Rookie Problem with Sennheiser ew112p g2 C and a Sony HDR-HC1 HDV Camcorder

[Paul Chiu]

Hi all,

I have used the Sony HDR-HC1 HDV camcorder for over 8 months now and after I posted this on google video site:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...60951084547964

I got a number of good pointers to getting even better audio for recordings like these and for situations where my son may be playing far away on stage.

Some suggested I get a wireless lav system, so I went and got the Sennheiser ew112p G2 in C frequency for using in New York city area.

This is what happened:

1st run with everything at default and auto settings almost blew out my speakers after I captured the footage with Sony Vegas. It was loud and totally distorted at those loud levels.

2nd run, I tried setting the transmitter SK100G2 to -30 fro +10db default setting and the receiver EK199G2 to -30 from the +12db default. Still with Auto mike level on the Sony HC1 set, the result was just a little less loud than the 1st run. A tad below gosh darn horrible!

3rd run, I went to manual mike level to nearly -35db on the Sony HC1 scale, and the result was ok, but now I hear hiss as background noise. WHAT NOW??



Do I have a bad Sony HC1? a bad Sennheiser ew112pg2 system? Or I am the problem as I don't know what I am doing?


PLEASE HELP! Urgent!


Paul

[Gareth Watkins]

Hi Paul

Yes the default settings on the G2 are aweful.. set up right it is a brilliant wireless...

Try looking here: http://dvestore.com/theatre/index.html#

Scroll down to the Sennheiser G2 tutorial... very helpful in setting the untis up.

Gareth

[Paul Chiu]

Thanks Gareth,

This seems like a great place to start. I just may have to go manual after all. The other thing I did was getting this:

I ended up picking up yesterday to try keeping the Sony HDR-HC1 at "auto" level mike in mode, if possible....

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/con...oughType=search

and

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/con...oughType=search

I'll get my boy to play some piano tonight.

Also, I was wondering if using the ew112p G2 units within 5M of each other may have overloaded the audio levels. SInce my dry runs at home was with my son at the piano and myself from a room (<14 feet) away, perhaps that made the audio levels too high and thus distorted sound.

Paul

[Seth Bloombaum]

Originally Posted by Paul Chiu

Also, I was wondering if using the ew112p G2 units within 5M of each other may have overloaded the audio levels. SInce my dry runs at home was with my son at the piano and myself from a room (<14 feet) away, perhaps that made the audio levels too high and thus distorted sound.

No problems - no worries with a 5 meter distance, or even 1 meter.

Obviously you're dealing with gain structure problems. Not so obvious as to where they are. You should start adjusting from the mic end, first, have your son play. With the mic in position, adjust the gain so that peaks cause the peak indicator on the transmitter to display. (see the manual for what this looks like). This is the most important step, and will probably eliminate the hiss you're hearing.

Next, plug headphones into the receiver and confirm that you're hearing a nice clean signal. Now you're ready to connect to the camcorder. Set the camera to manual, you don't want auto for music.

I'm not that familiar with the HDR-HC1 - does it have a setting for line input level? If so, you want to set it for line and try the receiver at -10, 0, and +6 (or so). If not, setting your receiver down -30dbV out is probably the right thing, or even -40 or more if it has it. Now, have him play a loud passage and set the peak with the camera's input volume control to perhaps 2/3rds of the way up the scale.

Roll tape and listen to it back in Vegas and see how it looks. Peaks in Vegas should be somewhere around -12db. Anywhere between -10 and -18 is probably just fine. Too low, too high - make adjustments in your recording volume at the camera.

[Paul Chiu]

Thanks Seth,

Only 2 more days to prepare...

I'd never thought about a headphone into the wireless receiver AF out jack. A very good idea.


Paul

[Paul Chiu]

Guys,

I got this digital sound pressure meter that reads the mike surroundings up to 125db.

Is there a way to convert this to the +12db to -30db on the Sennheiser wireless lav system?

Thanks,

Paul