If you had the sound turned off how could the "dreaded ' hiss be sony's fault.

Go to your high end stereo and turn on the amp and preamp with no input, crank it. You'll hear hiss

Jack headphones into any audio device and listen. with no input and the gain up, you'll get a hiss

I really doubt that you have the dreaded hiss. This problem was resolved several years ago. Read through the literature in some of the companion links they do list a serial number cut off.

This site:

http://www.urbanfox.tv/workbooks/sonypd150/hiss.htm

says the serial numbers after 1001579 don't have the problem.

what do i do IF i have the "hiss" problem?
 

my serial number is: 1000510

does that mean i have the hiss problem?

did ALL pd150s below the cut off number have the "hiss" problem?

what do i do IF i have the "hiss" problem?

anyone know how to contact sony?

what is their responsibility to correct this defect?

will they correct without an original sales receipt?

any and all info would be greatly appreciated

be well

rob



<<This site:

http://www.urbanfox.tv/workbooks/sonypd150/hiss.htm

says the serial numbers after 1001579 don't have the problem.>>

Have you run any audio tests. Play the tests back on something other than your Camera (your stereo) and use the main speakers. Don't just look at a seial number and panic. Relax the PD150 is a great camera.

If you still have a problem contact Sony. Just be nice to them , you are the second ownera nd you really don't know if you have a problem. Most of the people that stir this hiss cr@p up don't own sony's and have never actually heard the problem. petty jealousies I guess.

One question - can you record the "hiss" on to tape?

If the answer is yes, you have a problem. if the answer is "no" you have no problem.

I suspect the answer is "no".

The dreaded "hiss" in the PD150 is/was a specific problem related to turning off the AGC. When you turned it off, the amount of hiss rose dramatically. Note: you could hear a hiss with good earphones with the AGC turned on or off, it just went up when it was turned off. Hiss over the earphones is neither unusual nor necessarily a bad thing.

I have an early PD150 and the hiss definately goes up when the AGC is off. I talked to a Sony tech type about and he convinced me that it was a good thing, though I can't clearly recall why (something about dynamic range.) What is important to me is that I cannot record the hiss to tape. I tried really hard and I can't. If it doesn't record, as far as I am concerned it ain't there.

So back to the initial question - Can you record the hiss? If not, don't worry about it.

are we in agreement that newer pd150s don't have the hiss problem? (since i'm very nearly going to buy one of these in the next month or so, and audio is a BIG deal to me.)

Read this too:

http://www.global-dvc.org/html/PD150.asp

Depends on exactly what you mean by good audio, Derek. Most DV and DVCam recorders installed in cameras are fed from not-so-hot preamps (as compared to the good stand-alone preamps you would use in a recording studio). So if you want totally silent background and perfect recordings, use an external sound system.

If, however, you want good audio recording of speech, reasonable music recording, the 150 will do it for you. I've yet to have problems with audio on mine and I use it for voice-over recording with studio microphones and recording the sound of a 50 caliber rifle firing. Does pretty good in both applications.

This may seem silly, but, I've run into this myself with my VX2K's, make sure that you don't have the headphone volume cranked up too far. Headphone volume is adjusted with the volume controls on the lcd panel. Every once in a while, I find my volume cranked to the max, for some reason. Then I spend an hour trying to figure out why I have the "hiss" again, until I remember to check.

Me66 mic Mounting on PD150
 

Is there a cheap and effective solution to the size difference problem between the me66 and the PD150 mic mounting bracket?

So far I've just been putting some paper tape around the mic to make it 'bigger' and fit more snugly in the bracket.

But this doesn't seem like a reliable/professional answer.

I'd love to hear what others have done.

