All Things Audio -- topics from 2002 thru 2004

Shawn Mielke · September 2nd, 2003, 06:59 PM

At B&H, there seem to be three different sets of the Senn. Evolution 100 Series wireless systems, or maybe three different microphones that come with each respective (otherwise identical) system. At the end of the product description:

......."with ek100 reciever sk100 body pack transmitter + me2 microphone"
and then in parentheses, one for each,

"(C 740-772 mhz)",
"(B 630- 662 mhz)", and
"(A 518-550 mhz)"........

Extreme newbist posting here, but these are descriptions of the various microphones that one might want for one's system, yes or no? And if so, what's the real difference between these to me? This is the only difference between the systems, as far as I can tell. I have heard only good/great about the Evolution 100 series.
Currently, I am using
Power Mac G4
Sony Pdx10
imovie (soon to be using FCE)

Thanks for clarifications and recommendations..........
Shawn

Marty Wein · September 2nd, 2003, 09:49 PM

The Sennheiser Evolution Wireless are available in three frequency groups. Each group has 1280 frequencies to choose from. A, B and C represent UHF frequency groups, not a different mic or anything else.

Please follow the link below to help you choose the best frequency group based on your location.

http://www.sennheiserusa.com/mat_dev/rf-frequencies/ew-freqs.html

Tong Zhao · September 4th, 2003, 11:36 AM

I have a Canon XL1s and cannot get 48kHz audio. I set the audio menu at 16bit. According to the camera manual, it should record 48kHz. But when I captured my footage into Adobe Premiere, the audio is only 32kHz. Can anyone tell me if I should fix something on the camera end or this is a software issue? Thanks a lot for your help.

Jacques Mersereau · September 4th, 2003, 03:39 PM

Hmmm, check and see if you have four track recording enabled. If
so, you cannot record @ 48kHz.

Eddie Vaughn · September 17th, 2003, 11:44 AM

I've been trying to record school bands, particularly the drum lines, and don't seem to have much luck getting a decent sound.

I'm using an xl-1s with the built-in mic, at about 15 to 20 feet. I started by setting the 20db attenuator, and letting the meter peak at the -12db level, but the results sound kind of "muddy" and the dynamic range seems to evaporate to the point that you can't hear any of the quiet passages.

So, I tried again without the attenuation, and pretty much the same results. In both situations, it seems to work a little better if I let the meter go beyond -12.

I am reading on here where sensitive mics like the ME66 overload at high sound pressure. Is the Canon onboard the same or am I doing something wrong? I'd prefer to coax the performance out of the existing mic if it's possible but would the at-822, or maybe just some sluggish dynamic mics work better?

I'm still new and groping around; many thanks for the help and suggestions.

Eddie

Mike Rehmus · September 17th, 2003, 08:59 PM

The problem is you are trying to capture the sound of an entire band with a single microphone. Difficult at best.

Try something like the Shure SM81C which can take the hammering of loud passages and still be quite sensitive.

I also use it to record the sound of unmuffled exhaust sounds from aircraft engines and gunshots during SWAT training. Works very well.

To really mic an orchestra or band, you need separate micorphones for each and every instrument. Used to be the RCA Records guys would use two microphones in a symphony hall to do a pretty good job.

Josh Bass · September 19th, 2003, 11:10 PM

I got the my new XLR adapter. . .any tips for the best performance? I'm using it with my XL1s, direct from mic to adapter to camera. The instructions that came with it were not the most helpful.

The two knobs are attenuators, right?

