Topic: sp-cmc mics, batt box, and camcorder

[inside source]

I'm going to buy SP cmc-2 mics and SP battery box for my audio setup. The question is would I be able to use that with my camcorder if needed?
Right now I use an external ecm-ms908c mic for my camcorder (mic-in) and I get occasional clipping. Would cmc-2 through battery box be better? Should I order the battery box version with volume level controls, or are they useless with camcorder, which automatically adjusts the volume level itself?

[Chad817]

you may be able to turn off the auto gain on the camcorder, but it would probably still be trial and error to get the levels right.  I don't think that battery box has any kind of meters on it.

[SparkE!]

If it's a loud show, you'll probably need about 30 dB of attenuation going into the camcorder.  They don't have line inputs, only mic inputs when you are recording video from the camera.  If they do have a line audio input, it's just for when you are recording from an external video source.

It's easy to get the attenuation by putting a single series resistor in line with the signal path.  Essentially, you are dropping a portion of the signal across that resistor and the rest of the signal across the input resistance of the microphone input.  So it's a simple voltage divider.

The attenuation is given by 20 log (Rseries/(Rseries+Rinput)).

I made a 30 dB attenuator cable for my camcorder and I use a Y-cable to run my mic signal to both a NJB3 and to my camcorder at the same time.  If I ever make a DVD from the videotape, then I rob the audio from the NJB3 recording, but if I'm just playing back the tape itself, it's got good, undistorted (unclipped) audio on it.

[inside source]

ok, thanks.