GL-2 playback problem

[Jerry Mennenga]

When recording with a GL-2, and either using the onboard mic or a BeachTec (sp?) and an xlr input, when I try playing this tape back through a Sony walkman deck or even a HV-10, to pull clips, the video plays fines, but there is intermittent sound with mostly static noise. But tape from a XHA1 played through the same deck plays fine. This is all SD. Any guesses? thanks..

Jerry Mennenga

[Graham Bernard]

Nasty!

I would be doing more experimentation.

First off you DON'T say what happens when you play directly back from the GL2? Why don't you mention that? Curios . . ?

Secondly, try recording directly the OUTPUT of the GL2 via any form of capturing to your computer. This would be to isolate a TAPE head deficiency.

What it COULD be is a dodgy input socket - the one you use the BeachTek for output. Consequently, and I DON'T know this, as the jack then isolates the on-board mic, maybe you have a "leak" or intermittent fault that sounds like a type of distortion. Can you swap out the BT to another camera to check to see if all is well with the BT?

Static ( oh, what type of static? Yeah? ) is typical from interference from things lie Cell- Mobile phones LONG unshielded unbalance cable runs. One other "gremlin" to consider is that what you may be calling static might be a mismatch ion audio rates from capture to project. It isn't static, but it CAN sound like it. I've had 44k sounding murder within a project I set at 48k!

Bottom line, is that you are going to need to do a series of elimination experiments. And at least DOING something that "makes" a difference - an anomalous change is what you are after. Kinda, "Oh, when I do THIS then THAT happens!" - It is kinda like saying that sometimes apples can be red. We also need to know that sometimes apples are green too! But both coloured apples are STILL both apples.

Cheers,

Grazie

[Don Palomaki]

SP or LP tape speed? LP tape speed is a crap-shoot when played back on another machine.

Otherwise there is possibly a slight head alignment difference between the GL2 an the others, possibly caused by wear/time. This is likely the case of the GL2 tapes play OK in the GL2.

How do HV-10 tapes play in the GL2?

[Jerry Mennenga]

Thanks all. First, yes, myself and a co-worker have been doing elimination tests. Tapes recorded by the GL2 and then used as a deck to capture to a computer sounds just fine. If you dub to make another tape using the GL2 as the source and the sony walkman as the recorder, the tape comes out sounding fine. I shot some video and sound on my XHA1 and played that through the GL2, and it sounded fine. Tapes I shoot with the A1 and play through the sony walkman sound fine. Always SP tape. My co-worker who uses the GL2 more than I, says the motor sounds a bit dodgy after using the camera as a deck for 2-3 months this summer, although it has been used as the deck for much longer since the problem of getting playback sound through the sony walkman. He mentioned that at first there is a bit of audio, then it goes static, then some more bits of audio may play then again static. Everything is set for 16 bit, have worked through as many variables as we have thought of, but with no success.

jerry
sioux city, iowa