David Hurdon · September 20th, 2003, 05:35 AM

I have the DXA-4 with a VX2000, and yes, the pots control channel volumes, and are of the click stop variety, so while you can't ride them during recording you also can't easily bump them in error.
I found that playing with the unit while wearing headphones helped me to understand how to use it. To my mind the key feature is the mono/stereo switch on the front. It allows you to create two discreet channels from two sources, or mix both on each of two channels. I recently took a line level input from a mixing board in ch 1 and a mic input on ch2, both of an entertainer at work. In post I was able to give priority to the nice clean line level track during his songs and blend crowd reaction from the mic input at the end of each song - or during a number if crowd participation was a large part of it. It really opens up the audio options.
Channel 1 is left and 2 is right. In my NLE (Premiere 6.5) I make a copy of the audio track, then set one to "duplicate left" and the other to "duplicate right". That gives me two stereo tracks to work with.

David Hurdon

Matthew DeJesus · September 25th, 2003, 09:41 AM

For those of you who use MiniDisc recorders to record the vows (or any audio through a lapel for that matter), do you place your mic sensitivity on Low or High?

I am using the 810.

Albert Rodgers · September 28th, 2003, 10:19 AM

Hey Guys,
I am hoping that you will be able th help me. I am currently editing my footage in Vegas and then create a master on mini dv using my Canon GL2 via firewire. (No problems there.) Next, I connect my GL2 to a Panasonic AG 1980 S-vhs deck for duplication using the S- cable and the composite audio cables. Here goes the problems:

During the recording and preview on tv, the picture quality looks great and the audio is good. BUT when I take the VHS tape out of the AG deck and place it into two of my consumer VHS players for testing, the video is still reat, but the audio is poor. There is an annoying buzzing sound and sometimes there is fluctuation in sound level. I don't know what to do. This is what I have tried so far:

Using a JVC EHG VHS tape and Maxell S-VHS tape.

These setting that remained constant: TBC-on Search sound-off Input Select-S-Video Tape Select -T120 S-VHS-off

Changes made:
I tried recording with hi-fi/Linear (with L*R) Mix off and on (still there was a buzz).

I changed the MTS from MTS to SAP1 and there was seemingly no difference in sound. (Honestly, I don't know what MTS/SAP1 stands for)

BOth VCRs I use are hi-fi. On e of them is connected to a tv with stereo and the other one has mono audio.

The preview tv that is connect to the Panasonic AG deck (via coxial cable) has mono audio.

Can you PLEASE help?

Thanks in advance,

Al Rodgers

PS Is it OK to record to a S-VHS tape for playback on a consumer VHS player if you turn the S-VHS recording off during recording on the AG deck?

Jacques Mersereau · September 28th, 2003, 05:42 PM

Two things to try:

You may have a wiring issue or the consumer deck may have a problem.

Is this the only tape that buzzes when played on the consumer deck?
(In other words, all your other tapes sound fine? If so, move the part 2)

Part1
The consumer deck may have
a bad output . . . is the buzz in both channels or only one?
If the buzz is only on one side, and 'moves' as you
move the cable to the other channel's output, try another cable.
If the buzz doesn't move with the wire, then the deck has a problem.

Part2
If the buzz is in both left and right you may have a ground loop in your wiring.
Make sure all your gear is plugged into the same circuit when
making a dup.
Is the GL2 plugged into "wall" power? If so, try a test recording using
GL2 battery power.

Jim Schweer · September 30th, 2003, 09:11 AM

I would like to experiment with a boundary (PZM) mic. Before I shell out for one, I'm wondering if I can improvise one from a mic I already own, a Shure MS11 dynamic lav. This mic is faced with a grill of raised bars, 1/16th inch thick. When the mic is placed against a flat surface, such as a wall or a piece of plexiglass, the mic's element is suspended 1/16th inch above the surface and open to the sides. Would this setup approximate the properties of a PZM boundary mic?

