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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

Small microphone option for the Epic

vincent kardasik

vincent kardasik

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I'd like to add to my set-up a small microphone on the Top Mount just to grab audio reference.
Right now, I'm using my Zoom H4n but I'd like to get something smaller.
Any ideas?
 
Brandon J.F. said:
Yeah, sorry. I just noticed that. Here is a mono one: http://www.amazon.com/Olympus-ME-52W-Noise-Canceling-Microphone/dp/B000MYPPPE/ref=dp_cp_ob_e_title_1

From what I've read the latest alpha firmware has phantom power so I figure by the time I need it this will work.
Click to expand...

I don't think this will work either. This is a mono mic, but not a balanced connector. The Red cameras have a TRS (tip, ring, sleeve) connector that supports a balanced signal. I could be wrong about this one, but I don't think a 2-contact connector will work.
 
Boy, I sure hope RED puts something out soon just like this. They'd sell a ton. They showed a pic long ago of a "button mic" but I never heard anything since.

In the meantime, please keep this thread alive and let us know if anyone finds a solution.

Thx.
 
D Fuller said:
I don't think this will work either. This is a mono mic, but not a balanced connector. The Red cameras have a TRS (tip, ring, sleeve) connector that supports a balanced signal. I could be wrong about this one, but I don't think a 2-contact connector will work.
Click to expand...

Hmm, good to know. The funny thing is I actually saw a photo of someone with the Sony mic in an Epic. Possibly it was a mono version of an otherwise identical microphone. Hopefully RED just sells some kind of button mic like they displayed at NAB.
 
As I say, I could be wrong about the mono mic not working. I know a stereo mic won't work, but I have not used a mono mic myself.
 
My least favorite topic regarding Scarlet/Epic.

Here is a thread that contains all of my thoughts, and those of many others on this issue: http://www.reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?64843-How-to-mount-a-consumer-microphone-on-the-scarlet

Update: Alpha 2.0.2 does enable phantom power.

Bottom line:
  • Do not plug and pray. Know your jack, plug and mic power requirements!
  • The Sony stereo mic listed does not and will not ever work on Epic or Scarlet. Like most all consumer mics without an internal battery, it requires bias power - different from phantom power.
  • Same for the Olympus mono mic - it requires bias power.
  • It really would be nice if RED went ahead and started selling that button mic in the old linked thread above so people would stop plugging in bias powered consumer mics, mics made to be plugged into DSLR's, etc. and expecting them to work. I assume the RED prototype was a phantom powered button mic. If anyone knows of a button phantom-powered mic please let us all know!
 
I have tried Sennheiser G3 HF mic with the apppropriate cable (mini -mini from receiver). It doesn't work (I hear something but it is useless).


Olivier
 
This does actually work. The trick is not to use the "appropriate" cable. Instead use a $3 1/8" to 1/8" cable from Radio Shack.

The Epic is not working with balanced signals at the moment so the TRS assignment needs to be straight through, not balanced.

I have all audio solutions working, from Sennheiser G2s to stand alone mixers, and even the headphone jack of a Red One! I picked up a few cheap cables so I'll always have a working one.

Olivier Madar said:
I have tried Sennheiser G3 HF mic with the apppropriate cable (mini -mini from receiver). It doesn't work (I hear something but it is useless).


Olivier
Click to expand...
 
Olivier Madar said:
I have tried Sennheiser G3 HF mic with the apppropriate cable (mini -mini from receiver). It doesn't work (I hear something but it is useless).


Olivier
Click to expand...

Just to remove any mystery:

This doesn't work because the cable you tried - Sennheiser CL-1 - is designed to be plugged in to a Stereo DSLR or consumer cam input. It is wired (Receiver end first) T-->T AND R, R-->0, S-->S In other words, it is dual mono, with the tip on the receiver end connected to both ring and sleeve of the camera end. Actually, this should work with the Epic audio jack set to unbalanced IF the ring of the jack is open (no connection to ground or anything else) when set to unbalanced. Unfortunately, there is no pinout diagram in the manual for the unbalanced position.

jimhare said:
This does actually work. The trick is not to use the "appropriate" cable. Instead use a $3 1/8" to 1/8" cable from Radio Shack.

The Epic is not working with balanced signals at the moment so the TRS assignment needs to be straight through, not balanced.

I have all audio solutions working, from Sennheiser G2s to stand alone mixers, and even the headphone jack of a Red One! I picked up a few cheap cables so I'll always have a working one.
Click to expand...

This works because the Radio Shack cable is simply wired T-->T, R-->R, S-->S The ring on the Sennheiser receiver side is open/no connection. So you get a clean unbalanced signal into the camera audio jack through the tip and the sleeve.

To go from a stereo headphone feed to the audio jacks I assume you're using a splitter that's wired T-->T(channel1), R-->T(channel2), S-->S(both channels)

Anything that works now should work when balanced input and phantom power are enabled, just make sure jacks are set to unbalanced and phantom power is off. I say should work, rather than will work, because there are a lot of cables out there with hidden capacitors, resistors and cross connections, and the wiring of the Epic/Scarlet audio jack when set to unbalanced is still not clear to me. Bottom line: know how your cables are wired, and please RED, add a pinout diagram to the manual for the jack set to unbalanced.
 
Steve Wake said:
My least favorite topic regarding Scarlet/Epic.

Here is a thread that contains all of my thoughts, and those of many others on this issue: http://www.reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?64843-How-to-mount-a-consumer-microphone-on-the-scarlet

Update: Alpha 2.0.2 does enable phantom power.

Bottom line:
  • Do not plug and pray. Know your jack, plug and mic power requirements!
  • The Sony stereo mic listed does not and will not ever work on Epic or Scarlet. Like most all consumer mics without an internal battery, it requires bias power - different from phantom power.
  • Same for the Olympus mono mic - it requires bias power.
  • It really would be nice if RED went ahead and started selling that button mic in the old linked thread above so people would stop plugging in bias powered consumer mics, mics made to be plugged into DSLR's, etc. and expecting them to work. I assume the RED prototype was a phantom powered button mic. If anyone knows of a button phantom-powered mic please let us all know!
Click to expand...

Agreed ... I wish RED would just sell the button mics they said they would be working on, it would really solve the audio issues most people have with the EPIC/Scarlet trying to get scratch audio ... but still no news about that yet...
 
Plug in any lav, glue it on the front of the camera, and I expect it will give you the same sound as the button mike. Note that if phantom powering does not work, you'll need a dynamic lav. In my experience, this will not be great, even as scratch audio.
 
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