Sound quality of the nano headphones output
 

Is it just my unit, or does everyone hear a lot of modulated hiss (the kind of noise similar to weak FM broadcast) when monitoring both live HD-SDI embedded audio (from EX1), and playing back clips recorded on the nano?

This is not present in the clips' audio when put on the NLE timeline.

I don't. Well, did not the couple times I used it with headphones.

I can't seem to be able to find it in the manual; how do you adjust embedded audio level during recording?

I mean - on headphones monitoring, that is...

Piotr,

Use the up and down arrows on the unit's interface. Not documented (as far as I know) but confirmed by Dan a couple of weeks ago.

I thought I remembered Dan mentioning the up/down arrows, so I tried those first - don't seem to work.

Dear Dan,

Could you please remind me how one can attenuate the headphone output level during recording?

Also - playing with the buttons - I noticed that pressing the Play button for a couple of seconds, toggles "Autoplay" mode on/off; just what this mode is?

The headphone volume is full on, always. The level can not be adjusted.

If that's indeed the case, then it sounds like an urgent feature wish for the coming firmware releases, Dan!

I record classical music performances, and the current loudness of my headphones is definitely too high for even trying to use in an auditory....

I've already verified this is correct. I was advised to get myself an inline headphone volume control

Dear Piotr and Aaron,

In the Flash XDR, the volume is not currently adjustable. This is expected to change.

In the nanoFlash, the volume is adjustable.

Dear Dan,

I'm currently on the Public Beta, and the arrow buttons do not adjust the volume.

How is it supposed to work?

Hi Piotr. I assumed that since the volume is stuck on full output for the XDR, the same was true for the nanoFlash. I've always thought the features between the two units were identical. Sorry for not verifying this specifically for the nanoFlash.

From now on, I'll leave the nanoFlash questions to the guys who actually have one, since these units obviously have more differences than size and a couple CF slots.

Dear Aaron,

As far as I know, this is just a temporary difference.

The audio circuitry between the nanoFlash and Flash XDR are quite different.

Some time back, I asked if we could implement the headphone volume control on the Flash XDR. The answer was yes. We just have not done it yet.

Hey Dan,

My audio guy is complaining that he can't turn the nano headset volume down low enough. He is using those ubiquitous Sony headphones (MDR-7506?). Anyone else seen/heard this?

Thanks!

Yep - confirmed with my Sennheiser HD 25-1 mk II; definitely too loud!

Dan - this definitely is a problem that needs fixing; recording quiet events like e.g. solo guitar recital needs audio monitoring, but its loudness must be adjustable so that I'm not disturbing the audience.

Dear Piotr,

I will see if we can lower the volume.

I vote for that too! Indeed I've found the Nano headset outpout a bit too loud with the HD-25.

Dear Friends,

I have checked with our engineers.

We will widen the headphone volume control range.

We will do this after we release our next Public Beta, as we do not want to delay the next release.

Audio Monitor Out Volume?
 

Did this ever make the latest beta release? Or did I miss it?

Thanks!

I don't think it did...

Dan...
 

Is this something we can add before the next release goes golden? Those wider headphone volume parameters would come in handy on a shoot I'm on. This time, it needed to be louder.

Thanks!

And in my case - quieter, as while recording in a classical music venue, I cannot afford my headphones being louder than the actual music being played.... This would simply annoy the audience!

Get closed headphones, such as the Sennheiser HD 280 Pro. Your audience will not hear a beep!

I do have those Sennies (mk II) - but you know, sometimes you need to take your headphones off... Yes, you can always unplug them first - but still...

I use my Sennheiser HD 280 Pro all the time, even while watching TV or DVD/BD. When I take them off, I cannot hear the sound inside them at all. It has even happened I got worried my sound mixer was not working, so I put the phones back on to diagnose the problem. There was no problem: When I had them on, I could hear everything, when I took them off, I heard nothing (I mean nothing coming from them, I could hear all the sounds in my environment of course).

Not all Sennheiser phones are closed, but the HD 280 Pro are.

My mistake, Adam - I'm using the HD 25-1 mk II, not the 280 :)

Dear Friends,

The headphone output level is adjusted in the Audio|Audio Settings menu, it is labeled Gain Out.

The range of headphone output level is limited, in my opinion.

I will attempt to get this range increased in the next firmware release.

Audio Headphone level settings
 

I just checked the audio DAC design and it appears that we can add a volume control ranging from +12 dB to -102 dB (in 0.5dB steps) to the headphone levels. I will speak to our engineers about adding this control to a near term firmware update.

Best-

Thanks, Mike!

Did you really mean the negative value to be -102, or did you mean -12? Because -102 dB sounds a bit extreme, especially with those 0.5 dB steps.

This is a very good news indeed, Mike (I'm sure you mean -12/+12 dB).

Ummmm, +/-12db isn't much. Let's hope Mike was correct about the greater range.

Jeff

Can't one simply plug the headphones into the camera's headphone output, that has plenty of level control. Alternatively inline headphone volume controls are pretty cheap and more convenient than using something on a recording device like the NF. The less button pushing one has to do on a recorder such as the NF while it's recording the better in my opinion.

Bob,

Fair enough, external controls are available. But did you remember to bring it? Did the client forget to send it back?

Monitoring the loop through on the recorder is also essential. Doing it on the camera verifies nothing.

Headphone volume control is a normal function of a record and playback deck. There is functionality built into the Nano for that. We are just waiting for CD to get it done and hope that their priorities for bug fixes and normal useful controls take the priority that they deserve (as they seem to have lately).

Jeff

Bob, I beg to disagree. I may be wrong, but not many professional headsets have inline volume control. But what's most important is that - when with the future firmware, the nanoFlash effectively becomes a sort of mixer for the SDI-embedded channels and the analogue one(s) - the ability to precisely monitor the audio directly from the nF will become indispensable.

Dear Friends,

I am building on Bob's thoughts.

We are committed to providing a greater range of headphone level output.

But, as Bob, said, a simple 3.5mm mini-Plug to level control to 3.5 mm mini-Jack are available and very convenient.

In fact, much more convenient than a headphone level control will ever be on the nanoFlash using push buttons.

Bob's comment about pushing less buttons, while recording, makes perfect sense to me, especially if the nanoFlash is mounted on the camera. We are already using the arrow buttons to control the input levels, for analog audio inputs, which are there if the levels are too high or low during a recording.

Audio Level Settings
 

I double checked the audio chip spec and it certainly appears that we can add +12 to -120 dB gain to the headphone output. We have the demo board and should be able to confirm next week (after we get the next beta release checked out).

Best-

Very well, then. Sounds good.

So, how many bits are we recording the sound at? Just wondering because of these little facts. That would equate -120 dB with hitting the mute button. But then going from there up in 0.5 dB increments?

Dear Adam,

Audio in the nanoFlash is recorded in the 24-bit 48,000 samples per second format.

The embedded audio, from the source, may be in 16-bit or 24-bit format, depending on the camera.

Analog audio is always encoded using 24-Bit hardware.

Thanks, Dan. So, theoretically, there is room for more than 120 dB, though that would be quite a roar. :)

Personally, I have always wished the digital standard was to record the sound in a logarithmic way, so that soft sounds could record more subtle differences. Alas, the accepted standard is linear, even though deciBels are indeed logarithmic.