This is something "new". SD card records buffer transferring sound
 

Hello everyone.
May be the thread sounds somehow weird but here is the problem:
I've bought my FS100 just 3 months ago and had shot only 5 or 6 projects with this camera so far. Everything was good until:

...yesterday i was shooting some stand ups using Sennheiser radio clip microphone. When the camera was in standby mode everything was ok, but once I've hit REC BUTTON it started to produce some really disturbing sounds. For the first time I noticed weird "digital" sound coming out of my headphones. First of all I thought it was something wrong with the mic, but later on I discovered that this "digital" sound was syncronized with small red diode flashed near SD card compartment. I do really have no clue why this happens. I pulled all wires out and left both XLR inputs empty, but when I hit REC and diode starts flashing "the sound of SD card recording process" comes back again. What bothers me the most is that "the sound" is RECORDED on to SD card. This is the major problem. Maybe SD card? I used SDHC Class 10 Silicon Power cards. I had no troubles with those.

I've attached a small piece of interview as an example.

Anyone can help please?

Regards,
Alex

Re: This is something "new". SD card records buffer transferring sound
 

This problem has been pretty well described and narrowed down. It seems to happen when self-powered mics or devices that don't need phantom power are plugged into the FS100 audio, I experienced it a little, and some people it's dramatic. You can add to the information by seeing if the same happens when plugging in a XLR Phantom powered microphone and reporting back.

Re: This is something "new". SD card records buffer transferring sound
 

Please report it to Sony, maybe they will acknowledge something is wrong and look for a cure on their own.. When I reported it to them, they said they had heard nothing of this problem, they said just send it in for a check. A user on the Sony NX5U forum here also reported the same problem.

Re: This is something "new". SD card records buffer transferring sound
 

Thank you very much for your prompt answers

This happens even if there is nothing connected to XLR inputs. You just hear recording process in headphones. It is not about mics at all. I beleive this is power or bad contacts problem. I've taken another SD card today (Transcend), and this freaky sound dissapeared.

A friend of mine just bought his own FS100 yeaterday and I've managed to check his camera out. Guess what - it works without any problems with the same mic and without it too. No beeps or any noise during recording, even with the card that worked wrong with my camera.

I've contacted Sony representatives already, they advise to use Memory Stick cards, but what's the point?

Rgards,
Alex

Re: This is something "new". SD card records buffer transferring sound
 

Don't have the FS100 yet but very interested. You mean phantom power is always ON to its XLRs?

If you CAN switch it off do so, never ever plug a mic into a live 48volt feed, just inviting trouble.

And ALWAYS turn it off before disconnecting a 48volt mic.

Alexander, for a fix try a reset on your FS100.

Cheers.

Re: This is something "new". SD card records buffer transferring sound
 

I'm going to Kiev tomorrow to check the camera with Sony service people. They told me that they had no clue what could it be. They say it might be bad contacts or something like that. Maybe by changing SD card recording unit in the camera would help they say. This is the first case in Ukraine they say, so as usual, I am very lucky guy... I have alredy had issues with my HVR-S270. There was something wrong with mpeg2 HDV board. They said it was factory defect and it happening again......

Alex

Re: This is something "new". SD card records buffer transferring sound
 

I had no luck in Kiev.

Re: This is something "new". SD card records buffer transferring sound
 

I get the noise through the headphones, but not on the SD card. Strange.

Re: This is something "new". SD card records buffer transferring sound
 

Resetting the camera gave no results, but the strange thing is that the noise left by using another SD card.

Re: This is something "new". SD card records buffer transferring sound
 

Is the noise synconized with recording indicator near SD card compartment?

Re: This is something "new". SD card records buffer transferring sound
 

Yes, and exactly as you describe. In fact, the scenario in which you describe noticing it during an interview, and then jumping out of my skin was very similar. I played it back immediately thereafter, and couldn't hear it. Wrote it off as peculiar, and moved on.

Re: This is something "new". SD card records buffer transferring sound
 

So, what is this then? Bad SD card? What?

Did it happen with an SD card or with FMU? I do not have a chance to try it with FMU due to lack of one.

Gentlemen, please let me know if this happens with FMU too.

Thanks
Alex

Re: This is something "new". SD card records buffer transferring sound
 

For me, the beeps are on channel 2, only when using mics with self contained batteries, and the noise is much greater with the FMU installed (there may be beeps when the FMU is not installed, but so faint that it doesn't matter) I have heard at times two differently pitched tones, one faint when the SD card is written to (regardless of brand of SD) and a much louder noise when the FMU is written to.

Re: This is something "new". SD card records buffer transferring sound
 

Galen,

What should I do then if these beeps are there even without any mics connceted to it? This issue appeared only a few weeks ago. Everything was in order before, even with all mics and cards i'm having troubles now.

I don't get it...it's all like greek to me...

Hopefully the new firmware coming out in March as they say, would correct this issue if not, I would be very dissapointed as the camera needs some revision. IMHO there is a problem in sound board if FMU is affected too.

Re: This is something "new". SD card records buffer transferring sound
 

I'm thinking, but for one thing, you need to slide the upper switch to LINE if you have no mic attached to that channel.

