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

[Jean Simenon]

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?

I've been using the single in/out XLR denecke 9v power supply but I don't like to add these little devices on the camera. It's not convenient.

The phantom power issue is critical for some of us. I really need to be able to record sound on the brain directly in many situations. I use schoeps CMIT5 and a couple of AKG for ambient sound, they all need 48V. I can't replace these mics with others, as they just produce incredible sound. In some situation I use my zoom h4n where I can plug 3 mics with 48V, but if im carrying the camera around it's not convenient.

Now it'd be great to hear from someone at Red about the situation. I understand it's not critical to them, especially right now with dec 1st coming up, and with the pro I/O module on the roadmap, but for some of us it will be critical when the camera is here.

Thanks!

 

[Michael Patterson]

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

Why would this device be any different than a mixer? Just curious to see how using this is more dangerous than a mixpre for example.

 

[Antonio Ribeiro]

Guess everyone missed this due to the holiday:



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.

I have a Tascam DR100 left from my days with the Canon 5D. It only cost me 500 bucks and I used it with a phantom powered mic and a set of radio mics. I think the device has a line out, so this could be a great solution, as the sound is very decent.

 

[Mike 'Fireman' Ross]

I have a Tascam DR100 left from my days with the Canon 5D. It only cost me 500 bucks and I used it with a phantom powered mic and a set of radio mics. I think the device has a line out, so this could be a great solution, as the sound is very decent.

From what I've read the line out on the Tascam is a simple 3.5mm unbalanced stereo L/R, intended to feed a sound system. Would you able to feed a Scarlet two channels of audio from that? You would need some kind of Y splitter cable I presume, and record one channel on each of the cameras inputs, with them set to unbalanced audio and the cable wired accordingly, if you wanted to record scratch audio on the camera as well as recording on the Tascam?

Mike

 

[D Fuller]

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?.

I use the newer version of this, the MixPre-D Compact Field Mixer It's a very good match for the Epic/Scarlet. Gives you phantom power, some of the best preamps in the business, good live metering with pots, and good mic outputs. it's $700, though, a lot more than the $70 phantom power device mentioned above.

I use these cables with it: Hosa XVS102F Right Angle 3.5mm M to XLR F 2 Foot

 

[PatrickFaith]

I use the newer version of this, the MixPre-D Compact Field Mixer It's a very good match for the Epic/Scarlet. Gives you phantom power, some of the best preamps in the business, good live metering with pots, and good mic outputs. it's $700, though, a lot more than the $70 phantom power device mentioned above.

Coolness, I just ordered that as a fill in till phantom is working on Red (it's a lot cheaper then then 302, way cheaper then the 744t ... and i'm sure i will have uses for it on my dslr shoots).

 

[Luis Caffesse]

According to page 152 of the Scarlet manual:

"Each microphone input supports +48V @ 10mA Phantom Power as a user selectable option."


I assume that means Phantom Power is enabled now?

 

[Michael Patterson]

Crap. I just bought a mixpre.

 

[Luis Caffesse]

I would wait to get confirmation on this regardless, Michael.
The mixpre is a great little device - I'm planning on one for my Scarlet as well.

 

[Steve Wake]

I would wait to get confirmation on this regardless, Michael.
The mixpre is a great little device - I'm planning on one for my Scarlet as well.

I would tend to think phantom power is NOT enabled. How to turn it on should be described on p. 100 or 102 of the manual and it is not mentioned. Page 152 is in the appendix and describes the jack, not whether it can be turned on yet.

I'm actually leaning toward the Pix 240. Same preamps as other SD products and the ability to record ProRes to standard SSD is critical for some of my work. Similar size and weight as Mixpre, though of course a lot more $$. Many other features that make it a great bridge between Scarlet's capabilities and my needs. Now I just need full raster 1080p output - but that's another thread.

 

[Alan Skinner]

IF you find that phantom power is not enabled yet, you could get an AT897 shotgun mic. Audio-Technica makes a pretty nice mic for about 250.00 USD. Can be powered with Phantom or with an AA battery that loads into the mic.

I love mine!

Alan

 

[Kevin Wild]

Funny, that's an old shotgun mic I have from years ago that we only use as a backup. But it's the one I've been testing the EPIC with and it works great! No Phantom needed for that one...just a single AA battery. ;-) That said, hope we get real phantom power soon so we can use our good shotgun.

 

[Michael Palmieri]

To return to the original question of the post, is there anyone out there who actually has a Scarlet in their hands that can tell us if phantom power is actually capable of being enabled or not at this time?

We only get a satisfactory answer if someone turns on their Scarlet and gets their phantom-powered microphone to receive said power from the camera and record a clean signal.

Anyone?

 

[PC Greene]

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/produc...t_Shotgun.html
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.



No it won't work. All condenser Mics require phantom power. Look for dynamic Mics but don't expect the same performance.

 

[PC Greene]

Anything active phantom supplying device between the mic & camera should work fine

 

[Deanan]

To return to the original question of the post, is there anyone out there who actually has a Scarlet in their hands that can tell us if phantom power is actually capable of being enabled or not at this time?

We only get a satisfactory answer if someone turns on their Scarlet and gets their phantom-powered microphone to receive said power from the camera and record a clean signal.

Anyone?

Not currently enabled but will be as soon as the firmware pieces are in place.

 

[Josh Kameyer]

000

 

[Mike P.]

Not currently enabled but will be as soon as the firmware pieces are in place.

Boo-yarrrr... this should be in a sticky somewhere until the phantom power firmware is released...

...same with the flare solution progress/release.

 

[Arnold F.]

When I sort of left the DVXUser site and came here I naturally assumed that the questions about what mic to put on top of your camera would not be something I'd see.

Phantom power is generally provided by the recorder or field mixer that the Production Mixer, hired on to your shoot by the same folks who hired you, will be using while doing his job on the project.

In my experience, run and gun (almost wrote Run and Gin-Freudian slip) means a fast and/or frequently moving shoot. I have never known it to mean there is no sound guy unless it was a silent film or just b-roll. As a Production Mixer, I have sometimes permitted my camera guy to go off and shoot b-roll without me. If there may be dialogue, I do not permit it because you cannot capture dialogue with a mic mounted to the camera.

Sorry, let me amend that. You can indeed capture dialogue with a camera-mounted mic and it will be EXACTLY as useable as the footage captured from a little video camera mounted to the audio recorder. It seems camera guys are always recommending Rode mics which Production Mixers, the folks who know about film/tv sound, NEVER use. Imagine going to a sound guy forum and the video camera they're all recommending to each other is made by Radio Shack and you'll get the idea.

I am so excited to get my Scarlet (assuming it ever comes). Thankfully, I will not have to worry if it has phantom power for the Production Mixer, or a little mirror for the MUA, or coffe maker for craft services, or anything else that is the responsibility of other people on my shoot. As the DP, I would NEVER start recording audio without the Mixer's okay. It's incredibly poor form.

That said, can I use the Scarlet as a hammer?

 

[Michael Palmieri]

Not currently enabled but will be as soon as the firmware pieces are in place.

Thanks Deanan, much appreciated!