Please Help Gather Data to Help Diagnose P2 Audio Problem

[ullanta]

Greetings! As you may have heard, some people are experiencing a problem where a low-level beep infects the audio when recording to P2 cards on the HVX.

Please perform the following simple test:

Put on your headphones, set your audio 1&2 inputs for XLR line in, set your audio gains to max with nothing connected, and listen while stopping and starting recording to your P2 cards.

See if you hear a distinct difference in sound when you stop and start recording. Please respond then to the survey; and if you do hear a difference in sound, can you please post some details to characterize it? Please also mention, if possible, what differences you hear with different cards and different slots. Also, please tell us the approximate purchase date of the camera and the beginning of the serial number.

Please DO NOT POST in this thread and DO NOT ANSWER THE SURVEY if you haven't performed the exact controlled test specified. We really need to try to pin this down accurately, and controlling conditions is important.

Thank you!
Barry

[Jeff Anderson]

doh forgot my camera was here at work... so while I render some crap -

SN: j6tc00...
Purchased January 07

Per the test with the headphone volume cranked listening through sony 7506's:

when not recording I hear digital noise (clicks) that is very fast paced and runs in time with the TC (1 click per frame) (I use free run time code, but the noise is the same when in rec run mode). When recording the noise is still there but every two seconds (the even ones in my case) I hear a high pitched but faint beep along with the clicks at every frame. I hear the same thing when playing back clips as well. I can capture later and post if they are there in an NLE too, but need to get home to do that.

This occurs on all 3 of my 8gb cards from Jan 07 (2) and Jun 07 (1). Both slots make the same noise. My firmware is the older pre-16gb firmware that came with the camera.

So far I've never noticed this noise but also always had a mic plugged in and had sufficient room tone to cover it I'm sure. Also never had my levels this high. Oddly too when you take the lens cap on and off the fast clicks change pitch for a bit. Like the CCD's are reacting or something and I'm picking up the noise. What I'm hearing though I would definitely not consider problematic for what I'm doing but I may be hearing something different than those reporting these beeps. Hope this helps.

[ullanta]

I have beeping in both slots when using 16GB cards. I get a modem-like sound when recording to my 4GB card. The Beeping is physically audible when you're close to the camera.

My HVX is fairly early (delivered April 2006), SN#C6TC00xxx R;

[Jeff Anderson]

oh yeah you're beeping is much louder than my beeping then. Mine is very quiet over the phones and inaudible with the phones off.

[ullanta]

Thanks, that's useful info. Your description sounds sorta like the beeps I get with the 16GB cards... have you tried different frame rates/data rates? When you get bored...

[Indywannabe]

B7TC puchased April 2007.

- Slight beep clearly recognizable only when set up per your test instructions

- 1.5 to 2 beeps per second beginning about a second after rec button pushed

- could hear both right and left through Sony 7506...no external detected.

- both card slots and all 16gb cards (all beep the same)

- 720/24pn, 480/60i (beeps the same)

- Ran through all scene file settings on wheel which switched it from film to video modes (beeps the same)

- switched between -50 and -60 db with no noticeable difference

- turned on/off the front and rear recording lights (no difference)

- does not beep in tape mode

- cards formatted in camera to start; however were emptied and files deleted using P2CMS

The good news is that the beep is not clearly recognizable at normal levels (or even at high usable levels) with ambient sound and surely not with dialog.

[TedRR]

Purchased camera in March 06.
Have NOT upgraded the firmware for the 16 gig cards.
I don't hear any beeping using above listed specs or any other I tried.
I do hear noise, but not an unexpected s/n for turning the input pots to the max.
I do hear the button being touched through the HVX speaker with volume all the way up, but not on the recording.

Maybe I'm just lucky?

[Barry_Green]

May not be necessary. Jan posted that those who have HVX200s with beeping should contact Panasonic, and she gave an e-mail address of how to do so. Either they have a fix, or they need more info, but either way it seems like doing what she says would be best.

[ullanta]

I do hear noise, but not an unexpected s/n for turning the input pots to the max.


... but you're saying no distinction in the noise between when recording to the P2 card, and when in stop/pause mode, right?

What size cards?

Thanks!

[ullanta]

Sounds like a fix - great news!

Strangely posted only in the HPX500 forum, Jan said "but keep in mind this post in in the HPX500 forum and the solution has been found for the HVX200 at this point. The HPX500 is still under investigation."

Sorry Jan if it's inappropriate to repost your comments, but I really thought the HVX owners would want to hear the reassuring phrase "solution has been found"!

[Alan Dague-Greene]

The noise I hear I can only describe as mechanical-sounding, but it is so faint that I probably wouldn't ever have noticed it. A kind of scraping sound that occurs once every four blinks of the P2 light, about a two-second interval. Also more scraping noises on start/stop, like a machine coming up to speed and being stopped. Again, this is so faint that I never would have noticed.

Camera purchased in August 2006, two 4GB cards bought at different times.

[TedRR]

... but you're saying no distinction in the noise between when recording to the P2 card, and when in stop/pause mode, right?

What size cards?

Thanks!

Correct, and 8 gig cards.
Sounds like a fix is in the works.

[ShootDC]

Thanks for your posts Ullanta. I experience the beeping anyway you want to record it on both slots. I wrote to Panasonic as suggested. Again guys, thanks for posting, otherwise I would have never found Jan's post buried in another thread.
I am not getting too excited about Panasonic's action on the issue. Consider the fact that this problem was reported an ignored as far back at August 2007.
http://forums.creativecow.net/readpost/193/866680
Even if there is a fix it will cost us all $'s in downtime and rentals. I pray the Panny engineering group has an answer and a gratis fix.

[ullanta]

There is; and it's quick!

[MikeWilkinson]

I had noticed the beeping while monitoring audio on a couple of shoots in the last couple months. Always very low, and can't hear it unless it's totally quiet and my headphones are turned up.

I never thought much of it as I've never heard it on my footage in post.

HOWEVER, after reading these posts I checked my most recent footage, and there it was. The audio is completely usable, as I can't hear the beeping without turning my audio all the way up and raising the dB level in FCP. It is a constant beeping, slightly faster than once a second. Sometimes I don't hear it for a few seconds and then it returns. (My work's HVX w/ 2x8gb @ 720pn30, Azden receiver feeding both XLR inputs)

After all of this, I performed your test as listed with 2x8gb cards. Strangely enough, I heard NO beeping. I did hear a change in the noise when recording/pause.

I have also heard beeping with my personal HVX w/16gb on some past shoots, but never loud enough to be heard in post when working with normal levels.

Should I bother contacting Pana/Jan if it's not a problem with my recorded footage you think?

[Luis Caffesse]

There is; and it's quick!

So what's the solution?

EDITED TO ADD:
Just found your other post
http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=121899

[alexberman]

I've been experiencing the beeping since upgrading to a 16gb p2 card. It only occurs with a 16gb card in slot 1. I'm relieved a fix has been found.

[Barry_Green]

Guys, this issue is now fixed. If you have beeping, contact a Panasonic authorized service center and they will execute a repair for free. If you need to ship the camera to them, they will pay for return shipping and insurance.