4-channel mixer with wired 3.5mm lavalier – no sound

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    • September 14, 2013 at 3:55 PM #70494
      AvatarJustin
      Participant

      Hello Video Makers –

      I am making a series of videos with a green screen in my basement and I want to start doing interviews. So I purchased a second Audio-Technica ATR3350 lavalier and a Mackie 402-VLZ3 4-channel mixer, plus two 1/4 inch jack adapters.  Two lavs and a mixer, routing into my HDR-SR1 camera.

      My lavalier mics are ready to go, batteries working, tested on my camera.
      Plug either lavalier into the mixer channels 1 or 2, neither one makes sound.

      If I route the lavalier through a XLR-iPhone cable, like this http://www.kvconnection.com/product-p/km-iphone-mic.htm

      and if I turn the gain up, press the instrument switch and low cut buttons down, turn up the channel level, and make loud noises I can get the mic to register some sound bars on the mixer.  But it's not anything that I can fine-tune to a nice sound level for recording.

      Am I missing some part of the step to get the lavs and mixer playing nice together?  I didn't think there would be any additional hardware besides the 1/4" jack adapters.  Maybe I'm not working the Mackie right somehow.

      Thanks for your time,

      Justin

      http://youtube.com/user/justino

    • September 14, 2013 at 6:22 PM #208645
      Avatargldnears
      Member

      " Plug either lavalier into the mixer channels 1 or 2, neither one makes sound. "             Is there a switch somewhere on your mixer which selects input levels ( mic / line )? Are the mixer input jacks " combo " jax; ie, XLR type with a 1/4" jack in the middle? Some gear uses these type input jax, XLR for mic level and 1/4" for line level.  The results you are describing sound likeng fed into a line level input.

    • September 16, 2013 at 8:17 AM #208649
      AvatarJustin
      Participant

      Thanks for your reply Rick – I have both XLR and 1/4" jacks for each channel on this mixer.  If you're correct, then I need to buy an adapter to use my lavaliers through the XLR channel?  I didn't expect that.

    • September 16, 2013 at 10:13 AM #208651
      Avatargldnears
      Member

      Just a guess, but I'd say that if your mixer has XLR type jacks, those would be for mics; and 1/4" jax would be for line level inputs . . . . .

    • September 16, 2013 at 10:30 AM #208652
      AvatarJustin
      Participant

      okay that makes sense – so then I would need to buy some kind of 3.5mm to XLR cable?

       

      I'm not finding too many 3.5mm female to XLR female cables!  This must be some kind of rare connection I am trying to make.

       

      Thanks for the replies Rick!

       

      Justin

    • September 16, 2013 at 11:13 AM #208653
      AvatarBruceMol
      Participant

      Well you are right about that type of cable, I had to make my own. It also looks like you have an impedance mismatch judging by the specs of your microphone 1000 ohms, and your mixer input at 3,400 ohms. That means the signal will be a not transfer efficiently. It also appears from your instruction book that the phantom power is associated only with the XLR inputs, it that's true than you will have to make the adaptor. I've seen images of your mic with mono and stereo ends, when you buy your 3.5mm female make sure you match what you have.

    • September 16, 2013 at 11:58 AM #208655
      AvatarBruceMol
      Participant

      Not much you can do about the impedance mismatch, you are already aware of the reduced signal, it also means frequency response is probably altered somewhat. No specific instructions just make sure the connectors are as per p.19 of your mixer owner manual. http://www.mackie.com/products/402vlz3/pdf/402VLZ3_OM.pdf

    • September 16, 2013 at 12:14 PM #208656
      AvatarFX1shooter
      Member

      Justin, you will also have a problem feeding the mixer output to your camera if your input can't be switched from a mic to a line input ! 

      be careful not to damage your camera… I use the 802VLZ3 because you can switch the output from line to a mic ouput. using the mic ouput I feed it to my FX1

       

      good luck!

      Robert

    • September 16, 2013 at 1:56 PM #208654
      AvatarJustin
      Participant

      Bruce that's great to hear – I have soldering equipment and it would be fun to build the cables I need.  Thanks for the tip!

       

      Do you follow specific instructions I might find online?  I don't know how to solve the impedance mismatch as I'm assembling cables and connectors to form 3.5mm female to XLR male.

    • September 16, 2013 at 1:58 PM #208657
      AvatarJustin
      Participant

      Robert – woah!  Are you saying that this mixer might damage my camera?  I don't see any way to switch to a mic output on my Mackie 402-VLZ3 as you suggested.

       

      If that's true, I'll have to research this further, and maybe swap out the mixer or buy some kind of adapter to take the mixer output and make it ready for my Sony HDR-SR1 camera.

    • September 16, 2013 at 5:01 PM #208658
      AvatarFX1shooter
      Member

      Justin, I'm affraid that yes you can damage your camera! can you exchange your 402 for the 802?

      the 802 has the ability the set the output to line or mic…

      also keep in mind that the least amount of adaptors = the least amount of noise induced.

      Robert

    • September 17, 2013 at 3:25 AM #208659
      Avatarrs170a
      Participant

      Justin, I suggest that you take a look at the following site, paying particular attention to the comments as one user has the same mic that you do and is trying to do essentially the same thing.

      The solution? Buy a decent lav (they're not that much more money) designed to work with pro/semi pro audio gear..

      Connecting your Rode VideoMic to an XLR input

       

      Mike

    • September 17, 2013 at 3:58 AM #208660
      AvatarFX1shooter
      Member

      I totally agree with using better Lav's!

      looking at the stated article, it suggest the beachtec mixer. this mixer has the ability to switch the output from Line to Mic.

       

      so Justin, you really have 2 problems… being 1) getting your mic's to work with your mixer and 2) getting your mixer to work with your camera.

       

      Robert

    • September 17, 2013 at 8:02 AM #208661
      Avatargldnears
      Member

      "  It also looks like you have an impedance mismatch judging by the specs of your microphone 1000 ohms, and your mixer input at 3,400 ohms. That means the signal will be a not transfer efficiently. "           Not true, really. A great many microphones, particularly condenser mics are not meant to be " matched "; they're meant to be " bridged ".                                        As for connecting your mixer to your camera, a simple " pad " ( or attenuator ) can be inserted in the line from your mixer out to your camera IF YOUR CAMERA DOESN'T HAVE A MIC/LINE SWITCH ON THE AUDIO INPUTS.           What you have can be made to work without spending a lot of money!

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