I bought a 3Dio microphone to use for my YouTube channel. I directly connected the 3Dio mic with a 3.5mm cable to my M50 microphone jack, but I can’t seem to get it to work. The 3Dio manual says some devices (smartphone, computer) need the 3Dio to connect to a preamplifier first, then connect the preamp to the recording device. Does anybody know if the Canon EOS M50 has a preamplifier for the mic jack? Basically, do I need to buy a preamp to get the 3Dio to work with my M50? If not, any ideas why I can’t get the M50 to record sound when I connect the 3Dio directly to the microphone jack. I do connect a Blu Yeti directly to the M50, so I know the mic jack works.
Thank You
Hi @Eric Hanson ,
Thank you for your question. Some cameras are compatible with external stereo microphones and others are not. When viewing the Canon EOS M50 Product Manual, there is no information regarding what type of microphone is compatible, whether the external mic input supports stereo audio, or even if the camera contains a pre-amp...at least that we could find. You can find the product manual here. Have you reached out to Canon support team for assistance?
The Blue Yeti has its own headphone amplifier for direct monitoring, which is why it most likely works with the camera. This output is a line level output and doesn't require a preamp, because it's built into it. The 3Dio output is a mic level output so you can use your own preamp without compromising quality.
If you intend to record directly into your computer, we recommend the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 as a stereo audio interface. This device contains both a preamp to boost the signal to line level as well as an A/D converter so you can record digital audio directly to your hard drive.
Another option, is the Zoom H1n. It is a small, stereo digital recorder that you can use to record onto a micro SD card or you can use it as an audio interface connected to your compauter as well. It is portable and light weight and provides really great quality and convenience for the price.
I hope this information helps. Let us know if you have any other questions.
Best,
~Brian
3Dio Customer Care
Thank you, I appreciate the quick response!. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find anything either in M50’s manual. However, I have a support ticket open with Canon asking if the M50 supports the 3Dio, or has a preamp; I suspect it doesn’t and will need to purchase one. Also, thank you for the preamp recommendations; I will look at them while waiting to see what Canon has to say.
Ah, yes, I think I remember reading the Blu Yeti has its own amplifier.
Eric
@Eric Hanson Have you found any solution for this? I would like to record audio without purchasing anything extra and just recording directly into my m50 as well.
Also if you plug the XLR version into a camera using an adapter, would it downgrade the signal or would you retain the same higher quality benefits of the XLR?
@Joon Huh,
To answer your question regarding the XLR adapter, we do not recommend downgrading an XLR output (balanced) to a 3.5mm input (unbalanced) for any scenario. Not only will you not retain the benefits of the XLR quality as you mentioned, but you actually will not receive a loud enough signal as the XLR outputs on the 3Dio require phantom power from the camera or audio device it is connected to in order to boost the signal to an audible level. The 3.5mm output of the 3Dio is powered by the 9V battery inside the microphone while the XLR outputs require phantom power from an external source. There are no devices on the market that provide phantom power using a 3.5mm stereo input.
Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best regards,
~Brian
3Dio Customer Care
@3Dio Based on what you wrote about the H1N and the Scarlett 2i2 , it seems the H1N has the extra benefit of being portable whereas the Scarlett can only be used as an interface. It would seem that then , the H1N is the obvious choice but could you tell me why one would choose the Scarlett instead?
Also If I were to use the Scarlet 2i2 for an ASMR yt channel using a Canon M50 for video, would I be plugging it into the PC or into the camera? If camera is an option ,would that mean audio and video is recorded together in 1 file and no need to sync it in post? Would that be better than recording audio directly into PC or worse, quality wise and ease of use wise?
Hi @Joon Huh,
The H1n is designed to be portable, lightweight and multifunctional (stereo microphone, external microphone compatible, Micro-SD recording, audio interface mode, playback, etc). The Scarlett 2i2 is solely designed to be an audio interface. Therefore, the Scarlett 2i2 has higher quality preamps and components resulting in a better quality recording. Additionally, the Scarlett 2i2 can be used infinitely, whereas the H1n is limited by the AA battery capacity. Lastly, the Scarlett 2i2 can supply phantom power for condenser-type microphones and H1n cannot.
Regarding your question about connecting to the PC or camera, I would recommend using the Scarlett 2i2 to record the audio into your computer and record the video with the M50 separately. Although you will need to sync the audio and video in post, the recording quality will be better. DSLR cameras primary function is the video and the audio components they use usually aren't the best....or at least not as good as a device like the Scarlett 2i2 that is specifically designed to process audio. Plus, controlling the gain settings on the camera can be cumbersome with limited flexibility in the settings.
Syncing the audio in post if very easy. Just follow the instructions on this post: https://3diosound.com/community/forum/topic/37178/sound-and-video-need-software-to-merge-the-2-together
Let me know if you have any other questions!
Best regards,
~Brian
3Dio Customer Care
@3Dio Your answer was very thorough thank you! So now I understand that I should be recording audio and video separately. Would a program like OBS be able to achieve that?
Hi @Joon Huh,
Technically, yes, but I wouldn't recommend it. OBS only offers dual video/audio file type outputs such as .mov, .mp4, .mkv, etc. In other words, you can record 3Dio audio, but the file output is technically a video file with audio. The file will feature a blank screen this way, and the audio will not be isolated as a standalone .wav or .aac file format.
There are many different DAWs (digital audio workstations) available to record the audio with. Audacity is free and quite popular. Garageband comes free with most Mac computers. There's also Cubase, Logic Pro, Pro Tools, and Abelton Live....just to name a few. All of these programs will allow you to specify the recording quality and file type output. Plus you can multi-track, do overdubbing, add VST plugins and effects, and edit the audio as you wish.
Let me know if you have any other questions!
Best regards,
~Brian
3Dio Customer Care
