Overloaded sound at DVinfo.net

Bob Safay · January 20th, 2009, 11:47 AM

Help. I had to video an event the other day. At the last minute I was told that I could plug into the main sound system via XLR cable. My problem was that I forgot to set the attenuator switch at the back of the Canon XLH1 and the audio is really "hot" or loud. Two questions. I never used this set up before, always had my own mic's, so would the attenuator switch at the back of the camcorder, right above the XLR input decrease the input volume enough to get good audio, and, can I fix this in post? I am useing Vegas Pro8. Thanks, Bob

Jeffery Magat · January 20th, 2009, 12:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob Safay

Help. I had to video an event the other day. At the last minute I was told that I could plug into the main sound system via XLR cable. My problem was that I forgot to set the attenuator switch at the back of the Canon XLH1 and the audio is really "hot" or loud. Two questions. I never used this set up before, always had my own mic's, so would the attenuator switch at the back of the camcorder, right above the XLR input decrease the input volume enough to get good audio, and, can I fix this in post? I am useing Vegas Pro8. Thanks, Bob

You were probably recording at Mic level where the input should have been set at line level.

If it's distorted and clipping coming in.. unfortunatelyyou'll have to use the reshoot filter as Ty always says.

Battle Vaughan · January 20th, 2009, 04:21 PM

While any digitally-recorded audio over 0dbFS will be distorted ---your waveform fills the entire vertical space of the audio track --- Sony Soundforge and Adobe Audition have filters that attempt to recover clipped audio. If there is some less-than 0db-audio in the wave form it has a chanceto at least be some improvement.

Point well taken about the reshoot filter, I have occasionally (blush!) failed to ride audio in a high-sound-pressure situation and I never could make it right. (On the xha1 there is a line/mike switch which you set to match the input level of the signal. There is also a -25dB attenuator which lets you moderate your mike level when you are in a high-sound situation and your mike is overloading the preamps. IIRC you can't use both at the same time, but I am hazy on that....but these, of course, do you no good on playback, what you recorded is what you got....if you have SForge9 or AAud look at the clip filters, tho, might be some help...../Battle Vaughan/miamiherald.com video team

Bob Safay · January 24th, 2009, 05:02 PM

Thanks guys. I was able to clean the audio up a bit, at least it is good enough for going on a web page. Also, I will never again forget to throw the attenuator, I think that was definately my main problem. Live and learn, thats the fun of life. Thanks again, Bob

January 20th, 2009, 11:47 AM	#1
Bob Safay Trustee Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 1,558	Overloaded sound Help. I had to video an event the other day. At the last minute I was told that I could plug into the main sound system via XLR cable. My problem was that I forgot to set the attenuator switch at the back of the Canon XLH1 and the audio is really "hot" or loud. Two questions. I never used this set up before, always had my own mic's, so would the attenuator switch at the back of the camcorder, right above the XLR input decrease the input volume enough to get good audio, and, can I fix this in post? I am useing Vegas Pro8. Thanks, Bob

January 20th, 2009, 04:21 PM	#3
Battle Vaughan Trustee Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Miami, FL USA Posts: 1,505	While any digitally-recorded audio over 0dbFS will be distorted ---your waveform fills the entire vertical space of the audio track --- Sony Soundforge and Adobe Audition have filters that attempt to recover clipped audio. If there is some less-than 0db-audio in the wave form it has a chanceto at least be some improvement. Point well taken about the reshoot filter, I have occasionally (blush!) failed to ride audio in a high-sound-pressure situation and I never could make it right. (On the xha1 there is a line/mike switch which you set to match the input level of the signal. There is also a -25dB attenuator which lets you moderate your mike level when you are in a high-sound situation and your mike is overloading the preamps. IIRC you can't use both at the same time, but I am hazy on that....but these, of course, do you no good on playback, what you recorded is what you got....if you have SForge9 or AAud look at the clip filters, tho, might be some help...../Battle Vaughan/miamiherald.com video team

January 24th, 2009, 05:02 PM	#4
Bob Safay Trustee Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 1,558	Thanks guys. I was able to clean the audio up a bit, at least it is good enough for going on a web page. Also, I will never again forget to throw the attenuator, I think that was definately my main problem. Live and learn, thats the fun of life. Thanks again, Bob