Old-School Audio with Modern Tech: My Workflow with the Sony Venice & Sound Devices 302
After an Instagram post following some recent work which required sync audio into camera for post reasons, I’m diving into the setup to answer some questions. Specifically, I want to talk about my audio workflow with the Sony Venice camera, Sound Devices 302 mixer, and finally a little more about Deity Theos UHF wireless kit. If you’re someone who appreciates the intersection of obscure analogue engineering and cutting-edge digital technology, this setup might intrigue you. There is a video below if you prefer to watch a demo of all this, otherwise I have done my best to break things down in the article below.
Why the 302 Mixer?
First things first: the Sound Devices 302 mixer. This piece of gear is a classic—around 20 years old and still a beast. So why do I use such an old-school mixer when there are so many modern options available? Well, it comes down to cost, quality, and features. Even today, the 302 is hard to beat for small jobs requiring one to three microphones, especially for a solo camera operator. The preamps on this mixer are outstanding. They outperform most built-in preamps on modern cameras, including the Venice. Sure, the Venice has impressive and sometimes annoying audio features like a 5-pin input with options for line, AES/EBU, and mic inputs with phantom power. But for sheer control and quality, the 302 makes for a better user interface while recording. Plus, let’s be honest—it just looks cool. Those LED lights and chunky dials are a dream for anyone who loves tactile equipment.
Setting Up the Gear
Let me walk you through how I connect everything.
Mixer Output to Camera Input: The 302 outputs a left and right signal. I route this through a splitter that connects directly to the Venice’s 5-pin XLR input. this could also be an A-Box.
Audio Configuration on the Venice: On the camera, I set the input to "line" since the mixer outputs a hot signal. Using the Venice’s menu system, I configure channels 1 and 2 manually. Red or channel 1 corresponds to the boom mic, and blue, channel 2 is for the lav mic.
The Venice audio menu is refreshingly simple. Once I’ve set the input levels, I double checked that phantom power is off on camera and alongside the in camera limited. I typically keep the limiter off to make use of the full digital dynamic range, relying instead on the 302's analogue limiters to catch any over modulation.
Calibration: Analog Meets Digital
A critical part of my workflow is calibrating the analog 302 mixer with the digital Sony Venice. The two systems measure audio differently, so it’s important to align them.
302 Mixer Calibration: I use the mixer’s tone generator to send a 1 kHz signal at 0 dB analog. This ensures I can monitor and adjust levels without clipping. On the 302, you can also set a limiter using the internal menu to prevent the signal from exceeding a specific level, like +12 or +20 dB. A link to more info on setting that limiter is below, alongside an in-depth look at the features of the 302.
Sony Venice Calibration: On the Venice, I align the mixer’s 0 dB analogue signal to peak at around -20 dB on the digital scale. This setup gives me plenty of headroom for unexpected audio spikes while ensuring clean sound.
Working with the Deity Theos Wireless and Boom
The Deity Theos UHF wireless kit is a new addition to my setup, and I’ve been impressed so far. For this demo, you’re actually listening to audio recorded internally on the Deity, using their Lav Mic Pro 2 with some minor EQ and compression, normalised to -23 LKFS.
Here’s how I configure the system:
Lav Mic: The lav connects to the transmitter (TX), which connects to the Deity receiver (RX), which outputs a line signal into the mixer. I let the 302 handle most of the boosting, keeping the audio as clean as possible. For the input into the 302, remember to set this to line and turn of the power by setting to dynamic.
Gain Staging: On the TX, I set the transmitter gain conservatively to avoid clipping during loud moments but between -20 and -12 work well. The RX boosts the signal slightly (about +4 dB in this case) before it reaches the mixer. This ensures minimal noise floor amplification while maintaining headroom.
Shotgun: For the boom mic, don’t forget to set the input to Mic and the power to phantom +48, if you are still getting no signal, check what type of power the mixer is outputting on the right hand side of the input panel - set the switch to +48 and you are good to go.
Routing Audio
The 302 mixer offers excellent routing flexibility. Each channel has a left-center-right switch, allowing me to send the boom mic to channel 1 (left) and the lav mic to channel 2 (right). This separation ensures I can pull isolated audio channels in post if needed.
If I’m using multiple wireless transmitters, I sometimes combine two channels into one output or use a custom 5-pin to stereo mini-jack cable to send both signals directly to the camera. This avoids clutter and minimises cable snagging, which can be a lifesaver on fast-paced shoots.
Why This Setup Works
With the analogue litter on the 302 set correctly, in theory, this is almost impossible to clip. Now it’s just about getting the vocal levels correct on the Deity TX and for the boom. The boom mic can be adjusted directly on the mixer - leave the camera input as set by the tone. Once the TX has the correct levels transmitting to the RX, you can adjust the out of the RX to taste, anywhere from 0-12db is fine, but ideally keep this conservative, 0-4db works well and allow the mixer to boost from there.
This hybrid of old and new gear gives me the best of both worlds:
The 302 mixer handles the heavy lifting, delivering superior preamps and limiters.
The Deity wireless system provides modern flexibility without compromising on quality.
The Sony Venice or other camera integrates everything seamlessly, offering robust audio at a level of quality that is beyond simply plugging in a XLR to camera.
By letting the mixer do most of the work, I avoid relying heavily on the cameras preamps.
Every piece of gear in this setup has a role to play. The Sound Devices 302 mixer, despite its age, remains a cornerstone of my audio workflow when recording straight into camera. Of course, no substitute for a sound recordist or modern, 888 or Mix Pre recorder, but if you need sound recording with picture this is my go to. Its analogue charm pairs beautifully with modern digital systems - even over 20 years later.
If you’ve got questions or want to discuss your own setup, feel free to reach out—Instagram, LinkedIn, or my here on my website are great places to connect.