Hiss when turning on XLR or using NTG-2 mic

[Alberto Herrera]

Hi i just got an Rode NTG-2 (thanks to suggestions on this board) for the XH-A1 we bought recently, and i just tried it out, and it seems like there is consistant hiss on the mic when i tested it, i thought it was the mic, so i tested to see what it was, lowered levels for channel 2 (nothing connected to it) and it got a little better, but there was still a hiss, so i disconnected the mic and i realized the hiss was still there, so it looks like just turning on XLR from the menu i get that hiss even if nothing is connected to it (and that is the same hiss i hear when the mic is plugged). hmm so im wondering if there a way to get rid of that? is there something i might be forgetting?

Note
I'm using the NTG just with phantompower, no batteries in there or anything. The levels on channel 1 aren't ridiculously high or anything, i know that the higher they are the more hiss you get. I tried moving the controls up top (ATT and such) with no result, moving it from mic to line takes away the hiss completely but that also mutes the mic :p (aww false epiphany!), im assuming it has to be left of on mic.


thanks
- Alberto

[Bill Pryor]

Try switching your ATT swtiches to On. Also the ATT switch next the the white balance preset under the LCD screen on top, turn it to On.

[Colin McDonald]

The audio level switch is definitely at M (manual) and not A (auto)?
The NTG-2 is definitely working OK, with a peak level of about -12dB?
Can you hear this hiss on a recorded signal?

I have this mic and camera and there is an excellent S/N ratio. If you can't find out the problem I'll see if I can replicate it tomorrow.

[Alberto Herrera]

thanks for the speedy response

yeah i tried putting it to ATT on both, it lowered the levels of the hiss about the same as the level of the mic, so its still about proportional, so when i bring it back to the level it was st, its about the same. it is on manual for levels, hmm ill try the recording in a second, need to go find a tape real quick, because i saw on a previous post that someone did that suposibly sometimes the headphones give more hiss that doesnt show up on the recording so ill test that theory. Its not to the point that it disrupts the sound, its just that rather then (relative) silence, theres that hiss "floor" when its quiet, which im pretty sure i can remove in post but as usual i know relying on post is never a good idea, and ive heard how the mic can sound usually and its not that hissy. And yeah if you just turn on the xlr without connecting anything to it does it usually hiss like that?

[Alberto Herrera]

yep just tested it again and the hisss is still there on the recording as well with both ATT onn (both of them) as well as ATT off

[Colin McDonald]

Originally Posted by Alberto Herrera

And yeah if you just turn on the xlr without connecting anything to it does it usually hiss like that?

I'm getting a fair degree of hiss with open XLR circuits with the gain turned full up. Using Sennheiser DH 25 Mklls. I think someone suggested before that it's the monitor circuit rather than the preamps.

And a bit of hum at full gain too, when I connected the NTG-2 without switching on phantom power.

[Alberto Herrera]

hmm the levels are about less then halfway, and the hiss remains even after turning on the phantom power, but its more of a continuous hiss then a humm

[Bill Grant]

Try it without phantom. I use my NTG-2 on a battery and have no hiss. I switch to phantom and I get issues... try it.
Bill

[Trish Kerr]

when recently editing a piece I'm working on I've noticed that there is a distinct hum that cuts across the footage when I'm doing a room that is mostly quiet - I have the wireless on the person and the rode doing the room as a backup and for possible blending purposes - the wireless isn't picking it up - but I would assume if it were room noise it would be less likely to anyway

I ended up putting a filter (identical settings) on all the bits with the hum and it removed it for the most part but I want to avoid in the future

I saw someone mention using a j-ring or j-mount to get the rode mic a little farther away from the actual camera (mounting it higher)

I'm going to have to test to see if it's actually picking up the camera noise however slight - i have mine set to phantom power - didn't think to test with a battery -thought it was safer all round to stick with the phantom

so now I should really test battery vs phantom, and placement as well

does everybody keep the bass rolloff ON or OFF?

trish

[Emiel Labree]

I'm having the same problem with my AT897.

[Kevin Lewis]

Do you get the hiss if you use auto for sound as opsed to manual? If not perhaps its just a setting.

[Emiel Labree]

Originally Posted by Kevin Lewis

Do you get the hiss if you use auto for sound as opsed to manual? If not perhaps its just a setting.

Turns out it was the phantom power. When running on batteries there is no hiss. Just like Bill Grant suggested.

[Galen Rath]

Saw the same thing with the Sennheiser ME64, my first XLR mic, that I just received. Not quiet when using camera phantom power regardless of the settings I tried, all quiet when running on the AA battery power.