Microphone CLICKS (plug in power microphone) at DVinfo.net

Timothy Takemoto · October 31st, 2007, 07:26 PM

How did you manage to overcome the dreaded clicking microphone? Does yours click too? Do you use a plug in power microphone that does not click?

I can use a dynamic micrphone but it is bigger than the camera and the output is a bit on the low side. After going to all this trouble to find a compact camera with a microphone, it does not work with the type of small microphonethat it is advertised to work with!

I have put a ferrite core on both the microphone extension lead and on the adapter.

Does your camera have the same problem too?

Have you overcome this problem *with a plug in power* (small) microphone?

Does your microphone have a thick cable? I thought that perhaps it might be the screening on the cable.

I will post a link to a click video soon.

Timothy Takemoto · October 31st, 2007, 10:59 PM

Here is a demonstration of the clicks. This is a swif file
http://yueigo.epc.yamaguchi-u.ac.jp/temp/clicks2.swf
This is the full 34MB original.
http://yueigo.epc.yamaguchi-u.ac.jp/temp/clicks.MP4

the clicks occur when I move the hand touching the camera, stroking the camera as it were. Even though the microphone leads were swaying, this swaying did not cause the clicks to occur.

In other words it does not seem to be a result of mechanically interupting the microphone cable, but rather due to some sort of interference as a result of the camera hand coming into contact with the camera case.

This is a screen shot of the clicky audio in Sony Vegas
http://yueigo.epc.yamaguchi-u.ac.jp/temp/clicks2.jpg
The clicks are pretty high voltage spikes.

Perhaps if I paid somene to make a thick shielded cable?

This is really important because the whole reason I bought the camera was since I have a need for a small camera with a microphone.

I am going to post this to a couple of other forums.

Tim

Jim Babcock · November 1st, 2007, 07:39 AM

Funny you should ask...

I sent the camera back to the Sanyo service center and after a month or so it was returned, supposedly fixed. It wasn't; the click continued. Since they were in Southern California and I have relatives I visit there, I physically took it to the Service Center and showed them the problem. They agreed to fix it but this time, I asked them to email me a 10 second clip recorded with an external mic.

So after a month or so I called them and they said they had sent it to Sanyo's headquarters. I called the later and was told an engineer would look at it. After a few more weeks, they called back and, rather sheepishly, admitted they couldn't fix it and, kindly sent me a whole new HD2 to replace my HD1.

This worked fine until it kinda blew up one day. I'm not sure what happened but suddenly it was dead metal. This time I took it back personally to the Service Center and after a month, they sent it back, working fine.

The Sanyo saga continues...

And for the record, I love the camera and will probably by the new one.

Timothy Takemoto · November 1st, 2007, 08:32 AM

Thanks Jim
So the problem was solved with the HD2? Mine is a HD2. I would hate to have to send it away for months.
Was it the same type of clicking sound that I am experiecing?
http://yueigo.epc.yamaguchi-u.ac.jp/temp/clicks2.swf
What microphone did you use with the HD2? Was it click free? Did you use ferrite cores on the microphone lead? Did it have a thick lead?
The external microphone has disappeared from the HD700 and the HD1000 is a little big, but cool. Perhaps I should have bought the HD1000 it was, is about twice the price at 800 USD as opposed to 400.
No need to answer all of these questions.
I really hope to find a solution.
Tim

Jim Babcock · November 1st, 2007, 10:29 AM

Actually, it existed with the HD1, not HD2. I listened to your clip and THAT is a different problem. The clicks you are getting sound like a loose connection and/or a defective wire. Sanyo insists on that puny, non-standard mic input that requires their stiff little converter wire; a recipe for a loose connection. If you do a little research, you can find a cable that goes directly from your dynamic mic to their input and bypasses their connector.

BTW, I tried a variety of mics ranging in cost from $40 to $400, all with the same effect. But again, YOUR problem sounds like it is in the connection and you could probably fix it with a new wire.

Right now, it's a non-issue for me as I usually use the Sanyo for B-roll and my Canon HDV for the sound track.

Timothy Takemoto · November 1st, 2007, 11:22 AM

Thanks. A defective wire....Oh. I will try another wire or two.

