Zoom H2 settings problem

[Dana Salsbury]

Captured on a Zoom H2 on 'speech' setting with medium mic gain. I'm pretty sure it's just peaking out, but the audio waveforms aren't creating a wall. The speaker is not blowing into the thing, and it's filmed indoors. It's not rubbing anything either. The Zoom was recently dropped.

www.legacyhdv.com/bad.wav

I'm having a really hard time getting the right amount of signal -- it either peaks or I don't have enough sound. I use 'speech' for ceremonies and 'concert' for micing the PA at receptions.

[Colin McDonald]

Originally Posted by Dana Salsbury

The Zoom was recently dropped.

Did it work OK before it was dropped, and has it ever worked properly since?

[Rick Reineke]

The file does not appear to be digitally clipped, Peaks around -17dBFS. Almost sounds like talkers too close to the mic, input stage overdrive? Was this recorded with the internal mics? Change the sensitivity gain setting.

If that does not help, try the external mic and line-input. Maybe try another SD card. Trying all combinations may facilitate troubleshoot/repair, though at $160usd they're almost disposable. The drop may have been too much for it. Let us know what transpires.

[Dana Salsbury]

I thought it might have been breath, but on some of them the Zoom was below their sternum. It hit me that I used the 'speech' setting. I don't know what internal compression is going on, but I'm going back to the basics.

It does the same with or without a lav. That makes me want to rule out the drop.

Do the 'Concert', 'Speech' etc. settings affect the gain? Is the mic gain switch the sole factor there?

[Vito DeFilippo]

Dana,

Great H2 info here. Made me understand what settings on the H@ actually do something useful.

Zoom Gear & Home Recording Forum • View topic - How to get the best from the Zoom H2

[Bruce Foreman]

Dana,

Just a guess on my part, but that recording has portions where voices sound normal and suddenly there is distortion. Not breath noise or over modulation. What I suspect is possible internal component damage from the drop.

I'd consider ordering another or even an H4n and insuring it does not get dropped. I use mine on a stand most frequently and it comes out of a padded pocket in a gear bag and gets mounted right away on whatever is going to support it.

BTW I read that file referenced above (copied and pasted it to a document), lots of good useable info but in the discussion that follows there is some doubt cast on using the Rode SVM with it. I've used my Rode SVM with the H2 and then the H2 with it's internal mics on a single singer with acoustic guitar and got similar results with almost identical mic placement. The Rode SVM track was noticeably "cleaner and crisper" and slightly higher in gain but the singer chose the "bare" H2 track as a bit "warmer".

[Dana Salsbury]

Thanks Bruce. It's a curious issue. It has done that to me on two gigs in a row, and I cannot reproduce the problem at home.

By 'component', could it be something beside the mic, as on the second gig it did the same thing, but this time I was using a Giant Squid lav?

[Steve House]

Other than the location, think hard about what is different when you use it on location versus when you experiment at home.

FWIW, it sounds to me like an analog audio stage is being overdriven

[Dana Salsbury]

We filmed two weddings this weekend. The Zooms worked perfectly both times.

I will reintroduce Monomix, as it saves me a ton of time in post.

The 'speech' and 'concert' settings never really did much much anyway.

[Dana Salsbury]

I think there is something wrong with the circuitry. Although it has worked a few times, the audio is harsh and edgy. I think it's hosed.

I guess I'll file a claim and toss it. That's a real bummer though.

[Michael Liebergot]

Originally Posted by Dana Salsbury

Captured on a Zoom H2 on 'speech' setting with medium mic gain. I'm pretty sure it's just peaking out, but the audio waveforms aren't creating a wall. The speaker is not blowing into the thing, and it's filmed indoors. It's not rubbing anything either. The Zoom was recently dropped.

www.legacyhdv.com/bad.wav

I'm having a really hard time getting the right amount of signal -- it either peaks or I don't have enough sound. I use 'speech' for ceremonies and 'concert' for micing the PA at receptions.

Dana that sounds like the H2 audio is clipping to me.
The H2 develops this electronic chirping when the audio clips. The audio waveform might not show the clipping, but the signal is overloading in the H2.

[Dana Salsbury]

I think it's internal, though, since someone dropped it. Even at the low setting it's harsh.