Buzzing in the Audio

1. Joe Pollon
   Member

   

   <span class="post">
   I am shooting video with a Sony DSR PD-170. It's a good camera with XLR inputs. Using
   either the original equipment shotgum mic or a AT899 lavalier mic, I am getting a buzz
   that seems to get louder with the volume of the sound signal being recorded. It
   diminishes in the quiet times. I have tried running filters for hum and noise removal,
   but that isn't doing it. I have had the camera checked and they say it is functioning
   correctly.

   Any suggestions as to the cause. I have recorded with Automatic
   Gain Control off and keeping the max level below 0dB. Is it possible that I have damaged
   the mics in my novice tampering with phantom power, mic level and mic att settings?</span>

   Posted 4 months ago # Login to Send PM

2. robgrauert
   Member

   

   well, it's hard for me to diagnose since I don't really know exactly what you were doing, but this is how you should be set up:

   First, You should definitely have the mic inputs set to "Mic" and not "Line" or "ATT." "Line" is only to be used when connecting your camera to a mixer and "ATT" is only to be used when you around very loud sound, such as a concert.

   Second, do not have the phantom power on if you have batteries in your mics or if your mics don't use phantom power. Doing so will damage the camcorder, or at least that's what I've read. 

   If this is what you do, it might be your mics, so test a new mic. 

   Robert J. Grauert, Jr
   http://www.robgrauert.com

   Posted 4 months ago # Login to Send PM

3. XTR-91
   Member

   

   It's possible that the batteries in one or both microphones are old. The shotgun mic either runs on phantom power, or it is powered by one or more batteries. The lav mic might have an odd impedance or wireless frequency that does not match the camcorder's inputs (though I doubt that's it). Also, the camcorder's battery could be low and not give enough phantom power.

   Just wondering, does the buzz from both mic systems sound the same, or is the output different for each microphone?

   Posted 4 months ago # Login to Send PM

4. Joe Pollon
   Member

   

   Rob,

   Thank you.  I wouldn't be surprised if I had set the input levels set incorrectly.  I will test it on the mic setting.  The problem seems to exist on both mics.  I have another lav mic I will try that hasn't been used as much.

   XTR,

   The battery on the lav could be old.  The shotgun doesn't run with batteries, however.  The output seems to be the same on both mics.

   Thanks.  I will let you know what happens when I get the camera back.

   Posted 4 months ago # Login to Send PM

RSS feed for this topic

Supported video provider:

youtube, myvideo, funnyordie, gametrailers, collegehumor, dailymotion, glumbert, liveleak, redtube, googlevideo, sevenload, metacafe, clipfish, vimeo