I use the Mackie 1202 VLZ. It is great. It has dual main outputs so I feed line outputs to my harddrive recorder and use the XLRs on the back switched to mic level to feed the GL2. The adapter on the GL2 only takes mic level. I do have to set the mic attenuation on the camera to get proper levels.

I have never liked Behringer because the first piece of their equipment that I tried turn out to have unbalenced outputs that were out of phase with the input. I have never tried any other products from them.

I also have two Mackie 1604 at work that are excellent mixers. One has been in use for 4 years with no down time. Th other was installed last Sunday.

I assume (a dangerous thing to do) that you are using a cable that plugs you AT mic into the camera mic input, a 3.5 mm phone jack. If this is the case you are converting your mic to an unbalanced input. The Standard mic cable will give you a balcnaced input from your mic to the mixer. However your camera has only an unbalanced input. You will need to keep the cable from the mixer to the camera short if you are running unbalanced. I suggest that you look at one of the XLR to camera adapters as they provide a conversion from balanced to unbalenced and some of them have the ability to accept line level inputs. I have used the XL Pro from Studio 1 at work and that has been good although a little noisy. I think that Sign Video is now selling that model. There is also Beachtek. I have not tried their products but I have seen positive comments about them.

persnally I would have gone with a Neumann mic like the SM69. It has a wide dynamic range and the sound is incredible. Although the AT is a good mic. Take another step and you will find yourself in heaven. Check out this link http://www.neumannusa.com/pages/products/micProduct.asp?microphone=SM69

As far as the mixer, please dont get caught up in marketing hype. Mackie is a horible mixer. In fact mackie is entry level on everything that they make. spend your money wisely and check in to Allen & Heath. You will not be disapointed. You know as well as I do that great footage can sound horrible.

Take a word from the wise, one of the reasons AT said to use an unbalanced cable is that you can fry a preamp or an Aux signal amp by using a powered mic with it. It happened to my $22k board when an unexperieced user was trusted with it. Cost me $500 to fix it. Don't do it!!!

"please don't get caught up in marketing hype. Mackie is a horrible mixer. "

What exactly makes Mackie Mixers "horrible" and "entry level"? Price? Features? User base? Performance? Someone should have told David Arnold.;-) Sorry Alex, I've seen Mackies in everything from basement project studios to multi-million dollar post production houses, and I challenge anyone to 1) show me where the word "horrible" can be applied to Mackie products and 2) tell me what brand of mixer someone uses by listening to their recordings.

"In fact mackie is entry level on everything that they make."

You're calling Mackie's line of controllers and Monitors "entry level"? Wow.

Shawn

I contacted Audio-Technica and they responded very quickly. He said I should use the supplied cable which is a 10' XLRM (3-pin) to two 3.5mm mini plugs. Then use a 3.5mm to XLRM adapter on each plug. Then use two standard (balanced) mic cables of whatever length to the mixer (insert into mic-1 & mic-2). Then I could hook my mixer up to my computer. He said it should work, but doesn't know for sure if it will be noise-free. What do you think about this setup? He also stated that the AT825 would be the best stereo mic to use. The reason I didn't get that one is because I planned to use it on my video camera and the AT822 came with a short XLR to 3.5mm mini plug cable (unbalanced). Someone said that I could only use an unbalanced input for my camera use. The AT825 didn't come with camera mount accessories and I didn't think it would work with the camera. I don't know that I would be able to tell the difference in sound quality between the two mics and the 825 was $100 more. Oh well, I bought the AT822, so I'll have to make due. I didn't think it would be complicated using a mixer and longer cables. Back to the mixer. Since the AT822 is battery powered, do all mixers have the option of not using phantom power? I can't use phantom power with this mic, I need to use the battery. Following are the three applications I want to use my mic with: (1) I can use the mic on-camera with the short supplied cable (XLR to mini plug). (2) I maybe can use the mic with a mixer, longer cables and my computer using the setup given to me by AT. (3) But how do I hook up the mic to my video camera if I want to position the mic 40' away off-camera? What kind of cable do I need for that? Would I get a long, balanced XLRM (3-pin) cable to XLRF, then use an adapter XLRM to 3.5 mini plug ( if they make such a thing) and plug that into my camera? Thanks for your input.

