Canon T2i/550D 7D Disable AGC Automatic Gain Control Hack for the Rode Videomic

[LIBltdProductions]

You make some of the best videos for DSLRs on youtube. Thanks for sharing your tips!

[karen91art]

Hi! I'm wondering if you maybe know how to fix the video time limit of the canon 7D.

Thanks

[UrbanxFilms]

why didn't i see this earlier, damn

[KKP121]

Hi! Your videos are great! How do you do that your image is so clear? Waht is the ISO? Did you shoot the cannon EOS 550D? At: 1:58 there are nothing noise in the backround. Do you you a lighting kit?

Thank you: Peter

[thadpeterson]

These lessons are fantastic Dave. Thank you.

[fotoplomer]

19khz??? that is so poor sound... the 7D it is a professional camera and you are mixed with a poor sound system.

[YupImBatman]

Is this AGC really going to be noticeable in for example short films with music playing in the background. I want clear audio but is this only necessary for interviews?

[ProfessorU]

While this obviously works, it seems needlessly complicated. Just one more battery-powered device that can die in the field, an adapter that can be lost, and who knows how many connecting points that can decide to give out without warning. Did the connector come loose? No way to tell, since you can't monitor audio from the cam without a firmware hack anyway.

Get a H1 for $99 and you can at least record passable audio.

[ghostmomo]

This is too complicated! I bought the H4n :) It's great!

[AandDProductions1000]

thanks for this ;)

[luislinnovel]

This guy is too funny

[MAGICSIX]

Can you explain how to do this on a T3i? I hear there is a way to shut it off? Just bought the camera so Im unsure, will credit you in videos :-) Thanks!

[Bertziethegreat]

So this is basically a DIY juicedlink

[trip3980]

Two words, Magic Lantern. :D

[GizmoBitz]

@trip3980 not for the 7d though :(

[SamuelHardyTV]

I just posted a video on how to remove the tone in post-production if you don't own Vegas or Adobe software, by using Audacity. Come check it out!

[regalo1979]

oh I like it when you said "I like to keep it simple and cheap."

[pavlo306]

This works amazingly great , thank you so much for this tip... I can't believe there was such an easy way around this all this time. Even more as I found the cable required at an electronics shop near my house. thanks

[PrimedProductions]

would just getting a different mic help this?

[Smalskin]

Just curious but why is the info screen white and the T3is info screen black? Can is be changed with a firmware update? It just looks a lot better on the T3i

[GabeVillatoro]

Canon has an SDK for software dveleopers it seems.

Does that mean someone can do something about the 7D's auto gain?

[BradleyNilsen]

how can you do this for a canon t3i?

[FullSailtv]

I had a question for you, I just got the rode video mic and i been trying to do the AGC hack, but what i notice is that the over all sound gain just gets lower, not just the hiss and background noise but also my dialog, so i use a plugging to bring the volume back up but i hear the same annoying white noise, i solder mine the same way you did.

[alanbstard4]

canon need to supply quality inbuilt audio, of not, then the vid is pointless and better of renting a pro camera is you are a film maker

[timbotones24794]

Does anyone have any idea how to do this in Pinnacle Studio? It's causing me great difficulty trying to figure out what to do in post.

[rafaelunplugged]

how do you reduce it when the sound from the tone mixes into the sound of the microphone line? its very noticeable.

[awesomesam27yobrotha]

at 0:44 are you filming with the t2i? im not the most advanced with this stuff but i'd also like to know whats the optical zoom with the t2i

[TheBlakeEverhart]

@awesomesam27yobrotha optical zoom depends on what lens you have mounted on it

[awesomesam27yobrotha]

@TheBlakeEverhart with the zoom lens?

[thhedk]

Nice, but it's SO stupid that Canon don't fix this, what I will cal BUG, not being able to disable AGC - how hard can it be?

[pav2k]

Wouldn't that be easier to record the audio on other device and then just sync it with the video?

[kikipr]

Hello everyone here is a cable that disable the continued tone. It's from Sescom DSLR-AGCY AGC Disable Y-Splitter Cable for Canon 7D and Canon T2i. The price is just $29.95 and you can download the tone from there web page.

[7ormentum]

Hey, just so I don't make any mistakes: I'm getting the 550d (T2i) and i'll get the Rode videomic aswell later aswell ... if you turn off the AGC through Magic Latern ... do you need to do this aswell or is it just fixed then?

[drumat5280]

@7ormentum no you will no need this fix.

[7ormentum]

@drumat5280 Alright! thanks, sorry for the fail ''aswell'' spam there ... lol d

[broakland2]

You are super cool, thanks for sharing!

[ddfilm92]

I LOVE YOU!

[timetotravel]

Can't wait to buy (or make the cable). I really need a way to kill the noise, this may do it.

Do you think this system will work with other mics? I've got a powered shotgun and powered lapel.

