Audio Problems Anyone? at DVinfo.net

Michael Hyun · July 10th, 2003, 05:13 PM

The audio on my HD1 is starting to crap out. From my test footage, I have started to see a general degradation of audio quality over the last week. It is a gradual increase of mostly light hiss, crackles and pops. I didn't really notice it until....

I had just got my Senn MKE300 and when I plugged it into the minijack, I got a chaotic din of crappy crackles and interference sounds. Man I'm pissed. I thought it might be the mic, but I tried it out on another camcorder and it sounded fine.

Has anyone had any similar audio problems?

I love the picture, but I really hope this is an isolated problem. I gotta shoot in 2 weeks and I really need to get this settled quickly.

Michael Hyun · July 10th, 2003, 05:29 PM

btw-

how would you guys rate the audio quality of the XLR to minijack adaptor on the HD10?

Michael Hyun · July 10th, 2003, 06:21 PM

anyone mind commenting on the quality of their audio with external mics? (hd1 or hd10)

i have to know whether this is an isolated problem, or if it runs in the family. if there is a pattern, i may bail on getting a replacement.

Michael Hyun · July 10th, 2003, 10:06 PM

45 hits, and not a single response?

humor me please?

Paul Mogg · July 11th, 2003, 08:59 AM

I'm not experiencing any audio problems after having it for a few weeks now, but I haven't had time to do much shooting yet where audio was importantm, so to be honest I haven't paid a lot of attention. I Haven't used the XLR inputs yet.

Hope this helps

Raymond Krystof · July 11th, 2003, 11:15 AM

Michael

I haven’t had my HD10 long enough to really comment, but here’s a speculation. Have you tried cleaning the heads? I don’t know if it was a thread in this forum or on another forum altogether, but I read were someone was experiencing picture degradation with heavy pixilation. Turned out, after cleaning the heads everything got all better. I did note that a head cleaner tape was supplied with my HD10. Perhaps this format is more susceptible to dirty heads?

Michael Hyun · July 11th, 2003, 03:19 PM

thanks for the responses.

I would suggest to all of you to try out your external mics right away. JVC and my retailer have decided, based on my comments, that the unit is defective and are shipping a replacement out.

The interference sounds pretty much made any external mic unusable. I'm hoping that the replacement unit doesn't suffer from similar problems, otherwise I may give up on the JVC.

The problem probably lies in a defective minijack. It had nothing to do with the tape mechanism because the interference was very apparent when monitoring the audio with headphones, whether recording or not.

Additional comments from owners of the HD1 or HD10 would help dispel any questions concerning the JVC's audio quality.

Hopefully more of you are willing to share some of your experiences here.

Joe Russ · July 12th, 2003, 01:25 AM

are you sure it wasnt just from auto levels on the audio? i tried my rhode mic and my shure mic on mine and when theres no loud noises or dialogue the camera raises the audio and you hear lots of noises and that you shouldnt normally. this is why i do audio recording with a dat recorder seperate from the camera.....or use the onboard mic (which hasnt presented any problems other then the same crappy leveling and crappy mic-ness). hope that helps.....make sure they send you an hd10 back instead of an hd1 ;]

Michael Hyun · July 12th, 2003, 01:34 PM

Hey Joe,

You said "you hear lots of noises and that you shouldnt normally" when the auto audio gain kicks in.

Would you care to elaborate?

On the JVC I just sent back, when an external mic was plugged in, the hiss and static was so loud as to make any normal speaking voice completely inaudiable- and did not disappear (at all) when audio levels rose. The onboard mic, while more useable, suffered from more subtle interference sounds.

The audio with the external mic was so bad as to make me think it had to be an isolated occurance.

Again, more information will be helpful.

Joe Russ · July 12th, 2003, 03:53 PM

maybe yours was screwed up....i found the noise to be slightly worse with a mic plugged in than with the built in. but voices were still audible, just the auto gain stuff is crap.

Raymond Krystof · July 12th, 2003, 09:45 PM

I’ve only manage to put a few minute’s on my HD10. Result viewed only on the camera, vlc reader and Mpeg Edit Studio Pro software. I used an older external JVC directional microphone (not XLR) plugged into the external mic jack. The subject was my backyard with no voices but had running water from the pool, the house air conditioner and some distant traffic sounds. Basically the type of background sounds that would kick the audio gain control into overtime. I didn’t perceive any extraneous hiss, crackle or pop of any kind. The audio seemed clean and pretty natural.

Hope this helps,

Michael Hyun · July 17th, 2003, 12:46 PM

I just received my replacement unit. I have to say the audio quality of the external mic is no longer an issue- exactly the way it should be.