Jay Massengill · September 30th, 2003, 01:46 PM

Yes it will give a similar effect and in reality you don't have to get that fancy. You can simply attach the mic on its side, you're still below the wavelength of most useable frequencies even though that's a very fat capsule for a lavalier. It also helps the pickup pattern, remember even an omni isnt 100% omni at higher frequencies.
It's fun to test this with isolating headphones. Move the element closer and closer to the surface, listening for phasing effects at higher and higher frequencies as the distance decreases. It helps if there's something on the far side of the room that's making broadband noise, like a fan or a fridge compressor while you do this test. It also works outside on a wall while listening to night sounds (amaze your friends...)
The SM11 is generally a pretty poor mic, if your rough test is encouraging, but only capable of low gain, try a more sensitive mic with a wider frequency response.
You can use this trick in lots of situations and get double-duty out of your regular mics.
If you want to isolate the capsule from the surface, use very thin rubber or neoprene. Like a gripper for opening jars or a very thin mousepad.

Rob Lohman · October 5th, 2003, 05:52 PM

I don't think a lof ot people are using minidisc to record their
audio. If I'm not mistaken it wasn't very good with this for
some reason...

Marco Leavitt · October 6th, 2003, 11:54 AM

For people who have been following the efforts to create a hard-disk recorder out of a standard PDA, Core Sounds announced it is now shipping its product. Check out this link.

http://www.core-sound.com/HighResRecorderNews.html#NEWS

They also have a released a new 24 bit A/D converter.

September 2nd, 2003, 06:59 PM	#136
Shawn Mielke Major Player Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Santa Rosa, California Posts: 745	Evolution 100 series......... At B&H, there seem to be three different sets of the Senn. Evolution 100 Series wireless systems, or maybe three different microphones that come with each respective (otherwise identical) system. At the end of the product description: ......."with ek100 reciever sk100 body pack transmitter + me2 microphone" and then in parentheses, one for each, "(C 740-772 mhz)", "(B 630- 662 mhz)", and "(A 518-550 mhz)"........ Extreme newbist posting here, but these are descriptions of the various microphones that one might want for one's system, yes or no? And if so, what's the real difference between these to me? This is the only difference between the systems, as far as I can tell. I have heard only good/great about the Evolution 100 series. Currently, I am using Power Mac G4 Sony Pdx10 imovie (soon to be using FCE) Thanks for clarifications and recommendations.......... Shawn __________________ Breakthrough In Grey Room

September 4th, 2003, 11:36 AM	#138
Tong Zhao New Boot Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Farmington Hills, MI Posts: 13	Can not get 48kHz with Canon XL1s I have a Canon XL1s and cannot get 48kHz audio. I set the audio menu at 16bit. According to the camera manual, it should record 48kHz. But when I captured my footage into Adobe Premiere, the audio is only 32kHz. Can anyone tell me if I should fix something on the camera end or this is a software issue? Thanks a lot for your help. __________________ TZ

September 4th, 2003, 03:39 PM	#139
Jacques Mersereau Trustee Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 1,334	Hmmm, check and see if you have four track recording enabled. If so, you cannot record @ 48kHz. __________________ Jacques Mersereau University of Michigan-Video Studio Manager

September 17th, 2003, 11:44 AM	#140
Eddie Vaughn New Boot Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Winston-Salem NC Posts: 17	Recording loud music w/xl-1s I've been trying to record school bands, particularly the drum lines, and don't seem to have much luck getting a decent sound. I'm using an xl-1s with the built-in mic, at about 15 to 20 feet. I started by setting the 20db attenuator, and letting the meter peak at the -12db level, but the results sound kind of "muddy" and the dynamic range seems to evaporate to the point that you can't hear any of the quiet passages. So, I tried again without the attenuation, and pretty much the same results. In both situations, it seems to work a little better if I let the meter go beyond -12. I am reading on here where sensitive mics like the ME66 overload at high sound pressure. Is the Canon onboard the same or am I doing something wrong? I'd prefer to coax the performance out of the existing mic if it's possible but would the at-822, or maybe just some sluggish dynamic mics work better? I'm still new and groping around; many thanks for the help and suggestions. Eddie

