PDX10 Microphone Confusion at DVinfo.net

Rick Visser · March 7th, 2005, 12:57 AM

Greetings! I am new to the forum. All the best to everyone.

I recently purchased a PDX10 and have a number of questions regarding audio. 1.) Sony says that when the external microphone is attached, the internal is muted. But, when I tap on the internal mic I get the clear impression that it is still VERY active. 2.) As well, when with headphones on (Sony MDR-7506), the sound sensitivity seems outrageous: the slightest whisper seems amplified. I tremble with fear that someone will make a very loud noise and ruin my ears for life. 3.) I also have a Sennheiser EW100 lav mic which, so far, I have been unable to get to work when I attach it to the camera. I was hoping to use the ECM mike in conjunction with the lav to obtain a crisp and clear reading of a poet's voice and at the same time, obtain a feel for the ambience of the room. This may be a naive idea; I don't know...and I'm still trying to trace down why the lav doesn't seem to work at all when attached to the xlr input (I tried both 1 and 2), even though I am getting a good signal between transmitter and receiver.

I hope these questions hold some interest for a few members of this august and sagacious group. Best wishes to all, Rick Visser

Chris Long · March 7th, 2005, 07:45 AM

Hi Rick--
Welcome! August and sagacious, indeed! (stifles guffaw...)

Here's a stab at (some?all?) of your problems. I would try to re-install the XLR block into the "intelligent" shoe on top of the camera. I had trouble getting it seated properly--it really needs to SNAP into place. If it's not seated all the way, some of what you describe would happen.

Without it properly seated and installed, the onboard mics would still be on, as you seem to be experiencing...

And of course the lav mic wouldn't work, since the XLR block wasn't connected to anything.

As for the volume--try to reinstall the XLR first (it is tricky...you almost have to force it...almost) and then see how the volume is. If still too high, simply drop the volume using the volume controls under the LCD.

Hope this helps...it's as good a place to start as any.

Chris Long · March 7th, 2005, 08:04 AM

<<<-- Originally posted by Chris Long : As for the volume--try to reinstall the XLR first (it is tricky...you almost have to force it...almost) and then see how the volume is. If still too high, simply drop the volume using the volume controls under the LCD. -->>>

May have mispoken here...I think you'd need to drop the recording levels via the SEL/PUSH EXEC dial at the bottom back of the cam. But there may be more than one way, and it's not right in front of me now...and it's early. Need some coffee.

Bu the volume can wait until you have a working mic/XLR setup, anyway.

Rick Visser · March 7th, 2005, 08:32 AM

It seems to me that many of lifes woes are like this: one needs a friend who can tell you that you need to simply push that connection just a tiny bit further and your life will snap into place...as it did with the xlr connection when I took Chris's advice: I pushed it in just a bit more and it snapped into place...just as he said. Although, at this moment, I do not have time to explore further, I think my troubles (at least in this small corner of my life) are over. I will set out again, reanimated, with a little more confidence in the human condition, confident again in the basic evolutionary law of mutual aid. Thanks, Chris!

Chris Long · March 7th, 2005, 08:47 AM

You're welcome, Rick. Glad to set that straight..it's a rather common problem. I've done it myself, as have many on these boards. Sony should put a line in the instructions that says something like "We really mean it when we say SNAP it into place!"

It was hard to bring myself to use force on the most expensive thing I own...

Good luck!

Ignacio Rodriguez · March 7th, 2005, 11:14 AM

The same thing happened to me when I first assembled the camera. Unfortunately I was not part of DVinfo yet, so I had to figure it out on my own.

March 7th, 2005, 12:57 AM	#1
Rick Visser Tourist Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Lyons Colorado Posts: 2	PDX10 Microphone Confusion Greetings! I am new to the forum. All the best to everyone. I recently purchased a PDX10 and have a number of questions regarding audio. 1.) Sony says that when the external microphone is attached, the internal is muted. But, when I tap on the internal mic I get the clear impression that it is still VERY active. 2.) As well, when with headphones on (Sony MDR-7506), the sound sensitivity seems outrageous: the slightest whisper seems amplified. I tremble with fear that someone will make a very loud noise and ruin my ears for life. 3.) I also have a Sennheiser EW100 lav mic which, so far, I have been unable to get to work when I attach it to the camera. I was hoping to use the ECM mike in conjunction with the lav to obtain a crisp and clear reading of a poet's voice and at the same time, obtain a feel for the ambience of the room. This may be a naive idea; I don't know...and I'm still trying to trace down why the lav doesn't seem to work at all when attached to the xlr input (I tried both 1 and 2), even though I am getting a good signal between transmitter and receiver. I hope these questions hold some interest for a few members of this august and sagacious group. Best wishes to all, Rick Visser

March 7th, 2005, 11:14 AM	#6
Ignacio Rodriguez Contributor Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Santiago, Chile Posts: 932	The same thing happened to me when I first assembled the camera. Unfortunately I was not part of DVinfo yet, so I had to figure it out on my own. __________________ Ignacio Rodríguez in the third world. @micronauta on Twitter. Main hardware: brain, eyes, hands.

March 7th, 2005, 07:45 AM	#2
Chris Long Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Middletown, Maryland USA Posts: 177	Hi Rick-- Welcome! August and sagacious, indeed! (stifles guffaw...) Here's a stab at (some?all?) of your problems. I would try to re-install the XLR block into the "intelligent" shoe on top of the camera. I had trouble getting it seated properly--it really needs to SNAP into place. If it's not seated all the way, some of what you describe would happen. Without it properly seated and installed, the onboard mics would still be on, as you seem to be experiencing... And of course the lav mic wouldn't work, since the XLR block wasn't connected to anything. As for the volume--try to reinstall the XLR first (it is tricky...you almost have to force it...almost) and then see how the volume is. If still too high, simply drop the volume using the volume controls under the LCD. Hope this helps...it's as good a place to start as any.

March 7th, 2005, 08:04 AM	#3
Chris Long Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Middletown, Maryland USA Posts: 177	<<<-- Originally posted by Chris Long : As for the volume--try to reinstall the XLR first (it is tricky...you almost have to force it...almost) and then see how the volume is. If still too high, simply drop the volume using the volume controls under the LCD. -->>> May have mispoken here...I think you'd need to drop the recording levels via the SEL/PUSH EXEC dial at the bottom back of the cam. But there may be more than one way, and it's not right in front of me now...and it's early. Need some coffee. Bu the volume can wait until you have a working mic/XLR setup, anyway.

March 7th, 2005, 08:32 AM	#4
Rick Visser Tourist Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Lyons Colorado Posts: 2	It seems to me that many of lifes woes are like this: one needs a friend who can tell you that you need to simply push that connection just a tiny bit further and your life will snap into place...as it did with the xlr connection when I took Chris's advice: I pushed it in just a bit more and it snapped into place...just as he said. Although, at this moment, I do not have time to explore further, I think my troubles (at least in this small corner of my life) are over. I will set out again, reanimated, with a little more confidence in the human condition, confident again in the basic evolutionary law of mutual aid. Thanks, Chris!

March 7th, 2005, 08:47 AM	#5
Chris Long Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Middletown, Maryland USA Posts: 177	You're welcome, Rick. Glad to set that straight..it's a rather common problem. I've done it myself, as have many on these boards. Sony should put a line in the instructions that says something like "We really mean it when we say SNAP it into place!" It was hard to bring myself to use force on the most expensive thing I own... Good luck!