Btw- I've done some extensive testing of the onboard mic and have found it to be quite good in recording the full spectrum of sound. Music recorded on the JVC is pretty much accurate, with no significant dropoffs at any frequency, particularly lower hz. Much better than the MKE300 or the EW112P at these applications. Audio gain adjustments with the onboard or external mics are more difficult to discern than on previous camcorders i've owned.

No more snap, crackle and pops!

Heath McKnight · August 25th, 2003, 06:40 PM

Anyone else do any major tests with the HD10 (audio = unbalanced) with a mic plugged into the XLR input?

My buddy, who now co-owns the camera, thinks we should just go all DAT, because the sound is so "canned." But he agrees that the lack of a hiss is great, unlike the XL-1.

Let me know if anyone else has dones some good audio tests? I put the camera to the limit playing putt-putt golf for my interview on my DVD. A guy with a loud weed whacker (gas powered), an airport (smaller planes and Lear Jets-type of planes) and I-95 (major highway for those of you not on the east coast of the US), all on a not-too-terribly busy Saturday, but it was LOUD! In my SUV, the canned sound wasn't too bad, so maybe it increases with other sounds.

And don't forget, it IS unbalanced (the camera/audio)...

heath

Joe Russ · August 26th, 2003, 12:51 AM

i would prefer dat, but dont have the money to buy a recorder yet. so im using the on camera....i would agree with the 'canned' sound but the audio needs work anyway because of the agc. good equalization and a proper level gate can fix all that though...then it sounds fine.

Heath McKnight · August 26th, 2003, 05:53 PM

<<<-- Originally posted by Joe Russ : i would prefer dat, but dont have the money to buy a recorder yet. so im using the on camera....i would agree with the 'canned' sound but the audio needs work anyway because of the agc. good equalization and a proper level gate can fix all that though...then it sounds fine. -->>>

Since I'm audio idiot, can you explain that in laymen (aka, heath) terms? I use Final Cut Pro.

Thanks,

heath

July 10th, 2003, 05:13 PM	#1
Michael Hyun Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Detroit Posts: 46	Audio Problems Anyone? The audio on my HD1 is starting to crap out. From my test footage, I have started to see a general degradation of audio quality over the last week. It is a gradual increase of mostly light hiss, crackles and pops. I didn't really notice it until.... I had just got my Senn MKE300 and when I plugged it into the minijack, I got a chaotic din of crappy crackles and interference sounds. Man I'm pissed. I thought it might be the mic, but I tried it out on another camcorder and it sounded fine. Has anyone had any similar audio problems? I love the picture, but I really hope this is an isolated problem. I gotta shoot in 2 weeks and I really need to get this settled quickly.

July 11th, 2003, 08:59 AM	#5
Paul Mogg Major Player Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: San Francisco CA Posts: 386	I'm not experiencing any audio problems after having it for a few weeks now, but I haven't had time to do much shooting yet where audio was importantm, so to be honest I haven't paid a lot of attention. I Haven't used the XLR inputs yet. Hope this helps __________________ Paul

July 11th, 2003, 11:15 AM	#6
Raymond Krystof Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Santa Clarita, California Posts: 97	Speculation! Michael I haven’t had my HD10 long enough to really comment, but here’s a speculation. Have you tried cleaning the heads? I don’t know if it was a thread in this forum or on another forum altogether, but I read were someone was experiencing picture degradation with heavy pixilation. Turned out, after cleaning the heads everything got all better. I did note that a head cleaner tape was supplied with my HD10. Perhaps this format is more susceptible to dirty heads? __________________ Ray

July 12th, 2003, 09:45 PM	#11
Raymond Krystof Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Santa Clarita, California Posts: 97	For what it’s worth I’ve only manage to put a few minute’s on my HD10. Result viewed only on the camera, vlc reader and Mpeg Edit Studio Pro software. I used an older external JVC directional microphone (not XLR) plugged into the external mic jack. The subject was my backyard with no voices but had running water from the pool, the house air conditioner and some distant traffic sounds. Basically the type of background sounds that would kick the audio gain control into overtime. I didn’t perceive any extraneous hiss, crackle or pop of any kind. The audio seemed clean and pretty natural. Hope this helps, __________________ Ray

August 25th, 2003, 06:40 PM	#13
Heath McKnight MPS Digital Studios Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Palm Beach County, Florida Posts: 8,531	Audio Anyone else do any major tests with the HD10 (audio = unbalanced) with a mic plugged into the XLR input? My buddy, who now co-owns the camera, thinks we should just go all DAT, because the sound is so "canned." But he agrees that the lack of a hiss is great, unlike the XL-1. Let me know if anyone else has dones some good audio tests? I put the camera to the limit playing putt-putt golf for my interview on my DVD. A guy with a loud weed whacker (gas powered), an airport (smaller planes and Lear Jets-type of planes) and I-95 (major highway for those of you not on the east coast of the US), all on a not-too-terribly busy Saturday, but it was LOUD! In my SUV, the canned sound wasn't too bad, so maybe it increases with other sounds. And don't forget, it IS unbalanced (the camera/audio)... heath __________________ My Final Cut Pro X blog

July 10th, 2003, 05:29 PM	#2
Michael Hyun Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Detroit Posts: 46	btw- how would you guys rate the audio quality of the XLR to minijack adaptor on the HD10?

