Features!

Enables connection of balanced audio signals to the 3.5mm stereo input jack on your camcorder. Interface with professional condenser/dynamic microphones and line level signals. Capable of interfacing with unbalanced sources, such as wireless mic receivers. An essential tool in professional video production and event videography.

 

Inputs: 2x XLR balanced and 2x 3.5mm unbalanced inputs.

• Mic/Line Switchable with Hi/Lo gain switch
• Unbalanced input capable - for wireless mic receivers, etc
• Neutrik locking connectors - pin1 direct connection to chassis
• 3.5mm line input with Hi/Lo gain switch

 

AGC Disabler: Defeats the camera Automatic gain control to achieve manual level input.

(New for 2011 - the AGC Disable method on the DT454 will only have the NOISE setting.)  The TONE switch position will be inactive. Eliminating the TONE setting permits removal of an active mixer used to inject the tone, which has allowed for the introduction of the following enhancements:

1) Lower current consumption for longer battery life.
2) Achieve better right/left signal level symmetry in the MONO mode.
3) Provide an audible cue through the headphones if somebody is using the
NOISE AGC disable and has forgotten to set the PAN TO L switch, so they can
not accidentally attempt to record a microphone to the AGC Disable track
(and thereby lose that microphone recording).

• Dual mode defeat
• Unbalanced input capable - for wireless mic receivers, etc
• Neutrik locking connectors - pin1 direct connection to chassis

LED metering:

• Stereo audio meters with peak indication

Output:  3.5mm stereo jack

Low-noise preamplifier:

• 3 gain settings
• Improves camcorder signal-to-noise ratio

L/C/R pan switch - true buffered mixer (unlike passive adapters)

Phantom power:

• 48V min: through 6.8k ohm current limiting resistors
• 12v power saving mode

Frequency Response (best on market): +/- 0.2 dB Maximum, 20Hz-20kHzPower:

• Single 9V battery (not included)
• Battery life ~16 hours (typical, alkaline type battery)

Mechanical:

• Black Anodized aluminum enclosure for EMI protection and rugged use
• Mounts to bottom of camcorder
• Mounts to top of tripod
• Facilities to attach shoulder strap (not included)
• Case Dimensions: 4.3" x 3.4" x 1.53"
• Weight: 12 ounces (no battery)

"Finally, an audio solution for DSLR cameras"that works!  And over rides the cameras  Automatic Gain Control (AGC).
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Unfortunately, many DLSR cameras do not have the features needed for great audio (meter, headphone, manual control of sound levels).


Improving SNR Performance - Audio Clip

The Auto Defeat sends a signal to the camera, so the camera perceives that there is a large signal, and the AGC circuitry throttles back it's amplifiers. This has become known as "AGC Disable" for these DSLR cams. The camera amplifiers are very noisy, so this is good. But, it also turns down the level of the microphone signal, which is bad. But, with the juicedLink low-noise preamp at the front end, just simply turn up the clean gain of the juicedLink low-noise preamp to get the mic signal well above the noise in the camera, and the result is significant improvement in system signal-to-noise performance.


DN101 does NOT inject a tone into your camera

DON'T BE A FOOL:  I've heard videos on youtube where people have purchased expensive XLR adapters designed for the 5D using a tone to disable the AGC, don't it could be an expensive mistake!

YOU ARE DEPENDING ON NON-SPECIFIED ASPECTS OF THE CAMERA: You really need to understand digital signal processing to take the risks of using a tone. You can take a setup that works OK on one camera, and put it on another camera, and it works like crap. Typically, people will try and inject a tone around 20KHz, where most people won't hear it.
1) Cameras have an analog-to-digital converter (ADC). Unfiltered, ADC's will take signals that are out-of-band (where you can't hear them), and fold them back IN-BAND (where you CAN HEAR IT). This is known as aliasing. So, a well designed camera will have a good Nyquist anti-aliasing filter before the ADC. So, if you are injecting a tone, you are depending on the effectiveness of the Nyquist anti-aliasing filter. If the filter isn't working so well, then a harmonic of that 20KHz tone will get folded back IN-BAND where it can be heard (by anybody).
2) Also, the roll-off of these Nyquist anti-aliasing filters will typically be around 16KHz. So, you're injecting a tone on the steep slope of the filter. A small change in the roll-off frequency will result in a significant change in amplitude of your tone.
3) Additionally, crosstalk in your camera can make your tone, harmonics, or aliased artifacts jump recording channels between the camera's left and right channel.
4) ALL of these funky things are going on, while you have no way to monitor with headphones IN THE CAMERA to hear what it is doing.
5) Even after you're done, and you listen to your recording in Vegas or FCP, and you think it sounds good. You could upload your video to a service like youtube/vimeo/etc, and they could compress your file using an encoding scheme that aliases your tone IN-BAND where everybody can hear it.


Switch it on, and it works

The juicedLink approach for AGC Disable does not use a tone, so you won't fall victim to these issues that can make you look like a fool.

When you switch on the AGC Disable, the DT454 automatically re-calibrates the meter for the appropriate signal levels (you will be cranking up the clean gain in the juicedLink preamp when AGC Disable is on, which throttles back the noisy amps in the camera).

The DN101 AGC Disable will take up one of the recording channels in the camera (right). When the AGC Disable is activated, the DT454 will headphone jack will only monitor the left input channel (through both ear-cups of the headphone). So, you will not hear anything in the headphones that is sent to the DT454 right input (as this channel will be used for the AGC defeat). This keys you to make sure that you have all of your mics panned left (the clean recording channel in the camera).