low audio levels with ex1r? at DVinfo.net
DV Info Net

Go Back   DV Info Net > Sony XAVC / XDCAM / NXCAM / AVCHD / HDV / DV Camera Systems > Sony XDCAM EX Pro Handhelds

Sony XDCAM EX Pro Handhelds
Sony PXW-Z280, Z190, X180 etc. (going back to EX3 & EX1) recording to SxS flash memory.

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old July 21st, 2011, 09:04 AM   #1
Major Player
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Bay City, Michigan
Posts: 585
low audio levels with ex1r?

anyone know of a problem with ex1Rs having low audio? I have all the setting set correctly - but both mics are barely making the meters move with the dial at 10!
Robert Bobson is offline   Reply With Quote
Old July 21st, 2011, 10:34 AM   #2
Trustee
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Novato, CA
Posts: 1,774
Re: low audio levels with ex1r?

Might try adjusting the Trim. see page 123 of the manual.

-Garrett
__________________
Garrett Low
www.GLowMediaProductions.com
Garrett Low is offline   Reply With Quote
Old July 24th, 2011, 08:54 AM   #3
Regular Crew
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: New Britain, CT
Posts: 95
Re: low audio levels with ex1r?

Good morning Robert. Another thing to check is if your mikes need phantom power, and if so set the switches for that. also if your mikes require internal power make sure the batteries are good. I am assuming you are using external mikes and not the internal ones.
__________________
Gene,
Black Hole Video
Eugene J. Kulak is offline   Reply With Quote
Old July 24th, 2011, 09:14 AM   #4
Major Player
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Bay City, Michigan
Posts: 585
Re: low audio levels with ex1r?

yes, I'm using two external mics - one is phantom powered and the other isn't. both are set correctly.

and I adjusted the "trim" to the loudest setting to no avail. [but now I'm going to double check that I set the trim to the highest -DB level...I think that's right, eh??? trimming it - 40DB will be louder than trimming it
to -50DB??]
Robert Bobson is offline   Reply With Quote
Old July 24th, 2011, 12:08 PM   #5
Major Player
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Tinton Falls, NJ
Posts: 780
Re: low audio levels with ex1r?

I always get messed up with 'trim' because it's kind of like a 'Double Negative'.
Put on your headphones and listen while you do it, but -50 should give you more volume from your mics than -40. I try not to go too far because if I do it seems to add a little low-level white noise/hiss.
Whenever possible I'll go in through a small mixer (I use the Sound Devices Mix Pre) at line level - it seems to be a bit cleaner, and the limiters in the Mix Pre have saved me on more than one occasion when an interview subject suddenly got VERY loud -- and it probably would have distorted had I been going straight into the camera.
Dave Sperling is offline   Reply With Quote
Old July 24th, 2011, 12:25 PM   #6
Regular Crew
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Split, Croatia
Posts: 189
Re: low audio levels with ex1r?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Robert Bobson View Post
yes, I'm using two external mics - one is phantom powered and the other isn't. both are set correctly.

and I adjusted the "trim" to the loudest setting to no avail. [but now I'm going to double check that I set the trim to the highest -DB level...I think that's right, eh??? trimming it - 40DB will be louder than trimming it
to -50DB??]
wrong, it will be quieter.
Zoran Vincic is offline   Reply With Quote
Old July 24th, 2011, 04:25 PM   #7
Major Player
 
Join Date: May 2002
Location: West Central Florida
Posts: 762
Re: low audio levels with ex1r?

This always seemed counterintuitive to me on the EX1. Is this common on all video cameras audio controls? For example, on most mixers, a setting of 0dB is considered 100% modulation, correct? Therefor, as you pull the levels or sliders down the scale toward quieter settings, the "-" settings would be increasing, like -10, -20 or -50 as you get toward the bottom of the slider scale.
Dave Morrison is offline   Reply With Quote
Old July 24th, 2011, 05:46 PM   #8
Major Player
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Bay City, Michigan
Posts: 585
Re: low audio levels with ex1r?

yeah - that makes sense. I haven't had a chance to try it yet - maybe tomorrow.
Also, do you guys use the limiter on the EX1R?
Robert Bobson is offline   Reply With Quote
Old July 24th, 2011, 11:07 PM   #9
Regular Crew
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Port Coquitlam BC Canada
Posts: 179
Re: low audio levels with ex1r?

Don't use the limiter. Even with the limiter turned off there is still a certain amount of subtle limiting going on in the EX circuitry. Manual limiting is useless unless you have a constant sound source to avoid gain pumping, which means if you've got man. limiting active as soon as the audio goes quiet during the recording the limiter will pump up the volume to look for another sound source. And that sounds awful.

- Don
Don Greening is offline   Reply With Quote
Old July 25th, 2011, 04:48 AM   #10
Regular Crew
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Split, Croatia
Posts: 189
Re: low audio levels with ex1r?

you're not right Don, what you're describing is how compressor works, not limiter.

it won't pump unless the whole gain stage is set wrong (unusable with the limiter disengaged).
Zoran Vincic is offline   Reply With Quote
Old July 25th, 2011, 05:22 AM   #11
Major Player
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Bay City, Michigan
Posts: 585
Re: low audio levels with ex1r?

that sounds more like automatic gain (?)
Robert Bobson is offline   Reply With Quote
Old July 25th, 2011, 04:57 PM   #12
Regular Crew
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Reading, UK
Posts: 116
Re: low audio levels with ex1r?

The -ve dB number refers to the sensitivity of the input stage to achieve full level modulation. Thus as -50dBv (or -50dBm,whichever value is quoted by Sony) is a lower votage (or power) than -40dBv (dbm) then the input amplifer has more gain or is more sensitive at the -50dB seting than at the -40dB setting

Geoff.
Geoff Addis is offline   Reply With Quote
Old July 27th, 2011, 02:31 AM   #13
Regular Crew
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada
Posts: 172
Re: low audio levels with ex1r?

Did you solve the problem Robert? Sure sounds like the inputs are set to Line rather than Mic level.
Keith Dobie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old July 27th, 2011, 04:07 AM   #14
Major Player
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Bay City, Michigan
Posts: 585
Re: low audio levels with ex1r?

The problem was my thinking that the -40 db trim setting had more gain than the -50db. I reset the trim to -59 and that boosted the mics' input levels. so the levels are fine now.
Robert Bobson is offline   Reply With Quote
Old July 27th, 2011, 10:14 AM   #15
Regular Crew
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada
Posts: 172
Re: low audio levels with ex1r?

Glad to hear you got it working. That's quite a bit of gain, but found with dynamic mics like my SM57 had to do the same thing. The condenser mics are definitely far more sensitive.
Keith Dobie is offline   Reply
Reply

DV Info Net refers all where-to-buy and where-to-rent questions exclusively to these trusted full line dealers and rental houses...

B&H Photo Video
(866) 521-7381
New York, NY USA

Scan Computers Int. Ltd.
+44 0871-472-4747
Bolton, Lancashire UK


DV Info Net also encourages you to support local businesses and buy from an authorized dealer in your neighborhood.
  You are here: DV Info Net > Sony XAVC / XDCAM / NXCAM / AVCHD / HDV / DV Camera Systems > Sony XDCAM EX Pro Handhelds

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

 



All times are GMT -6. The time now is 11:43 PM.


DV Info Net -- Real Names, Real People, Real Info!
1998-2024 The Digital Video Information Network