Thanks .
RH

i put a bunch of small rubber bands around it, and then a layer of gaffer tape over that. works great for me, and, frankly, if you look at a good mic shock-mount, its basically big rubber bands across a circle. =)

i don't have the me66 yet, but plan on purchasing one soon. isn't there a problem with using the original pd150 mic mount with the me66 in the sense that it holds the me66 too close to the camera?

results: camera noise on tape, mic in frame when using wide angle adaptor.

curious to know if i'm wrong about this, because the sony CAC-12 mount costs around $175 at b&h!!

i don't get much camera noise, but if you have a WA on, you see the windscreen when zoomed all the way out ( with the Lightwave screen ) Take the screen off and you don't see it. If the shot is so quiet and controlled that camera noise is an issue, you probably shouldn't be using an on-camera mic, imo. That said, the mic has pretty good side/rear rejection, so its really not that noticeable.

Several companies make mounts that solve the close-in long microphone problem.

Sony's CAC-12 for $180 will do it. With this, the largest wind silencers will not show with the wide angle adapter.

Light Wave Systems mini-mount will do it. Think it is around $150.

Just pull the small rubber mount off of your stock mic. That works perfect and its free.

<----but if you have a WA on, you see the windscreen when zoomed all the way out ---->

I have the Canon x.7 WA lens and am getting a ME66 within the next couple of days. Will I have to mount the mic further back. If so does it make the camera difficult to handle.

Maybe I am missing something but it sounds like you are doing it the hard way.

I just mount the ME66 in the camera shoe with a Senn MZQ6 Mount and plug it into the second xlr plug. Often as not I record with both mikes. If I am using a wireless mike on the other channel I just take off the onboard mike.

I built a homemade mike support for my azden (which doesn't fit in the factory bracket either. The nice thing about it is that it gives me some realestate on the PD150 to mount the Senn Evo reciever.

Thanks for the link to the Lightwave minimount product.

Quick question regarding the Sony CAC-12 mount. I couldn't tell from the pictures of it how it mounts to the camera body. I would like to use one with my VX2000. Anyone know if it's possible?

I removed the original microphone mount on my PD150 and the CAC-12 bolted right in.

You need a flat surface with two screw holes that line up for the mount. I wouldn't hesitate to drill two new holes in the mount if it were necessary.

Wireless mounting on PD150
 

I have an Audio Technica wireless system. The model of the receiver is ATW-R100. It is quite large so I'm not sure how it can be attached to the Sony PD150. With the added weight of two more 9v batteries, it is certainly more heavy to be on the PD150.
Any advice is appreciated,
Lucas

I have used that for a couple of months until I switched to AKG PR81. Yes it is endeed to big and heavy. I used to put it at the back of the battery (NPF-960) using a verlcro.

How do you attach the AKG PR81 to the PD150? By velcro also?
Thanks,
Lucas

Yes

I"ve always hung the receiver of my Sennheiser outfit on the sling that support the right hand. Stays out of the way and with the Sennheiser belt clip, never has come close to falling off.

I use the Mighty Wondercam, mini rover with the accessory plate (mini mate) http://www.videosmith.com/

Here's a new idea http://www.bracket1.com/

Interesting, Brian.

Looks like it would move the center of gravity for the setup off to the right. Fortunately, towards the right hand. Wonder how that feels after 10 minutes. Any insight?

The only incite I can give is on the Mini Rover. The grip and the mic mount is towards the back of the camera. The left arm and elbow will be tucked in to the left side of your body and the right arm likewise as your hand is in the support strap.

That's one heck of a rigid support. Your camera and your upper body become one. I'm older than dirt and I can hold the camera with all my goodies shake free. It also gives you something to hang on to besides the top handle. The ergonomics are such that you don't get tired and the grip is easy on your hand. Cheap, hard plastic grips just don't cut it.

The Mighty Wondercam is around $60 and the mini mate is around $10. The support is lightweight and milled from aluminum and the grip is cushioned and non slip. This is important when you have a few thousand hanging off of it. This ranks with the better things i've bought.

