RODE Microphones VideoMic User manual

Instruction Manual
Stereo VideoMic
(EMC, LVD)

SVM
SVM

SVM
SVM
Thank you for investing in the
Stereo
VideoMic (SVM).
Those of you who are fi rst time
customers,
may be interested to know that we are one of the
largest and most respected professional microphone
companies in the world. Our studio microphones are
the ‘tone’ behind some of the biggest hits of the last
decade, and our award winning live
performance microphones are on tour throughout
the world. See more of what we do at
www.rodemic.com
The
SVM is a very special product born out of
the success of the original VideoMic, now the worlds
biggest selling on camera shotgun.
So why did we design the SVM? It’s simple, our
customers asked us to give them the same sound
quality and performance they were getting from the
VideoMic but in a stereo system. We listen to our
customers.
This was not an easy project, but as you will soon
hear,
have done it again!
The SVM captures the true ambience of the recording
space, and still offers a high level of rear rejection
and low noise. You can also use the SVM as a remote
mic on a stand or boom pole and have a VideoMic
on the camera, or an NTG1/2 on a boom pole. By
incorporating a simple mixer you can then create a
very professional audio track.
How can
achieve this level of quality and
achieve this level of quality and
performance when other mic makers can’t? It is simple.
spends millions of dollars on R&D and
automated machinery. When you invest in high
volume production technologies, the costs drop
dramatically. We pass on these savings to our
customers. We have been doing this with our studio
microphones for the last 14 years, and continue to
win international awards for performance and
quality.
Please take the time to read this manual so that you
can get the best out of your microphone.
If you have any queries or comments, you can log
onto our web site: www.rodemic.com/svm where
there are answers to frequently asked questions as
well as our contact details
Peter Freedman
Sydney, Australia

SVM
SVM
Specifications
Acoustic Principle:
Gradient
Directional Pattern:
Cardioid.
Frequency range:
40 Hz ~ 20 000 Hz selectable High Pass
Filter (HPF) @ 80 HZ 12 dB/octave.
Output Impedance:
200 Ω
Signal/Noise Ratio:
79 dB SPL (A - weighted per IEC651)
Equivalent Noise:
15 dBA SPL
(A - weighted per IEC651)
Maximum SPL:
130 dB (@ 1kHz, 1% THD into
1
Ω load
)
Sensitivity:
-44 dB re 1V/Pa (6.3 mV/Pa @ 94 dB SPL)
+/- 3 dB @ 1kHz
Dynamic Range:
115 dB SPL (
A - weighted per IEC651
)
Power (Supply voltage):
7 mA, 9 V DC Alkaline Battery, (NSI:
1604A or IEC:6LR61).
Battery Life:
>60 hours
Output Connection:
Stereo mini jack plug - ø3.5mm.
Right Channel - Ring
Left Channel - Tip
Weight
- (Microphone no battery)
:
330 grm
Packed Weight
:
470 grm
Dimensions
:
Lenght: 172mm (6-4/5”),
Height: 100mm (4”),
Width: 64mm (1-1/2”).

SVM
SVM
dB re 1 V./Pa
20
10
0
-10
-20
20 Hz 100 1000 10 000 20 000
0˚
90˚ 270˚
180˚
0.0
-2.0
-4.0
-6.0
-8.0
-10.0
-12.0
-14.0
-16.0
-18.0
-20.0
-22.0
-24.0 -25.0
dB rel. 1V/Pa
+5.0
0˚
90˚ 270˚
180˚
0.0
-2.0
-4.0
-6.0
-8.0
-10.0
-12.0
-14.0
-16.0
-18.0
-20.0
-22.0
-24.0 -25.0
dB rel. 1V/Pa
+5.0
0˚
90˚ 270˚
180˚
0.0
-2.0
-4.0
-6.0
-8.0
-10.0
-12.0
-14.0
-16.0
-18.0
-20.0
-22.0
-24.0 -25.0
dB rel. 1V/Pa
+5.0
Features
• Stereo X/Y condenser microphone.
• Broadcast sound quality.
• Rugged cast aluminum body.
• 9V battery operation.
• Custom designed integral windshield.
• Low noise circuitry.
• Low handling noise.
• Integral camera-shoe mount.
• Designed & manufactured in Australia.
• Full 10 year guarantee*.
Specifications
cont.
Frequency range:
40 Hz ~ 20 000 Hz selectable (HPF)
@ 80 Hz 12 dB/octave.
SVM Polar Pattern:
Super
Cardioid - 250 Hz
SVM
Polar Pattern:
Super
Cardioid - 1 KHz
SVM
Polar Pattern:
Super
Cardioid - 1 KHz

SVM
SVM
Battery Installation
1)
The SVM operates on a standard 9V
battery (ANSI:1604A or IEC:6LR61). We
recommend you use either Alkaline or
Lithium batteries for the longest continuous
operating time.
2)
The SVM will run continuously for over 60
hrs. with a good quality Alkaline battery.
It is however important to understand
that battery performance can vary
dramatically with ambient temperature
and of course shelf life.
Actual operation times will vary and we
suggest you always carry a spare battery.
If the application is critical and where there
is no opportunity to ‘re-shoot’, we suggest
that you use a fresh
battery every time.
3)
To install the
battery, simply
place your thumb on
the top section
of
the microphone.
(fi g. 1)
Press down
gently and slide
back the cover
till it stops (fi g. 2)
then lift the lid to a
vertical position.
Insert the battery
as shown in fi g. 3.
You will fi nd that
you cannot reverse
the battery, as the
compartment won’t
allow this.
Once you have
installed the battery,
slide the cover back
into position and you
are ready to fasten the
mic onto the camera.
Do not leave the
battery in-place if
you are going to store
the SVM for long periods. Batteries can
‘leak’ and the chemicals will damage your
microphone”.
fig. 1
fig. 2
fig. 3

