Sony V1 Sound Quality at DVinfo.net

Jimmy Tuffrey · August 22nd, 2007, 12:48 PM

Greetings all,

I have been using a Sony HDV1 recently and trying to sort out the sound for the owners/operators of this camera and would appreciate an expert opinion of the quality of the audio inputs.

I am a professional and my opinion is that there is a lot of buzzing coming out of the headphone socket and it appears to be on the recorded audio as well. Unfortunatly the edit suite also neds my attention due to the P.C. onboard sound card being extremely noisey, (cpu interferance etc..), and so listening back to the captured audio is not telling me much.

I have read a few threads which seem to say that the sound quality is good on this camera but these opinions are as far as I can tell not expert. I really require the opinions only of people who know audio.
We are considering trying to get the camera exchanged as working with a hard disc audio recorder is not desirable for these folks and should not be necessary, but it would seem the only option.
I am not expecting the audio quality to match a Fostex FR2 but I would expect it to be useable and broadcastable.

We are of course recording at 16bit 48k etc. Tried mic and line level inputs , manual gain, phantom off, SQN mixer, MKH 60, Shoeps CCM 41, NR off, Wind filter off. As said this is not a front end mixer problem. It is the camera.

If anyone is a sound expert and can give me their opinion of the audio quality of the Sony HDV1's inputs I would much appreciate it. Thanks.

Seth Bloombaum · August 22nd, 2007, 02:06 PM

27 years in professional broadcast and corporate markets sound for video experience.

I don't know about your V1, but mine is just fine for typical interviews & etc.

I've not heard a buzz at all out of the headphone socket. I'd suggest you check your mics & cables. If no issues there, it's certainly possible that there is something wrong with your camera - it happens.

You'll probably know a lot more when you get your editing station sound straightened out.

You might search the posts of Douglas Spotted Eagle, he is a Grammy-winning musician and producer and knows his sound engineering very well. He's a moderator (wrangler) on these boards, and owns several V1s.

Jimmy Tuffrey · August 25th, 2007, 05:23 PM

Must be something wrong with the camera they have then. It is not cables etc...

Chris Soucy · August 25th, 2007, 05:41 PM

Not sure what connectors there are for audio on the HDV1 so answering this blind - best test, if you have the camera to hand, is to short the mic I/P terminals to the audio section. This thus eliminates any external interference from the equation. If you're getting noise out of the camera with definately nothing going in - that's final - it's the camera.

(Don't know if that cam has it, but if it has phantom, obviously, turn it off for this excercise.)

The same trick works with anything BTW - a passive I/P shorted is the quickest way to eliminate externals from the equation. Then you work back up the "food chain" to catch the culprit.

I used to be a "demented back room techie" in a previous incarnation. Now I'm just plain demented!

CS

Jimmy Tuffrey · August 29th, 2007, 12:41 PM

Good point. I know what you mean. I think it must be the camera but I am still waiting to get a chance to check it. That was why I was interested in opinions. Some of these cameras seem to have a reputation for sounding bad, especially Sonys. I know that it's not my sound bag that is at fault. I wondered at first if I was asking too much of the camera to sound O.K. what with the PD150 being notorious for it's bad sound, but am coming round to thinking that there must be a problem with it.
Thanks for the replys.

Ben Denham · July 27th, 2009, 06:16 AM

A couple of years later but I thought it might be useful for people who find this thread via google. In my experience with the V1 mic NR should almost always be on. It does a pretty good job of cancelling out the noise of the tape mechanism which is otherwise often audible.

August 22nd, 2007, 12:48 PM	#1
Jimmy Tuffrey Major Player Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Bristol U.K. Posts: 244	Sony V1 Sound Quality Greetings all, I have been using a Sony HDV1 recently and trying to sort out the sound for the owners/operators of this camera and would appreciate an expert opinion of the quality of the audio inputs. I am a professional and my opinion is that there is a lot of buzzing coming out of the headphone socket and it appears to be on the recorded audio as well. Unfortunatly the edit suite also neds my attention due to the P.C. onboard sound card being extremely noisey, (cpu interferance etc..), and so listening back to the captured audio is not telling me much. I have read a few threads which seem to say that the sound quality is good on this camera but these opinions are as far as I can tell not expert. I really require the opinions only of people who know audio. We are considering trying to get the camera exchanged as working with a hard disc audio recorder is not desirable for these folks and should not be necessary, but it would seem the only option. I am not expecting the audio quality to match a Fostex FR2 but I would expect it to be useable and broadcastable. We are of course recording at 16bit 48k etc. Tried mic and line level inputs , manual gain, phantom off, SQN mixer, MKH 60, Shoeps CCM 41, NR off, Wind filter off. As said this is not a front end mixer problem. It is the camera. If anyone is a sound expert and can give me their opinion of the audio quality of the Sony HDV1's inputs I would much appreciate it. Thanks.

August 25th, 2007, 05:23 PM	#3
Jimmy Tuffrey Major Player Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Bristol U.K. Posts: 244	Might have to return it then.... Must be something wrong with the camera they have then. It is not cables etc...

August 25th, 2007, 05:41 PM	#4
Chris Soucy Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Fairfield, Dunedin, New Zealand Posts: 3,691 Images: 18	Hi Jimmy.......... Not sure what connectors there are for audio on the HDV1 so answering this blind - best test, if you have the camera to hand, is to short the mic I/P terminals to the audio section. This thus eliminates any external interference from the equation. If you're getting noise out of the camera with definately nothing going in - that's final - it's the camera. (Don't know if that cam has it, but if it has phantom, obviously, turn it off for this excercise.) The same trick works with anything BTW - a passive I/P shorted is the quickest way to eliminate externals from the equation. Then you work back up the "food chain" to catch the culprit. I used to be a "demented back room techie" in a previous incarnation. Now I'm just plain demented! CS

August 29th, 2007, 12:41 PM	#5
Jimmy Tuffrey Major Player Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Bristol U.K. Posts: 244	Thanks for the replys Good point. I know what you mean. I think it must be the camera but I am still waiting to get a chance to check it. That was why I was interested in opinions. Some of these cameras seem to have a reputation for sounding bad, especially Sonys. I know that it's not my sound bag that is at fault. I wondered at first if I was asking too much of the camera to sound O.K. what with the PD150 being notorious for it's bad sound, but am coming round to thinking that there must be a problem with it. Thanks for the replys.

July 27th, 2009, 06:16 AM	#6
Ben Denham Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: NSW Australia Posts: 149	A couple of years later but I thought it might be useful for people who find this thread via google. In my experience with the V1 mic NR should almost always be on. It does a pretty good job of cancelling out the noise of the tape mechanism which is otherwise often audible. Last edited by Ben Denham; July 27th, 2009 at 06:20 AM. Reason: adding context

August 22nd, 2007, 02:06 PM	#2
Seth Bloombaum Inner Circle Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 3,420	27 years in professional broadcast and corporate markets sound for video experience. I don't know about your V1, but mine is just fine for typical interviews & etc. I've not heard a buzz at all out of the headphone socket. I'd suggest you check your mics & cables. If no issues there, it's certainly possible that there is something wrong with your camera - it happens. You'll probably know a lot more when you get your editing station sound straightened out. You might search the posts of Douglas Spotted Eagle, he is a Grammy-winning musician and producer and knows his sound engineering very well. He's a moderator (wrangler) on these boards, and owns several V1s.