July 10th, 2003, 06:21 PM	#3
Michael Hyun Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Detroit Posts: 46	anyone mind commenting on the quality of their audio with external mics? (hd1 or hd10) i have to know whether this is an isolated problem, or if it runs in the family. if there is a pattern, i may bail on getting a replacement.

July 10th, 2003, 10:06 PM	#4
Michael Hyun Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Detroit Posts: 46	45 hits, and not a single response? humor me please?

July 11th, 2003, 03:19 PM	#7
Michael Hyun Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Detroit Posts: 46	thanks for the responses. I would suggest to all of you to try out your external mics right away. JVC and my retailer have decided, based on my comments, that the unit is defective and are shipping a replacement out. The interference sounds pretty much made any external mic unusable. I'm hoping that the replacement unit doesn't suffer from similar problems, otherwise I may give up on the JVC. The problem probably lies in a defective minijack. It had nothing to do with the tape mechanism because the interference was very apparent when monitoring the audio with headphones, whether recording or not. Additional comments from owners of the HD1 or HD10 would help dispel any questions concerning the JVC's audio quality. Hopefully more of you are willing to share some of your experiences here.

July 12th, 2003, 01:25 AM	#8
Joe Russ Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: New York, NY Posts: 99	are you sure it wasnt just from auto levels on the audio? i tried my rhode mic and my shure mic on mine and when theres no loud noises or dialogue the camera raises the audio and you hear lots of noises and that you shouldnt normally. this is why i do audio recording with a dat recorder seperate from the camera.....or use the onboard mic (which hasnt presented any problems other then the same crappy leveling and crappy mic-ness). hope that helps.....make sure they send you an hd10 back instead of an hd1 ;]

July 12th, 2003, 01:34 PM	#9
Michael Hyun Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Detroit Posts: 46	Hey Joe, You said "you hear lots of noises and that you shouldnt normally" when the auto audio gain kicks in. Would you care to elaborate? On the JVC I just sent back, when an external mic was plugged in, the hiss and static was so loud as to make any normal speaking voice completely inaudiable- and did not disappear (at all) when audio levels rose. The onboard mic, while more useable, suffered from more subtle interference sounds. The audio with the external mic was so bad as to make me think it had to be an isolated occurance. Again, more information will be helpful.

July 12th, 2003, 03:53 PM	#10
Joe Russ Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: New York, NY Posts: 99	maybe yours was screwed up....i found the noise to be slightly worse with a mic plugged in than with the built in. but voices were still audible, just the auto gain stuff is crap.

July 17th, 2003, 12:46 PM	#12
Michael Hyun Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Detroit Posts: 46	I just received my replacement unit. I have to say the audio quality of the external mic is no longer an issue- exactly the way it should be. Btw- I've done some extensive testing of the onboard mic and have found it to be quite good in recording the full spectrum of sound. Music recorded on the JVC is pretty much accurate, with no significant dropoffs at any frequency, particularly lower hz. Much better than the MKE300 or the EW112P at these applications. Audio gain adjustments with the onboard or external mics are more difficult to discern than on previous camcorders i've owned. No more snap, crackle and pops!

August 26th, 2003, 12:51 AM	#14
Joe Russ Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: New York, NY Posts: 99	i would prefer dat, but dont have the money to buy a recorder yet. so im using the on camera....i would agree with the 'canned' sound but the audio needs work anyway because of the agc. good equalization and a proper level gate can fix all that though...then it sounds fine.

August 26th, 2003, 05:53 PM	#15
Heath McKnight MPS Digital Studios Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Palm Beach County, Florida Posts: 8,531	<<<-- Originally posted by Joe Russ : i would prefer dat, but dont have the money to buy a recorder yet. so im using the on camera....i would agree with the 'canned' sound but the audio needs work anyway because of the agc. good equalization and a proper level gate can fix all that though...then it sounds fine. -->>> Since I'm audio idiot, can you explain that in laymen (aka, heath) terms? I use Final Cut Pro. Thanks, heath __________________ My Final Cut Pro X blog