[MrLukasDiSparrow]

I got Rode VideoMic for £100 .... I got normal dynamic mic for £8.... fuck the RODE... RODA is rubbish... the £8mic is way much better with no fucking mp3 shit combinations.... I sent my RODE back next week... fuck french

[joeyippel]

Get Magic Lantern on your T2i man

[helixwinder]

Has anybody ever complained to Canon about this? I did, now we can only wait. If every T2i or 7D owner complains, we might get some action.

Why 19Khz sine wave? Would a higher frequency work as well? You could probably make a 555 timer audio square wave source to do the same thing? It would only take a few components and would be cheap. The harmonics would be beyond any audio response.

[ulcares]

YOU ARE THE MAN!!!!!!! XD, Today is first time that i wach one of your videos jajaj buy i cant stop, one after one! this is region!! clear and simple!! thanks man! (Sorry for my bad english)

[drumat5280]

@ulcares wow thanks, I am glad you like them.

[lallalallalalla]

Ok, now i tried this with two different mp3 players and the trick didn't work. It worked perfectly when I linked the jack to my computer with the volume at max... it's almost like if the mp3 players were not powerful enough to make the AGC shut down. Anyone had this problem too?

[lallalallalalla]

when I do this the resulting audio is too low, is that normal?

[drumat5280]

@lallalallalalla yes, just normalize it.

[kschiavo]

@drumat5280 @lallalallalalla not quite, you should record with the maximum volume possible of the subject you are recording... if you normalize it from too little audio, it's gonna suck

you need to tune down the volume from the mp3; too much might be getting into the right channel, so it's what's lowering the input so much from the left channel, because of this whole AGC thing

also, that was genius, Dave!, although, you lose the balanced signal from your mic, am I right?

[kschiavo]

@kschiavo oh, self correcting, it's unbalanced already, sorry lol

[drumat5280]

@kschiavo If you are referring to what balanced audio means in the pro audio world, no this is not balanced audio even before the hack.

[toms900]

I just bought the azden SGM-X microphone, and when i was reviewing the footage i could only here the audio through one speaker, could you tell me how to fix this?

[althepyro]

ITS CALLED, MAGIC LANTERN!!!!!

[illflowmusic]

For me this technique seems to be overcomplicated... Did you ever try Magic Lantern? it's an unofficial firmware that allows you to switch off the auto volume and to set the volume levels aswell... and many more awsome features for movie mode.. it's definitely not the easiest app to install but from what i heard it turns your DSLR into a "beast" ;) Cheers!

[illflowmusic]

For me this technique seems to be overcomplicated... Did you ever try Magic Lantern? it's an unofficial firmware that allows you to switch off the auto volume and to set the volume levels aswell... and many more awsomw features for movie mode.. it's definitely not the easiest app to install but from what i heard it turns your DSLR into a "beast" ;) Cheers!

[charvelgtrs]

Magic Lantern kicks ass. Don't worry guys you won't brick your cameras as long as you follow the installation directions carefully. It's so worth it. The ability to disable the AGC is amazing, but you also get the same ISO increments and kelvin white balance control like the 7D as well as other great features.

[MisterClimax]

Does anyone know how I can isolate a single audio channel in iMovie or Garageband? Will it work if I drop my video into Garageband, then export the audio track with it panned to one side? Looking for the easiest way, thanks!

[danielshepard]

@MisterClimax The only way I know to do this is to open a new Garageband project, select movie project, and import your movie. On the left you will see a balance nob. Drag it to L or R depending on what channel you would like it to be. Then go ahead and export it. You don't have to export just the audio (though you can). You can keep the video and audio together by importing it as a movie as described above. Hope this helps. If you have any more questions feel free to comment again.

[MisterClimax]

@danielshepard Yes, I just figured this out. I pan the audio track, export it to iTunes, and then convert it from stereo to mono using iTunes. The conversion to mono fixes the pan, but I'm wondering if I can export the movie from Garageband with the audio attached (like you said) and fix the pan somehow. Any ideas?

[Fidd91]

Ive been mailing Canon and they have no plans on making this AGC fix. But maybe it will be released someday

I think US will get better answer from Canon than what I get here in Sweden. Please mail them and respond me about what they said

[FilmReady]

Very cool, but doesn't this make the audio mono? I mean if you only use one channel.

[drumat5280]

@FilmReady yes, but the mic is mono as well so it does not matter.

[skatible]

will this work with the azden smx-10? please reply

[drumat5280]

@skatible sorry I have no idea.

[realmrlolz]

Can't you just use Adobe Soundbooth?

[charvelgtrs]

Magic Lantern is coming soon, so you guys won't have to bother with the MP3 player much longer.

[drumat5280]

@charvelgtrs can you please do a video on how to do this and share it will everyone, I am to scared of turning my camera into a brick.

[charvelgtrs]

@drumat5280

Once they release an official version it should be rather simple to do. 

[charvelgtrs]

@drumat5280

Have you installed it yet? I recommend you go to vimeo and search Magic Lantern T2i installation.

[drumat5280]

@charvelgtrs I am going to wait at least a month or so for the bugs to get worked out.

[charvelgtrs]

@drumat5280

Well when you do install make sure you delete files manually and never format the card with Magic Lantern running.

