PD170 / audio challenge during Ballet Recital

[Ken Beals]

The PD170 was the center camera and had a direct line from the board.

The patch out actually went to a monitored mixer and then line out to channel 2 on the PD170.

The settings on cam:
1) AGC = OFF
2) Channel 2 = LINE / +48

The feed as it sounded with headset was overmodulated / blown out

Yet the one monitoring at the mix board said the signal out was clean.

The Recital had two audio sources:
1) 1st half = Live piano / stage
- wireless mic
2) 2nd half = CD
- from control room

At first thought it was the wireless was unable to handle the piano but the overmodulation was the same with the CD feed.

Tried different combo's on the fly to correct:
1) Cable feed into Channel 1 with following settings:
a) Channel 1/2
b) Line
c) +48
2) Linked both channels
3) tried with +48 off
4) set to "Mic" instead of "Line"

Eventually went into menu and turned AGC on.

This seemd to make it sound cleaner but the audio level pegged out to "0"

suggestions ?

[Mike Rehmus]

You need to pad the level down from the mixer. They seem to feed something halfway between Line and microphone levels.

I bought a Behringer Direct Box called the Ultra-DI. It can handle the wierd setups and can even go directly across speaker wires.

Otherwise, the Audio Technica 3-position attenuator will probably solve all those problems too.

Everyone: Don't think these are camera problems. They are sound problems and you will find solutions over in the Sound forum, Now Hear This. The moderator there is extremely good and is even a very nice guy. Hear that Spot?