XLR to 3.5mm shotgun mic

[Gerrysw]

Hi all,

I am looking for an XLR shotgun mic for a Vixia HF M41 videocamera. As I understand it an XLR mic will give better sound, eliminate more noise and allow for a longer cable to be used. I understand I would need an XLR to 3.5mm adapter box such as BeachTek makes, and I would need an adapter for the Canon hot shoe.

Having said all that are there any recommendations for an XLR mic and XLR to 3.5mm adapter for a total price of around $300?

Thank you in advance for any help you can provide

[edDV]

Hi all,

I am looking for an XLR shotgun mic for a Vixia HF M41 videocamera. As I understand it an XLR mic will give better sound, eliminate more noise and allow for a longer cable to be used. I understand I would need an XLR to 3.5mm adapter box such as BeachTek makes, and I would need an adapter for the Canon hot shoe.

Having said all that are there any recommendations for an XLR mic and XLR to 3.5mm adapter for a total price of around $300?

Thank you in advance for any help you can provide

The main advantage of a balanced XLR pro mic is ability to use long mic cables (hundreds of feet) with low noise. You can get good short cable camcorder shotguns that don't require the $150 BeachTek. Which do you want?

[turk690]

A Beachtek or similar box can only successfully be used if the camcorder to be paired with it has means of manual audio level control, and/or audio AGC can be disabled. Not sure about that Canon HF M41. For example, nearly all Sony consumer camcorders are useless, except for the top-of-line, where one audio setting is "low" (no AGC).
Why do you need an adapter box? There are shotgun microphone models from Rode and others that are designed for camcorder use with 3.5mm connectors which might do the trick.

[Gerrysw]

The reason I would need an XLR mic and an adapter box is really just due to the potential options I would be given (multiple mics, ability to manipulate audio ( I believe the Vixia has an AGC function that can be adjusted) as well as the ability to use a boom setup at some point in the future. I am a newby to all of this and am uncertain exactly what direction my interests in video will go. I am trying to position myself not to be limited by the equipment I buy ( within an obvious limited budget).

[edDV]

I looked through the M40-41 manual but didn't see the manual audio controls (AGC=Off). Check under the "M" menus. If they aren't there, you'll need a different camcorder.



If your audio budget is $300, A Beachtek DXA-2T will take $180 leaving $120 for a mic. The good boom shotguns are in the $150 up range. For example

Azden Barrell
Azden SGM-2X
Audio-Technica AT835b

Read the guides and watch the Youtube videos for the various models.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/find/newsLetter/pro_audio_shotgun_jan2007.jsp
http://www.creativehat.com/Filmmaking/a022501a.htm
http://www.kenstone.net/fcp_homepage/review_shotgun_mics.html

[Gerrysw]

These are the pertinent pages from the Vixia manual for audio. I believe they say I can use an Xlr to 3.5mm converter.
Does anybody disagree?

Thanks

[turk690]

These are the pertinent pages from the Vixia manual for audio. I believe they say I can use an Xlr to 3.5mm converter.
Does anybody disagree?

Thanks

Yes I see there is manual audio control which means you set it at that, no audio mix, then plug in the Beachtek. I use an Azden SGM-1X shotgun (requires battery, which means no need to worry about phantom); I believe middle between the extremes of shotgun microphone costs and capabilities.

[edDV]

Hmm this is different than the manual I found. Give me a link for manual for your exact model and country.

Note you haven't I'd your country. Details vary by local market. I think you are asking for details.

[Gerrysw]

To edDV; there is no link to the Canon pages. I scanned them in from my copy. I am in the USA.
To turk690: Thank you. I will look into the Azden SGM-1X.

[Gerrysw]

To turk690: I don't know what camera you are using, but the Azden mic is 11.8 inches long. I wonder if it would be seen by the camera lense since it looks like it would extend 5 or six inches past the front of the camera.

[turk690]

To turk690: I don't know what camera you are using, but the Azden mic is 11.8 inches long. I wonder if it would be seen by the camera lense since it looks like it would extend 5 or six inches past the front of the camera.

Mounting the SGM-1X on my Canon XA10 does make for a funny-looking combo. But, no, it doesn't get into the camcorder's field of view. When using the mount that came with it (which I don't), you can move the microphone in it some distance to and fro. I considered getting shorter ones, but after trying a few, I can conclude, in general, that the longer they are, the more directional and narrower the sound pick-up, which is after all is one purpose of a shotgun microphone. For example, you are given a choice in just how much directional you want the pick-up pattern to be when you buy a Shure VP89, which has three models that share the same basic capsule but different extensions (that is more expensive the longer it gets). With all that, I'm satisfied with the directionality, sensitivity, and value of the SGM-1X. It is also one of the very few models that do not require an external phantom power source, which add to the battery drain of the camcorder. I have also used the SGM-1000, which is the SGM-1X's identical-looking phantom-requiring twin, and can honestly not tell if the battery or the phantom makes the whole affair sound better or worse.