[jdreilly07]

is this video shot with the T2i?

[drumat5280]

@jdreilly07 yes

[kevinstcroix]

@drumat5280 what lens? Nifty Fifty?

[HakerzTM]

Hi man, great video. But sadly it did not help me, I just bought a Rode Procaster Microphone and it has hissing noise. No matter how loud or close I get the the mic the hissing is there. I am connecting it to my computer with a tool called MicMate to convert the XLR to USB. Do you think that's my problem, that I'm using that tool? Or something else that I could fix by adjusting some settings? I already tried recording in different frequencies but the noise was still there.

[opelele10]

how do you get such a high quality on your 550d? thank you

[ZeroUnityGain]

Just want to comment on 'professional microphones', which are balanced -- meaning audio (in phase) is on pin 2 (when it's XLR) audio (out-of-phase) is on pin 3 and pin one is earth. Introduced noise is never the same on both channels and a summing amp at the pre-amp stage cancels anything indifferent to pin 1 and pin 2 leaving you with clean audio. However the Rode has to run the same audio (not in and out of phase) down tip and ring so as to hit L/R channels on any stereo mic input.

[mobgrip95]

what a hipster! looking pretty wealthy!

[SilverHouseHD]

great video dave. i was able to get this working pretty good without making my own adapter. its a messy wiring job but it's working. will post a video soon

[MsJas666]

so why is there AGC at all?

[IndyFlie]

Has anyone used the AGC Silencer on Craigslist? A guy claims, a $40 silencer is supposed take out the AGC without the use of an MP3 player. To me it just looks like a XLR adapter.

[AnimationsInColors]

You americans cant write RØDE

[thomthe]

its not just the hiss.. The distortion in first few words in the unhacked audio is disturbing.

[DOONWAVE]

Could I just apply a gate effect to the recorded audio in vegas to eliminate the hiss?

[drumat5280]

@DOONWAVE I tried this and it doesn't work well at all.

[shlomki]

but doesn't this just contradict the whole idea of having a stereo microphone, if you're using just one channel?

[drumat5280]

@shlomki The Rode VideoMic is mono not stereo so it doesn't matter. Don't let that stereo plug confuse you.

[shlomki]

@drumat5280 ah, i did not know that. thanks for the info and your great videos :)

[thecakeisbake]

Why is everyone so obsessed with the rode videomic? I use a Sennheiser ME66 shotgun and it works just fine. Is the Rode ultra cheap or something?

[thelixir715]

magic lantern hack is easier I think :D

[spencerduhbarrett]

@thelixir715 does it work, ive been trying to find out where and how to downlaod it forever

[TyCAM141]

Darn I want to do that... to bad I am not that handy... =/

[RealtyStudioHD]

Your audio is just amazing! Can you please do an audio segment on Lavalier mics?? MikeB, the one who figured it out with the 7D, didn't explain it thoroughly enough. The many of us keep having, is when we inject the tone into either the right or left channel, and then delete that track in Post, we can still hear the tone in the mic channel. Is there a way to get around this? We've tried changing the volume of the tone many times and if we lower it too much, it won't disable the AGC.

[SeikoPsycho]

Damn that is a lot of work!!!

You should have just purchased a separate camera for video work :D

[JRTET21]

great video.

[cloudburststudios]

I just made a commercial for a contest Bounty had and I used the canon t2i with the rode videomic. I used this hack to get clear audio and it worked great! Thanks Dave! Check out my Bounty video to hear the audio.

[jkrimer]

wOW! do you live in Toronto?

[drumat5280]

@jkrimer Nope Colorado.

[cloudburststudios]

Just finished my connector today and works like a charm! Thx Dave you're the man with a plan!

[cloudburststudios]

Got my connector all finished today and it works great! Thx Dave you're the man with a plan!

[drumat5280]

@cloudburststudios Great, glad I could help.

[cloudburststudios]

I'm about to buy final cut pro 6 and I was wondering if I could select just the left track of audio if I do this trick with my T2I and Rode Videomic. Does anyone know if I can do that in FCP 6? Thx!

[drumat5280]

@cloudburststudios sorry I have no idea.

[outstandingsound]

I am a pro sound man and do a lot of shoots with the Canon HDSLRs. You can play with the onboard audio all you want but all it's good for is scratch. If sound is important to you, and it should be, use a cheap recorder. Try the Tascam DR-07. It is less than a Rode mic at B&H. It also records in stereo, which is going to give you better sound than a mono shotgun on camera. BTW, mics don't belong on cameras. They should be near the sound source. Visit my channel for more tips on HDSLR sound.

[GideonShalwick]

Awesome stuff! Looking forward to the next video!

Gideon Shalwick

[EosKarlsson]

Cool!

[wowfony]

you sir, are the man. I've been meaning to research this particular problem further, but havent had the time. AND I OWN A RODE MIC :( Thanks!!!

Also, notice that the agc SLAMS the vox before actually compensating, I hate that. Good fix!

[drumat5280]

@wowfony Thanks! I am glad I could help.

[lsbrasil]

As always, great valuable information! Thanks!!