{"id":676,"date":"2015-05-07T10:58:13","date_gmt":"2015-05-07T10:58:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/djclark.com\/?p=676"},"modified":"2015-05-07T10:58:13","modified_gmt":"2015-05-07T10:58:13","slug":"dslr-preamp-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/djclark.com\/index.php\/dslr-preamp-review\/","title":{"rendered":"DSLR Preamp Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

The 5D MK2 video revolution may seem like ancient history to multimedia journalists who have upgraded to dedicated large sensor video cameras, but I still find myself gravitating back to the DSLR for most of my assignments. The small form factor and the ability to switch between video and stills make it a great tool for most of my work, with just one niggle \u2013 the audio.<\/p>\n

A small shotgun mic mounted on the hotshoe is fine for B Roll ambient sound, but the distracting hiss created by the camera\u2019s low quality preamps when interviewing has had me scratching my head for a long time. It\u2019s here the dedicated video camera with a professional audio preamp on board really makes the difference.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_1325\"<\/p>\n

The job of the preamp is to take the signal from the microphone and boost its signal to reach your desired levels \u2013 normally between -12db and -6 db for an interview. Simply put the better the preamp the less additional hiss and buzz is added to your audio as it is boosted to the right level. Adding XLR connections, rather than the standard mini jack found on DSLRs with their additional earth wire and solid connections can also help cut down on unwanted noises.<\/p>\n

So in this test I wanted to collect as many preamps as I could and place them between a mic and the DSLR then compare the results. I also wanted to compare the use of a preamp against not using one \u2013 bearing in mind that for most of my interviews I used a radio mic that has it\u2019s own preamp built in.<\/p>\n

I locked myself in a sound proofed audio booth with the following preamps,<\/p>\n