Audio Recording

Where possible, use an external microphone.  If you are using a school DSLR, the easiest way to make it work is by using 'Magic Lantern':

To use the BeachTek audio mixer adapters, please follow the instructions shown in the video linked here:

Magic Lantern is a remarkable camera add-on which brings a host of professional features to a basic DSLR.  Although it appears like a firmware update, it actually resides on your SD card.  Because of that, it must be separately installed on EACH SD card.  There are a few VERY important benefits to running Magic Lantern on our Canon T2i cameras:

1. You can turn 'Auto Gain Control' (AGC) OFF.  This is SUPER important.  By turning AGC off, we can manually control the gain using 

Steps to install Magic Lantern on an SD card:

1. Download and unzip into a folder on your computer (or directly onto the root of your SD card)

2. copy the files (NOT the .zip file) onto the root of your SD card.

3. Make sure that your SD card contains the files 'autoexec.bin', 550D-109.fir, and a folder entitled 'ML'.  It won't work if the files are in a Magic Lantern folder - they must be on your SD card when you first open it!  It should also contain a 'DCIM' folder and possibly a few other photo folders. 

Steps to make your card bootable:

1. Set the camera to M (Manual) 

2. Click the 'Menu' button

3. Scroll to the far right (3rd wrench)

4. Scroll down to 'Firmware Ver.' and click the 'SET' button

5. Select 'OK' and click the 'SET' button

6. Wait patiently.  It will take about 10 seconds.  You will see a few screens go by before the 'SUCCESS' screen appears (green letters).

7. Restart the camera

To run Magic Lantern:

1. Turn the camera on (OK I guess that's a little obvious)

2. Switch to 'Movie' mode (top dial)

3. If the Magic Lantern display is not active, push the 'DISP.' button (you may have to push it more than once as it cycles through the 3 viewing options)

4. To open the Magic Lantern menu, push the garbage can (bottom right of camera)

5. Go to Audio and set Analog Gain to 17 or 20 dB

6. Check your input Source and set it appropriately ('external stereo' if you are using a boom pole and shotgun mic)

7. Check and confirm the audio meters!!!  If you have no meters, you have NO sound.

8. Check to make sure the audio is high enough, but not clipping (yellow or red)

Getting good sound:

1. first verify sound is turned on (T2i menu - 'Sound Recording')

2. check batteries in both mic and mixer (turn mixer on to check)

3. check mic button - set to ‘tele’ mode unless handheld ('normal')

4. check Beachtek settings

   1. Power to On (requires 9V battery)

   2. XLR cable to R input

   3. L and R PreAmp dials set to "Hi"

   4. Channel 1 Trim to 2/3 (turn to Right)

   5. Channel 2 Trim to 2/3 ((turn to Right)

   6. Output set to "M"

   7. Phantom power set to "Off"

   8. Plug headphones into the "Phone" port

   9. The volume control above the "Phone" port adjusts the headphone volume.  Set to the 1/2 way point (line pointing up)

5. check audio meters on camera - should be into green

6. set manual gain  to 17 to 20 Db (ML menu)