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Scarlet owners (or even RED!): phantom power available?

Mike 'Fireman' Ross

Mike 'Fireman' Ross

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A few Scarlets out there now. Can anyone confirm whether or not it's possible to enable phantom power in the firmware as shipped?

This is important to me; I generally run & gun with a stereo shotgun mic which requires phantom power. If it's disabled (which I heard it was on at least some recent EPIC builds) that is a Problem for me and I need to know about it.

Thanks!

Mike
 
Bump... I saw a thread where some users said it was working partially in the latest 2.x EPIC build but Deanan (?) said it wasn't supposed to be enabled... a confirm or deny on phantom power for Scarlet as it ships today would really help me!

Happy Thanksgiving my fellow Americans!

Mike
 
i don't think it's enabled, yet. but it's part of the plan. worst case, grab a little zoom recorder or something, then sell it.
 
Matt Favro said:
Do you think that at least this microphone would work on a scarlet? I'd like to use that kind of microphone for guide tracks, and i don't think it needs any phantom power.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/744768-REG/Rode_VIDEOMIC_PRO_VideoMic_Pro_Compact_Shotgun.html
Click to expand...

That's the kind of thing I'd have to go for, but would have to be balanced of course... think I still have a self-powered Rode Videomic lying around somewhere, but of course it's a standard stereo output for prosumer cameras, not a proper balanced output.

Any suggestions for a self-powered shotgun mic, preferably stereo, with balanced outputs? I'd sooner go that route and have a spare mic for the future than buy a recorder (another piece of kit to tote around and learn) that I won't need for very long.

Mike

Mike
 
From my understanding phantom is enabled on the Scarlet - but thats only noted by going through the forum like anyone else.
 
Noel Evans said:
From my understanding phantom is enabled on the Scarlet - but thats only noted by going through the forum like anyone else.
Click to expand...

Excellent if true; I must have missed that!

Mike
 
paulherrin said:
i don't think it's enabled, yet. but it's part of the plan. worst case, grab a little zoom recorder or something, then sell it.
Click to expand...
Or even better: hire an experienced sound mixer and have them record and mix the audio separately from the camera. And get the microphone much closer to the subjects than the camera can get.
 
Marc Wielage said:
Or even better: hire an experienced sound mixer and have them record and mix the audio separately from the camera. And get the microphone much closer to the subjects than the camera can get.
Click to expand...

Yea, but Mike said he was doing run and gun stuff.

Sounds like hiring someone to mix for him wouldn't be what he wanted.
 
Michael Millichamp said:
Yea, but Mike said he was doing run and gun stuff.

Sounds like hiring someone to mix for him wouldn't be what he wanted.
Click to expand...

Totally not an option; can't afford one, don't need the extra 'baggage', like to work alone, and where would I find a sound guy willing to put on a silver suit and do the crazy stuff I do? 'The subject' being an erupting volcano, up close and personal :D

A final confirmation on Scarlet phantom power working would be welcome, as would be a suggestion for a known reliable XLR -> Scarlet balanced 3.5mm adapter cable. I know and like the A-box and Action Products solutions but the A-box is backordered and I'm looking for something cheap and simple to experiment with first.

EDIT think I found the answer, these have been mentioned elsewhere: http://www.filmtools.com/hosa-xlr3f-to-right-angle-3-5mm-1-xvs-101f.html

attachment.php


Looking at the wiring diagrams and comparing with the EPIC ops guide, that should work fine for balanced input with phantom power, run and gun, no mixer or other device between mic & camera?

Also, any recommendations from personal experience on a good pro custom cable maker who can whip something up fairly quickly? My primary mic is an Audio Technica BP4029, a 48V *stereo* shotgun mic, I might just have someone make a custom 5-pin XLR (XLR5F) stereo -> 2 x 3.5mm balanced Y-cable... I have one made for my RED ONE by Coffey Sound in LA and it works great, might just go back to them.

Thanks again folks!