September 17th, 2003, 08:59 PM	#141
Mike Rehmus Wrangler Join Date: May 2002 Location: Vallejo, California Posts: 4,049	The problem is you are trying to capture the sound of an entire band with a single microphone. Difficult at best. Try something like the Shure SM81C which can take the hammering of loud passages and still be quite sensitive. I also use it to record the sound of unmuffled exhaust sounds from aircraft engines and gunshots during SWAT training. Works very well. To really mic an orchestra or band, you need separate micorphones for each and every instrument. Used to be the RCA Records guys would use two microphones in a symphony hall to do a pretty good job. __________________ Mike Rehmus Hey, I can see the carrot at the end of the tunnel!

September 2nd, 2003, 09:49 PM	#137
Marty Wein Major Player Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 229	The Sennheiser Evolution Wireless are available in three frequency groups. Each group has 1280 frequencies to choose from. A, B and C represent UHF frequency groups, not a different mic or anything else. Please follow the link below to help you choose the best frequency group based on your location. http://www.sennheiserusa.com/mat_dev/rf-frequencies/ew-freqs.html

September 19th, 2003, 11:10 PM	#142
Josh Bass Slash Rules! Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 5,472	Got my beachtek DXA 4C. . .any advice? I got the my new XLR adapter. . .any tips for the best performance? I'm using it with my XL1s, direct from mic to adapter to camera. The instructions that came with it were not the most helpful. The two knobs are attenuators, right? __________________ The Bass' camerawork The Bass on IMDB

September 20th, 2003, 05:35 AM	#143
David Hurdon Major Player Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 484	I have the DXA-4 with a VX2000, and yes, the pots control channel volumes, and are of the click stop variety, so while you can't ride them during recording you also can't easily bump them in error. I found that playing with the unit while wearing headphones helped me to understand how to use it. To my mind the key feature is the mono/stereo switch on the front. It allows you to create two discreet channels from two sources, or mix both on each of two channels. I recently took a line level input from a mixing board in ch 1 and a mic input on ch2, both of an entertainer at work. In post I was able to give priority to the nice clean line level track during his songs and blend crowd reaction from the mic input at the end of each song - or during a number if crowd participation was a large part of it. It really opens up the audio options. Channel 1 is left and 2 is right. In my NLE (Premiere 6.5) I make a copy of the audio track, then set one to "duplicate left" and the other to "duplicate right". That gives me two stereo tracks to work with. David Hurdon __________________ Site:http://www.faceliftmarketing.ca Blog:http://www.websitevideo.blogspot.com

September 25th, 2003, 09:41 AM	#144
Matthew DeJesus Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Virginia Beach, VA Posts: 26	Minidisc Settings For those of you who use MiniDisc recorders to record the vows (or any audio through a lapel for that matter), do you place your mic sensitivity on Low or High? I am using the 810.

September 28th, 2003, 10:19 AM	#145
Albert Rodgers Regular Crew Join Date: May 2003 Location: Ypsilanti, MI Posts: 87	Poor Audio in Post Hey Guys, I am hoping that you will be able th help me. I am currently editing my footage in Vegas and then create a master on mini dv using my Canon GL2 via firewire. (No problems there.) Next, I connect my GL2 to a Panasonic AG 1980 S-vhs deck for duplication using the S- cable and the composite audio cables. Here goes the problems: During the recording and preview on tv, the picture quality looks great and the audio is good. BUT when I take the VHS tape out of the AG deck and place it into two of my consumer VHS players for testing, the video is still reat, but the audio is poor. There is an annoying buzzing sound and sometimes there is fluctuation in sound level. I don't know what to do. This is what I have tried so far: Using a JVC EHG VHS tape and Maxell S-VHS tape. These setting that remained constant: TBC-on Search sound-off Input Select-S-Video Tape Select -T120 S-VHS-off Changes made: I tried recording with hi-fi/Linear (with L*R) Mix off and on (still there was a buzz). I changed the MTS from MTS to SAP1 and there was seemingly no difference in sound. (Honestly, I don't know what MTS/SAP1 stands for) BOth VCRs I use are hi-fi. On e of them is connected to a tv with stereo and the other one has mono audio. The preview tv that is connect to the Panasonic AG deck (via coxial cable) has mono audio. Can you PLEASE help? Thanks in advance, Al Rodgers PS Is it OK to record to a S-VHS tape for playback on a consumer VHS player if you turn the S-VHS recording off during recording on the AG deck? __________________ Jack-of-all-trades trying to master one (Videography) www.sdfvideo.com

