How to Use External Mic's with the Canon XH A1

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By Claudia Newcorn
eHow Contributing Writer

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(3 Ratings)

The Canon XH A1 video camera gives enhanced abilities to record sound by being able to add an external microphone. This is ideal for enhanced voice capture or to zero in on a specific sound.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Use the External Microphone on the Canon XH A1

Step 1

Open the Menu, and select Audio Setup.
Step 2

Select XLR input, set it to On-XLR, and close the menu.
Step 3

Connect the microphone to either the Channel 1 (CH1) or Channel 2 (CH2) XLR terminals located along the right side of the camera towards the front. Connect the microphone first before adjusting the following settings.
Step 4

Set the Input Channel Selection Switch, located on the top right of the camera above the channel terminals, to either CH1 or CH1-CH2.
Step 5

Adjust the LINE/MIC switch, located just above the Input Channel Selection Switch, to either the CH1 or CH1-CH2 position, depending on the input signal you selected in Step 4. You can now use the microphone.

Tips & Warnings

Note that when you connect the external microphone, the built-in microphone automatically turns off.
If you want to supply phantom power the microphone, after plugging it in, set the +48V switch at the front of the camera, next to the Channel switches, to the corresponding switch. Keep the microphone plugged in when turning off the phantom power.
If needed, you can turn on the microphone attenuator by setting the XLR MIC ATT switch, located above the Channel input terminals, to ATT. The nearby Line/MIC switch needs to also be set to MIC.
If you want to turn up the gain, open the Menu and select Audio Setup. Select XLR Gain Up, set it to 12dB, and close the menu.
If you use a microphone that does not support phantom power, you must make sure the +48V switch is set in the Off position to prevent the microphone from being damaged.
Use only commercially available condenser microphones that have an independent power supply. Canon recommends they have a 3.5 millimeter plug, 600 ohms of input impedence and -64dBV (automatic audio level setting), and the microphone holder be 25 millimeters or less. The cable should be no longer than 3 meters (9 feet).