Mike
 
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If no Scarlet owner comes forward with a definite yea or nay by Monday AM, I'll put a support call in to RED and post the results here.

Mike
 
PatrickFaith said:
Any word on if phantom power is available on the scarlet ? Would save me about 4k.
Click to expand...

I'm no official, but the official word is that it's not enabled as of 11.26.2011. It is coming though. I'd guess pretty soon actually.
 
I'm definitely interested in phantom power and recording directly to the cam for my less critical jobs. I'm under the impression that, if the audio capabilities are as good as the red one, I'll be able to get away with in-cam audio 50% of the time. Even when I don't use it, I'd like te reference track.

PatrickFaith said:
Any word on if phantom power is available on the scarlet ? Would save me about 4k.
Click to expand...

Just curious, but what would you drop $4Gs on? Audio recording gear? If so, it may be cheaper to rent until it's enabled... Plus, it may actually be enabled by the time we actually get the cameras (which I'm starting to think will be months, not weeks, from when the order is placed.)
 
Mike P. said:
Just curious, but what would you drop $4Gs on? Audio recording gear? If so, it may be cheaper to rent until it's enabled... Plus, it may actually be enabled by the time we actually get the cameras (which I'm starting to think will be months, not weeks, from when the order is placed.)
Click to expand...

If phantom power isn't super solid, i'm going to need a portable recorder (where I would run off on the scarlet word sync) ... so I would buy Sound Device 744t [$4000] (my current shoot will last 6 months, so will be cheaper then me renting). I really should upgrade to the 744t anyway ... so i'm half giving up on using the red as a recorder, i just try to minimize syncing things in post(it's more of a data management issue then anything else, is probably good to force me to get my data managent process cleaner too).
 
With Scarlet being 24bit capable, double system wouldn't be necessary depending whether a person wants to be tethered to the camera or not and of course the quality of the pre-amps in the scarlet would be a big factor.
 
Guess everyone missed this due to the holiday:

Deanan said:
Please hold off on using the phantom power in 2.02.
It shouldn't be enabled yet.
Click to expand...

2.0.2 is an Alpha build. And now Deanan makes it sound like enabling phantom power in it was a mistake. Refer back to that thread and you'll see two different experiences reported by two experienced users. So we're a ways away, and I doubt RED will give a target date at this point. Maybe time to look into battery powered balanced mics. I keep my AT897 for those situations. There are many more.

Balanced mic mode is a different issue, and that is enabled in 1.7 (Beta), which AFAIK is what Scarlet ships with.
 
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Michael Patterson said:
Are there any options for using an external phantom power device in the meantime?

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/288123-REG/ART_PHANTOMIIPRO_PHANTOMII_Battery_Operated.html

Would something like that work?
Click to expand...
Powering and/or connecting incorrectly with 48v can mess up the camera, so I'm always paranoid on connecting and powering 48v. For safety's sake, I'd consider "Sound Devices Mixpre - Portable 2 Channel Microphone Field Mixer", but I have not hooked that into a epic/red ... Anyone have experience with this mixer?.

There are some nice recorder vs mixer thread at:
http://www.reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?65587-mixers-with-respect-to-recorders
http://www.reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?64898-Audio-Recording-Devices-Recommendations
 
Michael Patterson said:
Are there any options for using an external phantom power device in the meantime?

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/288123-REG/ART_PHANTOMIIPRO_PHANTOMII_Battery_Operated.html

Would something like that work?
Click to expand...

Great suggestion, thanks... but I think I'll still go for a Sound Devices 302 if I buy anything; I should really have one anyway to up my game when it comes to audio, as I posted in another thread.

I'd be kinda surprised and disappointed if it turns out Scarlets ARE shipping without the ability to enable phantom power; I was under the impression that Scarlet would be more finished and less beta, on first shipment, as compared with EPIC. Sure there will be enhancements, like 4K HDRx down the road, but I had figured on all the basic stuff being finished and working.

Mike
 
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