Re: This is something "new". SD card records buffer transferring sound
 

My FS-100 will arrive in a week or so, and i have to say that what i've red in the last two weeks is worrying me a lot.
From what i understand here: when i have to shoot something with the FS-100 i have to take with me my other camera (PMW-350) for audio recording and for shots where i might have sensor reflections problems!!!!!! I REALY HOPE NOT.....
What do other FS-100 owners have to say on that and how many people have had these kind of problems?
What about Sony service?,are we alone here?...i feel your pain Alexander..
Samer

Re: This is something "new". SD card records buffer transferring sound
 

Alexander, my suggestions:

1. Send the camera into Sony for service. I have not done this because I need the camera and I have ways to work around the problem. I would love to hear that they have a solution for this before I send mine in. I have contacted service, they just say send it in.

2. This isolator has allowed me to use a battery powered XLR microphone on Channel 2. It cuts the beeps so you really can't hear them much. Success may vary with the mic used and unknown conditions.

http://www.rapcohorizon.com/p-373-isoblox.aspx

Lots of sources for this filter, including EBAY.

3. Use only XLR mics that get their power from the camera.

4. Use battery powered mics only on Channel 1.

5. Don't use the FMU unit.

6. And ALWAYS wear headphones when recording.

Galen

Re: This is something "new". SD card records buffer transferring sound
 

Galen,

Thanks for your message. I appreciate your help very much.
Even when both channels are switched to line the problem is there and I can't help solving it in any way, only by using another SD card. I just can't send it to Sony service due to a lot of work with it. I use Zoom H1 with clip mic for stand up recordings or my good old friend - HVR-S270 for now. In early March, when the update is released I'll send my camera to Sony Service. Until this camera is under guarantee let it be their headache but not mine.

Samer,
Thanks for your support. I should say that if we take away the "beeping" issue then the camera is great in any other respect.

Regards,
Alex

Re: This is something "new". SD card records buffer transferring sound
 

Alexander,

Another person is reporting an sound interference problem when the remote recording button on the handgrip is plugged into the camera, so try disconnecting that.

Galen

Re: This is something "new". SD card records buffer transferring sound
 

Is he sure about that? I mean, is the handgrip capable of doing that? How? Maybe he's having the same problem as we do?

Re: This is something "new". SD card records buffer transferring sound
 

I've read that SanDisk cards suffer this issue more than others. From experience, I can say that so far, the only time I noticed the beeping was via the SanDisk 32GB card. I only heard it in the headphones during monitoring, not during the edit phase.

Re: This is something "new". SD card records buffer transferring sound
 

I beleive that It wouldn't be such a problem if that beeping occured only during monitoring. But these beeps are there on the timeline and this is the major problem.

Re: This is something "new". SD card records buffer transferring sound
 

Alexander, I am not sure if he is having the same problem exactly. I assume the cable to the remote button on the handgrip may not be insulated well enough to eliminate RF interference (?). His description of how it was interacting with his Sennheiser G2 wireless receiver follows:

"On a shoot we got this constant interference (almost like a mobile beeping and buzzing interence) and at first I thought it was the OS on the lens so I turned that off. Then I moved the receiver away from the camera body and let it dangle behind the camera but still got interference. Then I noticed everytime I passed the receiver over the handgrip cable, the interference noise would come on everytime. I disconnected the handgrip and that was the end of it. It's quite obvious the handgrip cable is cheap and flimsy with no shielding whatsoever. "

Re: This is something "new". SD card records buffer transferring sound
 

Galen,

Thanks for posting.

I should say that we didn't use handgrip during the shots, so unlikely it caused troubles. Actually, it all seems to me that the problem is there with one of the system borads and it arises later on not out of the box.

Alex

Re: This is something "new". SD card records buffer transferring sound
 

The solution of the problem so far was changing SD card.

Re: This is something "new". SD card records buffer transferring sound
 

reviving an old post in looking for info about "best" sd card to be used with my fs100.

i'm thinking about:

sandisk extreme/class 10/45mb/uhs-1
sandisk extreme pro/class 10/90mb/uhs-1

i have used transcend class 10/uhs-1 in the past without incident.

i wonder what the original poster used and what card he ended up using.

thanks in advance for any info folks care to share.

be well.

rob
smalltalk productions
nyc

Re: This is something "new". SD card records buffer transferring sound
 

Hi Rob,

I've been using Sandisk Extreme class 10 30mb/s for a while now,and I have to say that it worked perfectly until now. never had issues with it, I got two of them, honestly i don't see the point of using 45mb or even higher. I also used these cards with an adapter for sxs recording with my PMW-350 and also there i had no problems, although i prefer not to use it with my PMW-350 but only in emergency cases.

regards

Samer

Re: This is something "new". SD card records buffer transferring sound
 

The original poster uses the same card that do not cause any interference. As I wrote before that was Transcend 32GB SDHC (SDXC) class 10. Silicon Power cards are not good for me. All of them beep all the time, so I can use them only for video or in my GoPro.

I think there is no sense looking for something else as I'm completely satisfied with results. As we say here in Ukraine: "Better - is the enemy of the Good"

Regards,
Alex