I have never know a wire to be defective before. Also, the clicks do not seem to occur when I move the wire, but when I touch the body of the camera with my hand suggesting some sort of electronic interference. But perhaps the interference is happening because of some break in the shielding.

I can't seem to find a one meter wire with a 3.5mm socket and a 2.5mm plug.

Ah...It could be the microphone itself. I have just tried a really cheap computer microphone and that does not have any clicks, although the level is low and the quality poor. It sounds like it has clicks but that is just when my breath hits it. I think that there may be one click when I rub the camera though.
http://yueigo.epc.yamaguchi-u.ac.jp/...microphone.swf
It could be that it does not have the gain or output level to pick up the interference.

When I attach the audio technica mini gun microphone directly to the adapter I get clicks again. Soo...the problems seem to be with the audio technica microphone. Perhaps it is just a defective microphone. When I read here that people had been having microphone problems it did not occur to me to suspect a brand new microphone of being defective. The below is a clicky recording of the audio technica microphone plugged directly into the jack adapter.
http://yueigo.epc.yamaguchi-u.ac.jp/temp/nowire.swf

Suspecting then that the audiotechnical microphone may not be functional, I tried it with a high quality mp3 player (EDIROL, WAVE/MP3 RECORDER R-1) only to find that it records perfectly.
http://yueigo.epc.yamaguchi-u.ac.jp/temp/mp3.mp3

So...of the three microphones I have (dynamic, non-plug-in-power, plug-in-power) on the latter does not work.

Tim

Jim Babcock · November 7th, 2007, 11:38 AM

"3.5mm socket and a 2.5mm plug"

markertek.com I believe sells such a connector though I couldn't immediately find it on their catalog. However, it doesn't sound like that is the problem, since wiggling the wire doesn't affect it.

I'm a little unclear, however, do you get the clicking with several mics or just the new one? Try some friends' mics or go to a store that sells them and try a few more. If it is mic specific, you can simply switch mics. If it occurs with all mics when the signal is good enough to hear the clicking, see if Sanyo will send you a new connector if you can't buy one online.

If those two approaches don't work, send it back to to Sanyo. I agree with you about how wonderful the camera can be if it works properly with an external mic.

PS, Sorry for the late reply. Work, plus family illness, plus sudden need to get a new car. The old one (American, of course ;-)) sort of blew up.

Timothy Takemoto · November 7th, 2007, 10:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Babcock

"markertek.com I believe sells such a connector though"

Thanks Jim. I will look into it. (I could not find it either but....)

Alas recent tests show that it is the microphone itself. It clicks even when I do not use the extension lead, and the dynamic microphone works fine with the extension lead.

So I think I will have to buy another little microphone. Like you say, I should test them in the shop.

My car nearly blew up even though it is Japanese, due to a low speed colision with a concrete bench.

Tim

Jim Babcock · November 8th, 2007, 09:30 PM

Well, at least you know now what the problem is, and it's NOT the camera.

Sennheiser makes some great dynamic interview mics in a variety prices. I'm particularly fond of the MD 46.

Good clean sound, solid construction, and, guaranteed not to blow up!

Timothy Takemoto · November 8th, 2007, 09:52 PM

True.

I am okay with my Sony F-V420 (about25USD) and Panasonic WM-430 (about 150USD) dynamic microphones. And they *just about* fit inside my jacket pocket.

Tim

Timothy Takemoto · February 23rd, 2008, 03:13 AM

I found that even the dynamic microhpones resulted in clicks but then I purchased a Sony pc-262S miniature (2.5 mm mic output) to microminiature (3.5 mm camera input) converter
http://tinyurl.com/29cjef
in place of the converter wire in the box, and the clicks seem to have gone! It seems that the problem was the convertion wire thing.

So now I can use a tie clip microphone.
http://www.vimeo.com/719320
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=e_uj7wXTL8A

By the way Jim, thanks for the SENNHEISER MD46 recommendation. It is also recommended highly at amazon.com.

Timothy Takemoto · March 27th, 2008, 12:53 AM

The clicks came back. I think that it is a mechanical thing - that the plug should not be pushed all the way in but almost all the way in. I think that I will have to send it back to Sanyo.