September 28th, 2003, 05:42 PM	#146
Jacques Mersereau Trustee Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 1,334	Two things to try: You may have a wiring issue or the consumer deck may have a problem. Is this the only tape that buzzes when played on the consumer deck? (In other words, all your other tapes sound fine? If so, move the part 2) Part1 The consumer deck may have a bad output . . . is the buzz in both channels or only one? If the buzz is only on one side, and 'moves' as you move the cable to the other channel's output, try another cable. If the buzz doesn't move with the wire, then the deck has a problem. Part2 If the buzz is in both left and right you may have a ground loop in your wiring. Make sure all your gear is plugged into the same circuit when making a dup. Is the GL2 plugged into "wall" power? If so, try a test recording using GL2 battery power. __________________ Jacques Mersereau University of Michigan-Video Studio Manager

September 30th, 2003, 09:11 AM	#147
Jim Schweer Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Kansas City KS Posts: 60	makeshift boundary mic? I would like to experiment with a boundary (PZM) mic. Before I shell out for one, I'm wondering if I can improvise one from a mic I already own, a Shure MS11 dynamic lav. This mic is faced with a grill of raised bars, 1/16th inch thick. When the mic is placed against a flat surface, such as a wall or a piece of plexiglass, the mic's element is suspended 1/16th inch above the surface and open to the sides. Would this setup approximate the properties of a PZM boundary mic?

September 30th, 2003, 01:46 PM	#148
Jay Massengill Trustee Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Burlington Posts: 1,976	Yes it will give a similar effect and in reality you don't have to get that fancy. You can simply attach the mic on its side, you're still below the wavelength of most useable frequencies even though that's a very fat capsule for a lavalier. It also helps the pickup pattern, remember even an omni isnt 100% omni at higher frequencies. It's fun to test this with isolating headphones. Move the element closer and closer to the surface, listening for phasing effects at higher and higher frequencies as the distance decreases. It helps if there's something on the far side of the room that's making broadband noise, like a fan or a fridge compressor while you do this test. It also works outside on a wall while listening to night sounds (amaze your friends...) The SM11 is generally a pretty poor mic, if your rough test is encouraging, but only capable of low gain, try a more sensitive mic with a wider frequency response. You can use this trick in lots of situations and get double-duty out of your regular mics. If you want to isolate the capsule from the surface, use very thin rubber or neoprene. Like a gripper for opening jars or a very thin mousepad.

October 5th, 2003, 05:52 PM	#149
Rob Lohman RED Code Chef Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Holland Posts: 12,514	I don't think a lof ot people are using minidisc to record their audio. If I'm not mistaken it wasn't very good with this for some reason... __________________ Rob Lohman, visuar@iname.com DV Info Wrangler & RED Code Chef Join the DV Challenge \| Lady X Search DVinfo.net for quick answers \| Buy from the best: DVinfo.net sponsors

October 6th, 2003, 11:54 AM	#150
Marco Leavitt Inner Circle Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Albany, NY 12210 Posts: 2,652	PDA hard disk recording system ships For people who have been following the efforts to create a hard-disk recorder out of a standard PDA, Core Sounds announced it is now shipping its product. Check out this link. http://www.core-sound.com/HighResRecorderNews.html#NEWS They also have a released a new 24 bit A/D converter.