juicedLink CX231 Audio Mixer and Preamplifier for Camcorders with Phantom Power

Comments about juicedLink CX231 Audio Mixer and Preamplifier for Camcorders with Phantom Power:

I am using a canon 5d mark ii, and i should have gotten the other model DT454(paid the extra 100). I use high quality mic's, and the adjustements just can't make it with this lower end version. note also, simple things like audio monitoring are EXTREMELY difficult with this model. The higher end model has, for example ear phone jacks, this one doesn't. I'm just irritated i waisted [$] on this by not paying attention to the features and paying too much attention to the reviews.

Comments about juicedLink CX231 Audio Mixer and Preamplifier for Camcorders with Phantom Power:

Great little device. It works great and is easy to carry.

Comments about juicedLink CX231 Audio Mixer and Preamplifier for Camcorders with Phantom Power:

Sound really good. There a white you can hear in play back, but it maybe something I'm doing wrong.

Comments about juicedLink CX231 Audio Mixer and Preamplifier for Camcorders with Phantom Power:

The product is easy to use. Simply load up a battery, plug in your mic to one of the XLR inputs and turn the baby on. The Gain switch and the Trim dial(s) are all you need to get the crisp clean sound. Be sure to disable the Automatic Gain Controls. If that's impossible for your prosumer camcorder manually adjust the volume controls so you don't get any background hissing, adjust the gain (I use medium) and the trim (all the way up) and get great audio.A downfall is that I've read around that people have received faulty or defective products by Juicedlink (incomplete construction, or missing screws). My previous device didn't stay powered with the battery fully in place. But from what I did with it I was impressed with the quality of it's output. I simply returned my defective device and received a fully functional one, a couple of days later. B&H [...]

Comments about juicedLink CX231 Audio Mixer and Preamplifier for Camcorders with Phantom Power:

I use this mixer with a Canon EOS 60D camera, and a Panasonic shotgun. After testing the audio for a while I finally found the sweet spot. I have to turn the phantom power up to 48V, turn the gain on "high" and crank the mixer volume all the way up.

A lot of the noise that was coming in through the audio was from the 60D, and not the mixer. So a lot of DSLR owners may think its the mixer and not the camera.

On the 60D I have to turn the volume onto "manual mode" then turn the volume all the way down. Then I turn it up just six to eight notches on the camera. This canceled out all of the noise and then I could mess with the db on Final Cut.

In the end, the audio quality is great for run and gun shooting. For film shoots I would still go with a separate recording device and use a slate.

Comments about juicedLink CX231 Audio Mixer and Preamplifier for Camcorders with Phantom Power:

I've had the JL now for a couple weeks, and I do think it's a really good solution to using high-quality mics on consumer-grade camcorders. I like that I would be able to use two mics at once, and the options for how much sound actually goes into the camera affords a lot of options. I felt like it's priced really high for what it does, but I also didn't see a whole lot of other options for using a shotgun mic on a Canon Vixia, other than some new camera-mounted mics that are starting to hit the market. The other thing -- make sure you take the 9V battery out when you're not using them; mine seemed to drain even when the power was off. Otherwise, it really does its job.

Comments about juicedLink CX231 Audio Mixer and Preamplifier for Camcorders with Phantom Power:

This Juiced Link turned out to be a waste of production money. The audio it records is horrible 50 percent of the time(really unreliable). The cx231 compared to the H4N is a waste of engineering and money for someone trying to make a film and get some good audio. I normally dont write reviews but I just want to save some poor soult out there from wasting 300 on cx 231 juiced link.

Comments about juicedLink CX231 Audio Mixer and Preamplifier for Camcorders with Phantom Power:

Being a one man crew I always had issues trying to deal with audio for DSLR video, and sometimes would resort to running an extra XH-A1 just to have phantom power and XLR adapters. Now, between the Magic Lantern firmware hack for Canon DSLRs and the CX231, I can take audio directly into a T2i/550D and it sounds great. The time this saves me in post and the improvement it provides in audio quality is absolutely tremendous.

Preamps are very clean, battery life even when supplying phantom seems reasonably good, and it's clear the developer was a film/audio guy because just about all the instructions you'll need are printed on the unit itself, along with a bunch of recessed switches that will allow this to take in mic or line levels, switch pan, provide +12 or +48 phantom, and adjust gain. This unit also mounts flush top and bottom, helpful for mounting options.

Nothing terribly fancy, just well designed, rugged and effective pro equipment for those who might enjoy saving a few steps in their workflow. This pays for itself in saved time the first time you use it.

The only think it's missing is a headphone jack, which would be helpful with DSLRs that don't include one, or have one that is fragile to hardware hacks.

Comments about juicedLink CX231 Audio Mixer and Preamplifier for Camcorders with Phantom Power:

I like this because it has phantom power and VERY clean signal. I gave it four stars because mine was missing a screw holding the XLR jack and the knobs and switches seem a little flimsy ... time will tell. The housing is rock solid and attaches firmly. The CX231 attaches to the camera with an Allen wrench screw to keep it out of the way of the tripod. For the price it should include a Allen wrench to keep with the camera. There aren't many options if you looking for a product like this. This fills the need very well but there could be some improvements.