October 31st, 2007, 07:26 PM	#1
Timothy Takemoto Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Yamaguchi, Japan Posts: 71	Microphone CLICKS (plug in power microphone) How did you manage to overcome the dreaded clicking microphone? Does yours click too? Do you use a plug in power microphone that does not click? I can use a dynamic micrphone but it is bigger than the camera and the output is a bit on the low side. After going to all this trouble to find a compact camera with a microphone, it does not work with the type of small microphonethat it is advertised to work with! I have put a ferrite core on both the microphone extension lead and on the adapter. Does your camera have the same problem too? Have you overcome this problem with a plug in power (small) microphone? Does your microphone have a thick cable? I thought that perhaps it might be the screening on the cable. I will post a link to a click video soon.

October 31st, 2007, 10:59 PM	#2
Timothy Takemoto Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Yamaguchi, Japan Posts: 71	Click video and screen shot Here is a demonstration of the clicks. This is a swif file http://yueigo.epc.yamaguchi-u.ac.jp/temp/clicks2.swf This is the full 34MB original. http://yueigo.epc.yamaguchi-u.ac.jp/temp/clicks.MP4 the clicks occur when I move the hand touching the camera, stroking the camera as it were. Even though the microphone leads were swaying, this swaying did not cause the clicks to occur. In other words it does not seem to be a result of mechanically interupting the microphone cable, but rather due to some sort of interference as a result of the camera hand coming into contact with the camera case. This is a screen shot of the clicky audio in Sony Vegas http://yueigo.epc.yamaguchi-u.ac.jp/temp/clicks2.jpg The clicks are pretty high voltage spikes. Perhaps if I paid somene to make a thick shielded cable? This is really important because the whole reason I bought the camera was since I have a need for a small camera with a microphone. I am going to post this to a couple of other forums. Tim

November 1st, 2007, 07:39 AM	#3
Jim Babcock Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Houston,Texas Posts: 38	clicking Funny you should ask... I sent the camera back to the Sanyo service center and after a month or so it was returned, supposedly fixed. It wasn't; the click continued. Since they were in Southern California and I have relatives I visit there, I physically took it to the Service Center and showed them the problem. They agreed to fix it but this time, I asked them to email me a 10 second clip recorded with an external mic. So after a month or so I called them and they said they had sent it to Sanyo's headquarters. I called the later and was told an engineer would look at it. After a few more weeks, they called back and, rather sheepishly, admitted they couldn't fix it and, kindly sent me a whole new HD2 to replace my HD1. This worked fine until it kinda blew up one day. I'm not sure what happened but suddenly it was dead metal. This time I took it back personally to the Service Center and after a month, they sent it back, working fine. The Sanyo saga continues... And for the record, I love the camera and will probably by the new one.

November 1st, 2007, 11:22 AM	#6
Timothy Takemoto Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Yamaguchi, Japan Posts: 71	Thanks. A defective wire....Oh. I will try another wire or two. I have never know a wire to be defective before. Also, the clicks do not seem to occur when I move the wire, but when I touch the body of the camera with my hand suggesting some sort of electronic interference. But perhaps the interference is happening because of some break in the shielding. I can't seem to find a one meter wire with a 3.5mm socket and a 2.5mm plug. Ah...It could be the microphone itself. I have just tried a really cheap computer microphone and that does not have any clicks, although the level is low and the quality poor. It sounds like it has clicks but that is just when my breath hits it. I think that there may be one click when I rub the camera though. http://yueigo.epc.yamaguchi-u.ac.jp/...microphone.swf It could be that it does not have the gain or output level to pick up the interference. When I attach the audio technica mini gun microphone directly to the adapter I get clicks again. Soo...the problems seem to be with the audio technica microphone. Perhaps it is just a defective microphone. When I read here that people had been having microphone problems it did not occur to me to suspect a brand new microphone of being defective. The below is a clicky recording of the audio technica microphone plugged directly into the jack adapter. http://yueigo.epc.yamaguchi-u.ac.jp/temp/nowire.swf Suspecting then that the audiotechnical microphone may not be functional, I tried it with a high quality mp3 player (EDIROL, WAVE/MP3 RECORDER R-1) only to find that it records perfectly. http://yueigo.epc.yamaguchi-u.ac.jp/temp/mp3.mp3 So...of the three microphones I have (dynamic, non-plug-in-power, plug-in-power) on the latter does not work. Tim Last edited by Timothy Takemoto; November 1st, 2007 at 06:12 PM.