After reading your latest post I went to the AT website and read up on the 822. The mic itself has unbalanced output. That is why they provide the adapter cables to feed right into the camera. I apologize for the errors in my previous response, caused by a lack of research.

Now, I would like go off on a tangent and explain the difference between Balanced and Unbalanced. A balanced system uses 3 conductors. 2 wires that carry the audio signal and a sheild that carries a ground connection. An unbalanced system has only two conductors and shares the sheild with one side of the audio. The advantage of the balanced system is that noise picked up on the sheild is not connected to the audio signal. Also, any noise that is induced onto the the audio wires is canceled because it affects both wires equally and the amplifier is only seeing the difference between the two wires. The result is that unbalanced is usually fine for short runs but will pick up noise over long distances. Also, if the ground potential between the two devices is not the same you will generate current flow through the sheild and generate hum and buzz.

In your situation I would begin by trying to use the system unbalanced and see what you get. You simply buy a standard mic cable and connect between the microphone and the adapter cable that came with the mic. This is still an unbalanced system. You are using the two wires in the mic cable for the left and right channels and the sheild for ground and signal return. You will probably find that it will work great in some locations and not in others depending on the environment. To use that mic in a balanced manner you need to convert to balanced at the microphone and then back to unbalanced at the camera. You are getting into some money here.

The additional cost of the 825 is in the transformers required to make it a balanced output. The adapter you would need to change an unbalanced line to balanced would need to have a transformer as well or you are just using the balanced mic cords with an unbalanced signal. Also to get back to unbalanced at the camera you need an adapter there as well.

Good Luck

Charlie

Huh?? I gotta debate this one.
Allen and Heath consoles, built (now) here in Utah where I live, USED to be great consoles. When they were made by Samson and not by Harman. They are built on the same line as the Soundcraft low end consoles. Today, they are no different than any other low-cost console. In fact, I've got a 20 input rack AH for sale on Ebay right now.
Mackie's 1202 and 1602 consoles have arguably mixed more television, radio, live events than any other mixing console in a live or video feed environment put together. While I'm admittedly a Mackie fan, there is a reason their speaks are THX certified, there is a reason the UA100 process board is an industry leader, and there's a reason their boards are so popular. They sound great, and their reference stuff is just that; reference.
Samson, Behringer, M-Audio all make good budget boards, IMO
If you're gonna start in the price world of an SM69, we might as well drag in the BK 4001/4011 mics, which is my studio standard choice for my acoustic anythings. But at 1100.00 each, that's not quite relevant to the original question asked by joejon. I don't think he's asking for a 1k+ cost mic. MIight as well start talking Hardy mic pre's, and Orban phantom supplies.

When I contacted Mackie, they said that the DFX6 would probably not be a good choice because my AT822 mic starts out at -45dB and the DFX6 has a +46dB of gain range. Therefore, he recommended the 1202 VLZPRO, which is almost $400. That's too much $ for me right now, especially for just home use. Any suggestions here? I also asked in my last post about using the 822, which can only use a battery, not phantom power, with a mixer. Do all mixers have the option of not using phantom power? I don't want to damage my mic. What are the most important features to look for? Right now I just have the one mic and I want an input for a keyboard. Thanks

Plug the 822 into the mic input of the soundcard and see how it sounds. You don't need phantom power for that mike. It is an electret condenser mike with a battery. Use the XLR to stereo mini that came with it. If it works well, why do you the mixer? I use my mixer for multiple mikes at shoots. If the AT822 is your only mike, you don't need the mixer. You can also plug that mike directly into a DAT or Minidisc recorder. It's a great mike.

John

PS: Don't buy into Mackie's BS.

As craftech says, don't believe Mackie's tech support's BS. That's crap.
Phantom can come from the mic or external power, and the gain structure is fine. Either way, you can't damage the mic, no way/no how.
Any small mixer as discussed above will work great. You could easily use a small AC/DC mixer for your inputs for keyboard and mic, and then send that to the camera, an MD, a DAT, or any other digital device. The little Samson is great, so is the battery powered Mackie. Both do AC/DC. I use the Samson and M-Audio for field work, Mackie, Behringer, and Allen Heath for studio. My AH is for sale, but it's probably more than you'd like to spend. (300.00)

If you want an inexpensive mixer, take a look at the Behringer Eurorack Model MX602A (6 channel mixer). It's about $70.00. Search it out on Google.