always practicle. I have a Sennheiser 66 which when mounted on the H1 with additional foam arount the mount does a reasonable job, but does eliminate zoom noise. I do have a rycote mount for it that I have yet to try. I will post the results when I have had time to try it on the camera. This was used on my Z1 but again did not completly isulate camera or handling noise.

Mick

[Michael Dalton]

I think anything where your mic is supported by elastic and not attached by hard contact will greatly reduce the noise. Products start at around 45$ for azden.

If you have money left over, you may want to look at system I use by K-tek, it has a mount that fits into the XL series exsiting mic holder, and comes with a heavy duty wind sock. It's pricey, but having clean audio is a must. I often us elastics or tape around the mounts to give some added strentgh. One downside to the K-tek is the screes come loose, so make sure you glue them prior to tightening them.

I put my camera through really rough conditions and never have a sound guy and get great results.

A good trick is to split the mono cable with a y cable and input it into both your XLR adapters and stager their levels. This way if it is too low, or too high, you are covered by the other.

Michael

[Mick Jenner]

Originally Posted by Mick Jenner

To isolate camera noise completly you need to have the mic mounted off the camera. I know that is not always practical. I have a Sennheiser 66 which when mounted on the H1 with additional foam around the mount does a reasonable job, but does eliminate zoom noise. I do have a rycote mount for it that I have yet to try. I will post the results when I have had time to try it on the camera. This was used on my Z1 but again did not completly insulate camera or handling noise.

Mick

I have just reread the above and it should read - does not eliminate zoom noise -

regards

Mick

[Michael Dalton]

I may be talking non-sense, but I think the zoom noise can be removed in post with a high pass filter? I know I get bad noise from my GL2, but my post audio guy does something that takes it out.

There is a high pass filter in the audiosuite tools (1 band eq, and then select highpass)

michael

[Mick Jenner]

Yes I agree with you, but its still better to elimate as much as poss in the first place. By the way I like the idea of your mic set up to record different levels to the seperate channels.

Mick

[Richard Day]

Thanks everyone for your ideas. I am checking into your suggestions Michael.

Richard

[Tony Davies-Patrick]

For on-camera microphones on the XL2, I use two items in the Light Waves System - a System Isolator SI-XL1 mount for the viewfinder, and a Light Waves System MM-XL1 Universal Mini-mount for the microphone.

The XL2 Canon mic does tend to pick up quite a lot of lens and tape chamber noise, so the Light Waves System certainly helps to absorb a lot of the vibrations and noise; but I still prefer to often also use a much longer shotgun mic (such as the Audio Technica 815b) that moves the sound cone further forward away from the tape mechanism. A good fur-cat also helps (I mostly use the Reinhardt models).

[J. Stephen McDonald]

Look at the description and photo of my VX2100 on a shoulder-mount rig, in another thread on this forum. The key element I use on it for good audio, is a wood crossbar for the two mikes, that absorbs most of the vibration coming from the camera. They are high enough above the camera and their sensing elements are quite a bit forward of it, to further reduce noise on the audio track.