February 23rd, 2008, 03:13 AM	#11
Timothy Takemoto Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Yamaguchi, Japan Posts: 71	Solved the clicks - It was the 3.5mm to 2.5mm conversion wire I found that even the dynamic microhpones resulted in clicks but then I purchased a Sony pc-262S miniature (2.5 mm mic output) to microminiature (3.5 mm camera input) converter http://tinyurl.com/29cjef in place of the converter wire in the box, and the clicks seem to have gone! It seems that the problem was the convertion wire thing. So now I can use a tie clip microphone. http://www.vimeo.com/719320 http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=e_uj7wXTL8A By the way Jim, thanks for the SENNHEISER MD46 recommendation. It is also recommended highly at amazon.com. Last edited by Timothy Takemoto; February 23rd, 2008 at 04:16 AM. Reason: add youtube link too

November 1st, 2007, 08:32 AM	#4
Timothy Takemoto Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Yamaguchi, Japan Posts: 71	Thanks Jim So the problem was solved with the HD2? Mine is a HD2. I would hate to have to send it away for months. Was it the same type of clicking sound that I am experiecing? http://yueigo.epc.yamaguchi-u.ac.jp/temp/clicks2.swf What microphone did you use with the HD2? Was it click free? Did you use ferrite cores on the microphone lead? Did it have a thick lead? The external microphone has disappeared from the HD700 and the HD1000 is a little big, but cool. Perhaps I should have bought the HD1000 it was, is about twice the price at 800 USD as opposed to 400. No need to answer all of these questions. I really hope to find a solution. Tim

November 1st, 2007, 10:29 AM	#5
Jim Babcock Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Houston,Texas Posts: 38	Actually, it existed with the HD1, not HD2. I listened to your clip and THAT is a different problem. The clicks you are getting sound like a loose connection and/or a defective wire. Sanyo insists on that puny, non-standard mic input that requires their stiff little converter wire; a recipe for a loose connection. If you do a little research, you can find a cable that goes directly from your dynamic mic to their input and bypasses their connector. BTW, I tried a variety of mics ranging in cost from $40 to $400, all with the same effect. But again, YOUR problem sounds like it is in the connection and you could probably fix it with a new wire. Right now, it's a non-issue for me as I usually use the Sanyo for B-roll and my Canon HDV for the sound track.

November 7th, 2007, 11:38 AM	#7
Jim Babcock Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Houston,Texas Posts: 38	"3.5mm socket and a 2.5mm plug" markertek.com I believe sells such a connector though I couldn't immediately find it on their catalog. However, it doesn't sound like that is the problem, since wiggling the wire doesn't affect it. I'm a little unclear, however, do you get the clicking with several mics or just the new one? Try some friends' mics or go to a store that sells them and try a few more. If it is mic specific, you can simply switch mics. If it occurs with all mics when the signal is good enough to hear the clicking, see if Sanyo will send you a new connector if you can't buy one online. If those two approaches don't work, send it back to to Sanyo. I agree with you about how wonderful the camera can be if it works properly with an external mic. PS, Sorry for the late reply. Work, plus family illness, plus sudden need to get a new car. The old one (American, of course ;-)) sort of blew up.

November 8th, 2007, 09:30 PM	#9
Jim Babcock Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Houston,Texas Posts: 38	Well, at least you know now what the problem is, and it's NOT the camera. Sennheiser makes some great dynamic interview mics in a variety prices. I'm particularly fond of the MD 46. Good clean sound, solid construction, and, guaranteed not to blow up!

November 8th, 2007, 09:52 PM	#10
Timothy Takemoto Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Yamaguchi, Japan Posts: 71	True. I am okay with my Sony F-V420 (about25USD) and Panasonic WM-430 (about 150USD) dynamic microphones. And they just about fit inside my jacket pocket. Tim

March 27th, 2008, 12:53 AM	#12
Timothy Takemoto Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Yamaguchi, Japan Posts: 71	The return of the clicks. The clicks came back. I think that it is a mechanical thing - that the plug should not be pushed all the way in but almost all the way in. I think that I will have to send it back to Sanyo.