16May Juicedlink DS214 full Review.
I spent most of my Sunday testing and playing with the Juicedlink DS214, I ran a few test on my Canon 7d and on my Canon t2i with the Magic lantern firmware update. As a small audio amplifier and a device that disables AGC on the 7d it works great. The gain is very clean and the high low switch gives you a lot of range. The on board meters work well, the overall size is very compact, and the gain on the headphone output is good.
I don’t really have anything negative to say about the audio performance of the Juicedlink DS214. It does what it’s supposed to and it does it well. Most of my complaints actually have to do with the design. The included audio cable is about 4 inches to short for most applications, the volume knobs are so small and close together that I have trouble operating them, and the 1/4 20 mount is in a crappy location.
The audio input is a single stereo jack so if you want to brake out the left and right channels you have to use a stereo splitter or combine this with something like the Zoom H4n. The switches on the top of the unit are also almost flush, so you’ll need a fingernails or a pin to select the settings you need.
I don’t want to sound too negative because the Juicedlink Ds214 does a good job, and most of these problems are minor. You can buy a longer cable for about $3, a stereo splitter cable is about $2, and if you don’t chew on your fingernails, you shouldn’t have any problem adjusting the switches. I can even deal with the extra small control knobs if I pinch my fingers together just so.
The major problem is the 1/4 20 mount. I would think a device this small would be designed to be camera mounted. Instead you get a mounting whole that is positioned at the back of the unit which makes camera mounting a pain. I designed a part to correct this problem, but I would think Juicedlink might have something like this ready to roll out when they released the Ds214.
The other thing to remember is that any AGC disabling device has its limits. You can’t actually monitor the audio being recorded at the camera so if the audio being recorded at the camera peaks, you might not see it on the Juicedlink level meter. The problem is Canon’s fault not Juicedlink’s. If you don’t feel comfortable running Magic Lantern Firmware or own the Canon 7d, then the Juicedlink DS214 or Juicedlink DT454 are probably the best way to go. They aren’t prefect, but neither is filming with a DSLR camera. It seems like these days you have to take the good with the bad.
May 17th, 2011 at 6:03 am
Thanks for the review! How is the battery-life on the DS214? My DT454 seems to drain batteries very quickly.
May 17th, 2011 at 9:23 pm
I recently purchased the DS214 for my T2i and I use the same sennheiser g2 wireless mic. Do you know why it is that audio levels when brought into Premiere Pro show that it peaks at around -6db? I haven’t been able to get around this problem
May 18th, 2011 at 7:15 am
Are you using the AGC disable feature?
May 18th, 2011 at 10:08 am
Yes
May 18th, 2011 at 9:48 pm
The AGC disable feature drops the input threshold max of the camera to -6db. If the level gets higher then that it starts to distort and peak. Since you’re using the G2, just go into the level settings on the receiver and set the output level to something like -12db. This should solve your distortion and peaking problems. If not, you can always adjust the transmitter input levels as well.
Between the two units, you should be able to get the signal low enough to play nice with the AGC disable function on the DS214.
May 18th, 2011 at 10:05 pm
Thanks, you’ve been a big help
September 21st, 2011 at 4:39 pm
I also have access to a maker bot. Would you be willing to share your 3d file?
thanks,
Ryan
September 21st, 2011 at 7:46 pm
Ryan, it’s now back up in the Noob store.
September 22nd, 2011 at 10:52 pm
I NEED ONE, are they still available?
November 2nd, 2011 at 9:53 pm
How much does this sucker weigh? I looked all over the product site, but I can’t find anything. Any links/ideas?
November 2nd, 2011 at 9:55 pm
NEVERMIND, found it. Amazon’s shipping weight lists 8.8 oz (249.475804 grams), which is pretty darn light!
March 30th, 2014 at 5:56 pm
Hey..
I was wondering if it would be possible for you to manufacture one of the nifty duel shoe mounts for the juicedlink?
Cheers
January 14th, 2015 at 8:41 pm
Hi .. I just got a DS214 but couldn’t find the user menu on Juicelink website. Can anyone tell me what the ” MTR (H/L) switch ” for ?
January 15th, 2015 at 5:46 am
It makes the meter LED’s less or more sensitive to incoming signals depending on the source i.e. H = high, L = low.