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Note that these are not sensitive enough for direct input of guitar or bass; you’ll need a mixer or effects unit to sufficiently raise their levels. The gain dials are also easily accessible – the mike capsules have their own controls (the X-Y pair has a single stereo volume dial for the L-R channels), while the separate little gain dials for channels 1 and 2 sit below the display. Multichannel and stereo USB audio interface for PC, Mac and iPad (requires optional camera connection kit)
when you push the gain dial on a XLR input over 6~7, self noise of preamps will become apparent (can be mitigated if you use something like a Fethead/Cloudlifter)All these dials sit under sturdy steel bumper bars, partly for protection but also for practicality – it’s far easier to smoothly adjust the volume with this arrangement. Zero Handling noise thanks to the material the unit is made, XLRs just make the job with no complaints at all. THAT SAID, the recording quality on the H5 is remarkably higher than the previous brothers, the sound is just more naturally "in your face" and easily verges on a studio-like sound. the SHG-6 shotgun mike capsule, which is quite a small shotgun, good for a head-and-shoulders interviewee filmed at two or three metres, less so for distant zooming in a noisy environment
Record continuously for about 10 hours with just 2 AA batteries or extend your recording time indefinitely with the optional AD-17 AC adapter. Pros: audio quality, portability, use applications, possibility to use as an audio interface for your PCThe internal mic quality is still disappointing (not a significant improvement over H4). You gotta turn the nob to around 8 most of the time to get a decent sound but taht introduces an awful hiss. Also, I find the high frequencies quite harsh, almost distorted even in medium gain settings.