SVM
SVM
Mounting Your SVM
4
) The SVM incorporates a standard
camera-shoe mount on the bottom of
the microphone (fi g. 4).Designed to
reduce camera borne motor and handling
noise, the shock mount has a 3/8” x 16
threaded insert for mounting on tripods
and pol
es.
You will fi nd older
models and low cost
cameras produce more
motor noise, which the
highly sensitive SVM can
pick up. If so, switch
on the High Pass Filter
(HPF) to reduce this
(fi g. 8a).
You may also notice that your camera’s
inbuilt microphone may not pick up this
noise and wonder why. On-board mics are
for general-purpose use, and designed to
do a basic job. They can cancel out certain
sounds such as motor noise at the expense
of tone and directional characteristics.
The very latest cameras incorporate low
noise/vibration motors, making them
relatively silent.
5)
Before sliding the camera-shoe into place,
turn the knurled tightening ring anti
clockwise which will make sliding the
camera-shoe into place much easier (fi g.
5). Now turn the knurled
ring in a clockwise
direction, gently
tightening it so the SVM
is seated fi rmly in place.
You will notice the SVM
may seem slightly loose
in it’s mount. This is
due to the shock mount
system and is not a fault.
fig. 4
fig. 5

SVM
SVM
Mounting Your SVM
cont.
6)
The SVM delivers a mic level signal to the
video camera via a stereo
mini jack audio lead.
The mini jack should be
connected to the camera
via the camera’s “Audio-
In” socket (fi g. 7), - refer
to your video camera user
manual.
SVM Controls
7)
Now that you have the SVM securely
fastened to your camera and the audio
output lead connected, you can switch
the mic on.
There are three switches located on the
end of the mic body (fi g. 8):
a
Pad (with 0 and -10dB
level cut), an
On
-
Off
switch
, a
High Pass Filter
(
and
) with
which you can use to
remove rumble or other
low frequency noise
while recording. It will
affect the tone slightly
but in some situations
it is required.
A power indicator LED
fl ashes RED for 0.25
sec. when the mic is
fi rst turned on.
This changes to GREEN
indicating the battery
has adequate charge.
When the battery runs
low, the LED will change
back to RED and you should change the
battery for a fresh one.
The mic will work for approximately
1 hr. once the RED indicator is lit,
however with reduced performance.
fig. 7
LED Power Indicator
:
- RED/GREEN - Self check
- GREEN - Battery Charged
- RED - Replace Battery
fig. 8 -
VideoMic Controls
Pad
Pad
OFF/ON
OFF/ON
HP
HP
F

SVM
SVM
SVM Controls
cont.
8)
It is now time to set the camera’s
audio
level. To ensure the optimum signal you
will need to set the VU meter on the
camera to read around “3/4” or “75%”
on the sound ‘peaks’. Most cameras will
allow you to access this setting through
the camera menu. You should try and set
the level using the sound source you will
be recording, or a sound source of similar
level before starting to record or you
could distort the input of your camera
if the level has been set too high. We
suggest you read your camera manual,
which should cover this topic.
The SVM has been optimized for high
rejection of radio frequency interference,
but we suggest you keep all transmitters,
mobile/cell phones, pagers etc. at least
2m away to reduce the possibility of
interference ruining your recordings.
SVM Windshield
9)
The SVM comes with a custom designed
windshield.
The windshield should be left on at all
times as even the slightest breeze can
cause sound interference. When shooting
outside in heavy winds you may need to
purchase a more specialized windshield.
has a full line of accessories
available, please visit our web site
www.rodemic.com for
further details.

SVM
SVM
General Operation
10)
SVM is not designed for long
distance pick up. I have heard people
ask, “How far away can this mic pickup
sound?”.
Of
course you can boost the
gain level on your camera and you
will hear more defi ned sounds over a
longer distance than with conventional
microphones, but you will also get a lot
of ambient noise and refl ections making
it sound hollow. For best results you
need to be within 6’ (2m) of a person
talking. If you want very clear dialogue,
you will need to have the mic position
close to the person you are recording
and use an extension mic cable which
we supply as an accessory. There
are microphones that are especially
designed for long distance pick up.
They do not have the ‘Hi Fi’ sound
quality of the VideMic or SVM, but do
a specifi c job. These include parabolic
refl ector systems and more recently
adaptive arrays using multiple capsules
and Digital Signal Processing (DSP)
technologies.
The SVM has a wide pick-up angle and
polar response, so can be used to great
effect with cameras for news gathering,
weddings or sporting events. The SVM
can be used in any situation where you
want to listen to what’s in the near fi eld
shot and what’s at the side or out of
view.
11)
The best way to get optimum results
with the SVM is to use it so you become
more familiar with its sound and pick-up
characteristics.
The
SVM is made from rugged cast
aluminum, ensuring impact resistance and a
longer life. However care must be taken not
to get the SVM wet nor do we advise you to
drop it from a great height!
Treat the mic
the way you should treat your camera and
you will have many years of reliable service.