I mount my shotgun on the rover as well and mount my quick connect plate to the bottom of the river. The whole schmiel goes on the tripod, monopod and the marzpac

PD150 Mic Mod.. (Radio Shack)
 

Hey guys,

** EXTENDING YOUR STOCK PD-150 MIC **
Question and its pretty urgent, I was wondering if any of you had used the stock microphone that comes with the PD-150 and just got a extension XLR cord about 16' long, and used it to hook up with the PD150 XlR inputs! I basically:

XLR INPUT = | (RADIO SHACK ADAPTER *XLR-1/4" PHONE PLUG IN)-PHONE PLUG IN -| XLR INPUT TO SONY MIC?

SADLY MY ATTEMPT FAILED AND THEIR WAS NO SIGNLA RUNNING THROUGH IT.. ANYONE HAVE ANY THEORYS?

I do it all the time. I have a normal XLR cable that I connect between the camera and the microphone which I place on a stand. It works very well.

Why do you go through the 1/4" plug/socket?

PD150 Audio Dropouts
 

We're having little micro drop outs in audio on our PD150. It's only occasional, not on every tape, and sometimes it seems if we change tapes it won't come back. This happens in all recording situations and with different mics.

Any idea what's going on?

Thanks,

Arne

sounds more like a tape issue than anything else.

Don B

I suppose...though the same tapes work fine in a DVX100A...

Presumably you've cleaned the heads?

Sometimes the loss of audio is an indication that the heads are dirty or close to end of life.

Yeah, we just had a full cleaning...

How many head hours on the camera?

I may be way off base here, and I've never used the PD150, but is there a chance that this is happening near the ends of the tapes? Have you considered using DVCAM for the PD150?

Also, I have seen mention of some strange PD150 audio problems here: http://www.alanbarker.com/ (see the section PD150/170 SOUND - Audio Quirk).

Re: PD150 Audio Dropouts
 

Hi,

I have had similar problems on a vx2100. The only thing I could reduce the problem to is extreme environmental changes.

Do you take the camera and tapes into extreme temperature/humidity changes?

-Adam


<<<-- Originally posted by Arne Johnson : We're having little micro drop outs in audio on our PD150. It's only occasional, not on every tape, and sometimes it seems if we change tapes it won't come back. This happens in all recording situations and with different mics.

Any idea what's going on?

Thanks,

Arne -->>>

PD150 - Audio Capture Suggestions
 

Greetings,

I have a couple PD-150's and we shoot alot of corporate videos with lapel mics.. Now our PD-150's have the problem when using manual audio gain it produces the hiss/noise. Using AGC it's not there and seems to provide an overall better quality.

The problem is I can't control the mic level with AGC when directly connected to the XLR on the PD-150.. So I have this idea..

I have a Mackie DFX-12 mixer with 6 XLR mic inputs and XLR out R + L. I'm thinking I plug the lapel in MIC 1 on the Mixer and plug the PD-150 into the output of the mixer. Then I could control the signal level from the mic on the mixer as it's outputted to the PD-150. Then infact I could have up to four people mic'd through the mixer and all go to the camera in the case if I have 4 people on screen in a discussion or what have you..

Any ideas or concerns that I am totally missing, or will this not work at all?

Welcome to the forums, Pat.

You don't mention if the onset of hiss is a function of the camera or the introduction of the lavalieres. Since you say this happens with multiple 150's, I'd guess this has something to do with the lavs. Or somehow you've had simultaneous failures of some sort in your cameras.

The use of an outboard mixer is always better than the onboard if for no other reason than the level control is so much more convenient and the meters are handy if not absolutely accurate in a digital recording environment (unless the meters are LED).

Seems to me you'd have a six-input maximum system, not four.

If I were going to hook everything up, a line-level monaural output from the mixer would be fed into camera channel 1 which would then split via the switch to both camera channels. Then I'd leave one of the camera channels in Auto and the other in manual and the level set at about 1/4-1/3. Then use tone to set up the mixer output using the camera's meter on the manual channel.

This will leave you with the best of the manual and auto worlds and you shouldn't miss much even if the sound levels vary quite a bit.