SOUND HELP!!! and etc.

[UDwings]

Well, I guess it takes two important political events and being surrounded by TV camera operators to feel totally out of the loop.  I have a few questions about sound, I guess I never really understood it.

I own a Canon XL2 and I was wondering what sort of cable I need so that I can hook up my camera into the location sound ports.  I know my Canon has 3-pin XLR ports in the back (CH 1/3 and CH 2/4) I taped two events just using the onboard mic and it does a decent job but spending the extra money for the new cord (which, if I'm looking at the right cord) isn't that much more.

Also, being a newbie to this all I was borrowing my dad's old tripod with a leakey fluid-head for the shoot.  Well, it worked but was afraid for my camera the whole time.  I've seen many different posts as to which tripod works the best for the Canon Xl2 and I'm wondering what advice you all have for me?  Is it necessary to get the Canon Ta-100 adapter plate for a tripod or is this just for ease of use for quick release?

I have been very impressed with the Canon XL2 and I think I would excel much more in it if I had the basics (i.e.: tripod, cables, mics).

Any other advice or suggestions you all can give me would be great.  I'm a new comer and would like to know the basic "stuff" I need to really get started and to "look like I know what I'm doing" LOL well I do...but I don't

Thanks in advance,
Nick

[Colorado David]

If you are covering a news conference or event and the sponsoring firm/organization has provided an audio feed, you should only need an XLR cable.  Buy a quality cable as you'll be coiling it and uncoiling it a lot and that action eventually causes leaks in the shielding.  You'll need to test the feed then to determine if it's mic level or line level.  If you depend on your shotgun mic for event audio, you'll get a whole lot of nat sound from the pack of videographers mixed in with your event audio.  Put together a small package of adapters, transformers, and gender changers so you don't get stuck without a feed.  A friend of mine calls his adapter bag the "Paranoia Bag."  Sounds like a good name to me.

[UDwings]

If you are covering a news conference or event and the sponsoring firm/organization has provided an audio feed, you should only need an XLR cable.  Buy a quality cable as you'll be coiling it and uncoiling it a lot and that action eventually causes leaks in the shielding.  You'll need to test the feed then to determine if it's mic level or line level.  If you depend on your shotgun mic for event audio, you'll get a whole lot of nat sound from the pack of videographers mixed in with your event audio.  Put together a small package of adapters, transformers, and gender changers so you don't get stuck without a feed.  A friend of mine calls his adapter bag the "Paranoia Bag."  Sounds like a good name to me.
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Could you give me a possible list of adapters, transformers, and gender changers that are generaly used?  Kind of the "basics" to put in other words?  That would be great.  I haven't been doing this for a long time, hince "the beginner" status below my screen name.  If you could let me know whats used for the most part that would be great!  Thanks for your advice previously!

[Colorado David]

You should always carry four XLR cables at all times of sufficient length.  Since you have the capability to use two channels, you should have two primary and two back up.  In addition you should carry some number of XLR to 1/4" adapters, both male and female, and some number of 1/4" to RCA, both male and female. XLR gender changers are just adapters that are either male to male or female to female.  The need for a gender changer will come into play if you are shooting in a building that is wired for microphones and you are set up near a microphone bay.  If there is a house sound engineer and you are wanting a feed, they may elect to send it back down a microphone line in which case you would need to change XLR gender to hook up to your camera.  The transformers I mentioned are low to high impedance and will usually have a two conductor 1/4" male plug on one end to an XLR on the other.  You should be able to get what you need for a couple of hundred dollars.  You can keep you adapters in a divided plastic box or just dump them in a small zipper bag.  In any case, don't leave home without them.  Good luck.

Best regards,
David