On 19 Feb 2003 03:47:23 GMT, notjustjay <notxjustxjay@yahoo.com> wrote:

>I am hooking a line-level output to the mic-level input of my camcorder,

>through a -40db attenuator.

Ah..., this makes more sense....! ;-)

>Reason: need a quick and dirty way to get the output of a sound board into

>the mic input of my camera. I've heard about DI boxes and other

>solutions, but it seemed like the easiest thing to do was insert a Radio

>Shack attenuating adaptor. It does get the levels down so that when I

>monitor on the camera, there is no distortion.

>

>I'm using a stereo line out in place of the sound board since I don't have

>one at home to test with.

>

>The various adaptors and extensions are to convert from stereo RCA jack

>outputs to a 1/8" phone jack (female) which the 1/8" male jack of the

>attenuator (pad?) plugs into. The other end of the adaptor is a single

>RCA jack, which I use a "Y" adaptor to put onto two channels, which are

>sent through a stereo-RCA-to-1/8" stereo male cable, which is plugged into

>the camcorder.

Be sure you are not tying together two channels of output

into one without series resistors; going the other way is

OK. You may be turning the pad backwards, not a good idea...

>In that mess of cabling is a 25-foot extension cable with 1/8" jacks. If

>I place the extension right at the beginning, I don't get hum, but if I

>put it at the camera end, I do. I guess it makes sense that if the pad is

>toward the end of the chain, the noise gets attenuated as well...

Yes. Also, unless you know that the 25' extension cable is

shielded, it is possible it is a headphone cable, which will not be shielded...

>I know there's surely a more professional solution to all this but I'm on

>a very tight (student) budget ;-) I got the pad on clearance for $1.99

>so I could afford to play with that rather than spend money on a DI box or

>XLR-to-whatever adaptor or ....

It all should work, if you make sure all parts are shielded, and

if the pad is used in the right direction. Be aware that

the mic input of the VX2000 puts out DC, which you may want

to block with a correctly sized and oriented series

capacitor...