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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 :)

XLR Adapter for Epic

Zeb B

Zeb B

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In The Moment
What are the current best options for this?
 
I just got the Wooden Camera one in today and while I cannot speak to its function (our Scarlet will be our first Red camera so we haven't had a chance to use it with anything yet), its form is fantastic. Really, really nice build quality. It feels extremely rugged.
 
Nick Wernham said:
I just got the Wooden Camera one in today and while I cannot speak to its function (our Scarlet will be our first Red camera so we haven't had a chance to use it with anything yet), its form is fantastic. Really, really nice build quality. It feels extremely rugged.
Click to expand...

Wow, really Wooden Camera's selection of add-ons and the prices. They *look* nice quality. Anyone have any experience with their other gear?
 
I bought this and it doesn't doesn't work:

HOSA XVM-101F 3.5mm to 3-Pin XLR Female:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...nology_XVM_102F_XVM_102F_Angled_3_5mm_to.html


I also bought this and it doesn't work:

Sony ECM-DS30P Button mic:
http://www.amazon.ca/Sony-ECM-DS30P-Electret-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B0007N55K0

I also bought this and it doesn't work:

Rode Camera Mounted Dirctional Shotgun Mic
http://www.vistek.ca/store/ProVideo...4527-Warehouse_Sale11_4_2011&utm_medium=email


I'm starting to think my Epic 3.5mm audio inputs are broken :(
 
Alex Boothby said:
I bought this and it doesn't doesn't work:

HOSA XVM-101F 3.5mm to 3-Pin XLR Female:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...nology_XVM_102F_XVM_102F_Angled_3_5mm_to.html
Click to expand...

I have these and they do work with Epic.


Alex Boothby said:
I also bought this and it doesn't work:

Sony ECM-DS30P Button mic:
http://www.amazon.ca/Sony-ECM-DS30P-Electret-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B0007N55K0
Click to expand...

This appears to need phantom power. Phantom power is not enabled on Epic yet. (That's been stated in the release notes that come with every firmware update so far.)
It is also listed as a stereo microphone. The Epic audio ports are not stereo connections; they are balanced connections using "stereo" mini plugs for the 3 connections a balanced connection requires. It seems unlikely that it will work with Epic.


Alex Boothby said:
I also bought this and it doesn't work:

Rode Camera Mounted Dirctional Shotgun Mic
http://www.vistek.ca/store/ProVideo...4527-Warehouse_Sale11_4_2011&utm_medium=email
Click to expand...

This too, is a stereo microphone. It does appear to have its own power source, however. This might work with Epic if you had a custom cable made to break the stereo feed into two legs that you could run to the two mono iimputs.

Alex Boothby said:
I'm starting to think my Epic 3.5mm audio inputs are broken :(
Click to expand...

I suspect there is nothing wrong with you Epic's audio inputs. Red could help here by offering a set of good-quality, properly-wired adapters. But the best solution i have found so far is this: Sound Devices Mix Pre-D I use this with the same Hosa cables you have. It provides phantom power, has great preamps, and good meters that you can see from more than a foot away.

Jarek Zabczynski said:
Is sound recording even enabled yet on Epic?
Click to expand...

Yes. Sound recording has been enabled on Epic since some time this summer. It works great.

A word of caution, though, all versions of RedCine-X do not properly render audio. On some occasions, I have had audio rendered out of sync. I haven't finished testing, but I believe that the problem is limited to RedCine-X Pro. I have always been able to overcome the problem by rendering with a different version of RC-X. Version 487 has never failed to render properly.
 
If you have a stereo microphone make sure you have a cable that breaks the signal out to two 3.5mm jacks and then select UNBALANCED audio on the EPIC. If you enable BALANCED audio on such a cable configuration either your + or - signal will short to ground and you will appear to have no signal i.e. BALANCED mode is for differential audio signals as you'd more typically find on an 3-pin XLR.
 
Thanks David and Stuart. VERY helpful answers.

Some responses:

D Fuller said:
I have these and they do work with Epic.
Click to expand...

I'm using the Hosa connector with a Rode NTG3 and a Sound Devices MixPre (both of which work great). I don't know why the Hosa cable doesn't work... however it turns out that I have the HVM-101F and not the HVM-102F listed on the B&H site. Could this be the problem?


D Fuller said:
This appears to need phantom power. Phantom power is not enabled on Epic yet....
It is also listed as a stereo microphone.... It seems unlikely that it will work with Epic.
Click to expand...

Okay I will wait for phantom power. I know a few Epic owners who bought this button mic (Tonaci first posted about it). But I don't know if it worked okay for them. I'm getting about a 2 to 8 signal to noise ratio (4 times more noise than signal).

D Fuller said:
This might work with Epic if you had a custom cable made to break the stereo feed into two legs that you could run to the two mono iimputs.
Click to expand...

Cool I will try that.

D Fuller said:
Red could help here by offering a set of good-quality, properly-wired adapters.
Click to expand...

Good idea :)

Stuart English said:
If you have a stereo microphone make sure you have a cable that breaks the signal out to two 3.5mm jacks and then select UNBALANCED audio on the EPIC. If you enable BALANCED audio on such a cable configuration either your + or - signal will short to ground and you will appear to have no signal i.e. BALANCED mode is for differential audio signals as you'd more typically find on an 3-pin XLR.
Click to expand...

Thanks Stuart. I will keep trying. Is there any risk of damaging the audio board by using the wrong mic / cable? Or does that only happen once phantom power is enabled?
 
Nick Pasquariello said:
Wow, really Wooden Camera's selection of add-ons and the prices. They *look* nice quality. Anyone have any experience with their other gear?
Click to expand...
1) Their Top Plate looks to be functionally identical to Red's DSMC Tactical Top Plate and it isn't on backorder. I have never actually seen a Red Top Plate though so maybe the first-party one is better, but this one seems nice.
2) Their Easy Stick is a nice, cheap solution for mounting an LCD off to the side of your camera too if you want to have a Top Handle mounted where the LCD would normally go. I haven't tried it in practice yet for the same reason that I have not tried the A-Box, but it seems like a nice, simple idea in theory.
3) For that matter, their Top Handle looks really nice as well. It's been spoken of well on these forums in the past.
 
Alex Boothby said:
Thanks David and Stuart. VERY helpful answers.

Some responses:



I'm using the Hosa connector with a Rode NTG3 and a Sound Devices MixPre (both of which work great). I don't know why the Hosa cable doesn't work... however it turns out that I have the HVM-101F and not the HVM-102F listed on the B&H site. Could this be the problem?
Click to expand...

Don't think so. I think the only difference between those is cable length. Check that you are feeding the Epic Mic level, not line level. I'm not with the camera now, but I'm pretty sure I'm using the camera set to unbalanced mic level. I don't remember the details of how I arrived at that, but it has worked well. And the Mix Pre set to output mic level.

Alex Boothby said:
Okay I will wait for phantom power. I know a few Epic owners who bought this button mic (Tonaci first posted about it). But I don't know if it worked okay for them. I'm getting about a 2 to 8 signal to noise ratio (4 times more noise than signal).
Click to expand...

The stereo wiring may still be a problem, but I'm no expert there.

BTW, I think I remember a wiring diagram for the audio inputs in the Epic manual. If you make a custom cable, that should be helpful.
 
Great info REDies. Thank you so much for the efforts!!
 
Wooden Camera A-Box is nice.

Personally, I'm using the Mogami 1/8" to XLR adapter cables - 18" long, can order them from Amazon or B&H and they're top quality too. About $40 each with free shipping. :)
 
The Kilgore has spoken . . . there is a hush around the fire
 
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