Igor needs some Sound Advice!

[blinddrew]

Sorry I'm going to disagree with Doc here. Aiming for 0/-1 is fine for analogue systems but for digital you need to give yourself waaaay more headroom because you've got no margin for error. You need to be aiming for general levels bumbling along around -18dB and peaks at -10 / -12. In fact, the meters on your canon probably have a green dot at -12 on the scale. That's where you want your peaks. You can crank it up in post once you've mixed it.
Even at 16 bit you should be plenty off the noise floor using your Rode.
But if you're sticking the rode close to a source I'd drop the pad to -10dB and even then you might be overloading the mic as it's not really a tool for close-micing.

[FrankenWashie]

Sorry I'm going to disagree with Doc here. Aiming for 0/-1 is fine for analogue systems but for digital you need to give yourself waaaay more headroom because you've got no margin for error. You need to be aiming for general levels bumbling along around -18dB and peaks at -10 / -12. In fact, the meters on your canon probably have a green dot at -12 on the scale. That's where you want your peaks. You can crank it up in post once you've mixed it.
Even at 16 bit you should be plenty off the noise floor using your Rode.
But if you're sticking the rode close to a source I'd drop the pad to -10dB and even then you might be overloading the mic as it's not really a tool for close-micing.

Spot on Drew, there is a preset at -12 dB. What I will try, direct to camera, is having the mic at floor level aimed at the amp but at a distance. I want to do some more reading up and trialling with instrument to GB, which I can do with an IRIG set up I bought ages ago and forgot I had. I think that is probably the best course for now. When I’ve got a bit better idea of where I want to go with this stuff I can always upgrade and re-arm so to speak.

[DrNomis_44]

Sorry I'm going to disagree with Doc here. Aiming for 0/-1 is fine for analogue systems but for digital you need to give yourself waaaay more headroom because you've got no margin for error. You need to be aiming for general levels bumbling along around -18dB and peaks at -10 / -12. In fact, the meters on your canon probably have a green dot at -12 on the scale. That's where you want your peaks. You can crank it up in post once you've mixed it.
Even at 16 bit you should be plenty off the noise floor using your Rode.
But if you're sticking the rode close to a source I'd drop the pad to -10dB and even then you might be overloading the mic as it's not really a tool for close-micing.

I stand corrected.....cheers for that.