Several Audio Questions
 

Its really hard to understand, why such a professional tool like the z1 get such a bad manual with it. Sometimes you could think its a joke. ...anyway ....

If someone could help me with:

- when does the audio limiter work. Is it a 0dm Limiter or some kind of compressor. At which level does it what ?

- What does the mic noise reduction ? Just a Hi-Cut filter ? At what frequency ?

- what should this "wind" switch do ? Could be a Low-Cut or something.

- Does the Trim function work analog ? Or is it just adding/subtracting digital signals ?

Thanks for Your help!

Peter :)

Re: Several Audio Questions
 

<<<-- Originally posted by Peter Rixner : Its really hard to understand, why such a professional tool like the z1 get such a bad manual with it. Sometimes you could think its a joke. ...anyway ....

If someone could help me with:

- when does the audio limiter work. Is it a 0dm Limiter or some kind of compressor. At which level does it what ?
It's a limiter with a knee. I need to dive in to know what level it's preset at. I don't use it, ever. AGC/limiting shouldn't be used, IMO.

- What does the mic noise reduction ? Just a Hi-Cut filter ? At what frequency ?
This is a comb filter, I don't know what the base freq is, but I'll find out.

- what should this "wind" switch do ? Could be a Low-Cut or something.
It too, is a comb filter with some intelligence. I don't know the base freq.

- Does the Trim function work analog ? Or is it just adding/subtracting digital signals ?
You mean the Input Level/Trim? It's a gain control.

Thanks for Your help!

Peter :) -->>>

Thank you so far, for your tips.

Meanwile I found out by testing, that the socalled "mic noise reduction" most of the time does weird noise after the signal. After one stoppes speaking I hear something like a gate/Expander closing. So its something like that. I dont think I'll use it.

The wind seems to be a good thing. Reduces the extreme low frequencies. Best to test, by blowing wind against the microphone. Works good.

Overall I feel that there is to much noise from the amplifiers. Something I was really afraid of. But I tested several hours now and I am not sure, if I am too deep in. Did someone compare with average amplifiers ?

I hoped really to just plugin a mic when doing interviews without additional amplification from a mixing console. At the moment I feel, you should do, to keep the Z1 Amplifiers operating lowest possible.

What did you all found out ?

Peter :)

As far as the preamps, they are quite clean for what they are, so I'm not sure as to what you might be referring to.
Blowing on the mic isn't quite the same as wind, so that's not really a fair comparison or test. Same goes for noise reduction. How you have the unit set up in the field is what counts. If you don't have levels accurately set, of course it's going to be gated. But that's not real world, unless your business of making video is based around people blowing into the microphone on the camera. This afternoon will be my first experience of actually shooting much using the on-cam microphone to capture audio. I NEVER use the on cam mic of any camera. It's a waste of time, virtually always.

Great idea for a video in there :) What if I want to shoot a whistlers contest :)

Of course I didnt use the built in microphone. Mine completely separated.
And as I said it works very well. Even when directly blowing into the microphone. I think its a good test for a lowcut filter.

So now, that I edited some tests and listens to it over very good speakters: It's not that bad at all. Still not what I know from a DAT and a good console, but of course I am aware of the expectable quality in a videocamera of that price.

So after all: I dont use the noise reduction and the rest is really ok.

Thanks again.

Peter

For better quality sound (uncompressed PCM 44.1 KHz - pretty much up there with the DAT) than the onboard setup I am using a Sony HiMD with a good mike. It is relatively cheap, a disk runs a bit longer than a DV tape at full uncompresed PCM and you can download to your PC in digital. For portable recording right alongside the camera it is easy to rig yourself up with a mike clipped to a cap and the recorder in a pocket. A bit time consuming editing-wise but not too hard either.

Andrew