Comments about juicedLink CX231 Audio Mixer and Preamplifier for Camcorders with Phantom Power:

It's wonderful using a product made in the Good Ole USA that beats the socks off the foreign competitors. Works great.

Comments about juicedLink CX231 Audio Mixer and Preamplifier for Camcorders with Phantom Power:

Works exactly as it should. Every time.

Comments about juicedLink CX231 Audio Mixer and Preamplifier for Camcorders with Phantom Power:

I use this mixer with my Canon 60D so I can use the audio and avoid running second system sound. It does exactly what it says and I couldn't be happier. Takes a little bit of testing to make sure you've got the levels where you want them, but I typically run the left channel as a good level and the right channel as my safety track... so far I've not been disappointed! I would've loved to have purchase a Wendt X3, but I simply didn't have the cash.

Comments about juicedLink CX231 Audio Mixer and Preamplifier for Camcorders with Phantom Power:

I use the CX231 mixer in a small studio where I plug my standard microphones with XLR and Phantom. The preamp is good and convenient for line level sources.

I would like to have a small VU meter or LEDs indicator. It takes a few tries to find the correct TRIM level

Comments about juicedLink CX231 Audio Mixer and Preamplifier for Camcorders with Phantom Power:

I pre-ordered my Canon 5DmkII at the end of 2008 and was shooting HD video ever since it arrived.

The problem has always been the audio--we've had to shoot two-piece audio and sync it up later. I carry a Zoom H4n for industrial and web use, and we use a Sound Devices 744T for documentary and broadcast work.

Ever since the firmware update to the Canon 5DmkII (allowing manual control over audio input), I've wanted to find a solution for simple shoots where I could record audio right into the camera.

And the CX231 performs EXACTLY as advertised. the features are great & unlike some other brands, it's not noisy.

The problem is that MIC IN is the only option on these cameras, and the cheap microphone pre-amplifiers are SO BAD that I can't use the camera for recording audio, no matter how badly I want to.

Three stars because the JuicedLink is exactly what they say it is.

But unfortunately, I returned mine. For most professionals, Canon DSLR cameras simply should not be used for recording audio.

Comments about juicedLink CX231 Audio Mixer and Preamplifier for Camcorders with Phantom Power:

I use this with a Canon HV40 camcorder and a Sennheiser ME66 shotgun mic. Mostly to record interviews.

It helps me to record clean sound.

I would have given this 5 stars, except for the poor design component requiring one to detach the device each time the camcorder battery has to be changed. Also, you need an allen wrench to attach and detach the unit from your camcorder. Neither of this is a huge deal.

Comments about juicedLink CX231 Audio Mixer and Preamplifier for Camcorders with Phantom Power:

Good product, we're using on the Canon EOS 5D Mark ii. Audio recordings have much less noise than I was getting with a BeachTek. Overall design is clunkier and less appealing than the BeachTek, also mic and line switches are on the bottom and are tough to access when mounted.

Comments about juicedLink CX231 Audio Mixer and Preamplifier for Camcorders with Phantom Power:

After reading all the reviews on the Juicedlink products I decided to try it out. As soon as the CX231 was in the mix, even before the DN101, there is a big improvement in sound quality. I am using it for my T2i so the weight actually helps a lot. When used in conjunction with the DN101, it eliminates all hiss and noise, so there is very little to worry about sound-wise in post. I love it!

Comments about juicedLink CX231 Audio Mixer and Preamplifier for Camcorders with Phantom Power:

I took a chance buying this XLR phantom power adapter with preamp hoping it would serve audiophile grade purposes (that is provide ample phantom power for high end AKG C414B-XLS mic pair along with quiet and uncolored sound passthrough to my digital recorders (Edirol R09 and Sony PCM-D50). It does all of this very well and I am happy with it. I am picky about my audio and this unit turned out to be A-0kay.

Comments about juicedLink CX231 Audio Mixer and Preamplifier for Camcorders with Phantom Power:

I use this and the DN101 a Canon 5DmkII when recording video. The sound now matches the video quality. The noise floor is now very low, I don't have a good enough studio to really put a number on how low, but I think it is less than -54db. Now I can just worry about good mic placement and all the other things that ruin field audio. This and the DN101 work for me. Remember the DN101 takes the right channel audio to defeat the AGC in the camera so the audio will be single channel (mono), but a great single channel. A firmware hack is available if you need both audio channels and then the DN101 would not be needed. I wish the preamp/mixer and DN101 could be purchased as a combined unit.

Comments about juicedLink CX231 Audio Mixer and Preamplifier for Camcorders with Phantom Power:

It performed better than expected, I actually hooked it up to my Mac Mini and it recorded sound beautifully, but the 9 volt battery quickly dies off if you're on for too long about an hours worth of juice (if phantom power is used) but if you are hooking it up to a camcorder then you can have the best sound ever providing you are not using phantom-powered mics. It could use a power adapter for those times you are taping indoors, limited usage outdoors with phantom powered or if you don't mind brining a couple of 9V batteries with you the 4 stars is for the lack of adapter. The 3.5mm adapter is well wired, tough and right-angled for distress.