Dvx100b, Oktava mk-012 hiss

Dustin Wadsworth

Dustin Wadsworth

Active member
I'm about ripping my hair out at this point!
I was shooting a video and using my oktava mk-012 for the first time today and I'm getting a crazy hiss. I thought maybe it was just my headphones so I threw it into vegas to make sure and the hiss is still there. I also tried the Oktava on my friends sony v1u and it sounds great so I'm guessing it's not the mic or cable or headphones.
My internal mics on the dvx are sounding way better than the Oktava is at this point!

I've tried it in both inputs, 1 and 2.
My "input 2 line/ mic" on the front is set to "mic"
My +48V phantom power is turned on.
My in camera settings are set to 48k @ 32bit and -50db (the -60 db setting is obviously worse)
"Ch 1 select" and "Ch 2 select" are both set to input 2.

Am I missing something?


Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
 
Last edited:
Hmm, this is frusterating. I just shot away using the on board mics. I'm really dissapointed with my dvx. Something has to be wrong with it.
 
Hey... what do you mean by "48k @ 32bit"? Your choices are 48k @ 16-bit or 32K @ 12 bit....

Anyway, what are your gain settings? Does adjusting gain make a difference in the hiss level?
 
ullanta said:
Hey... what do you mean by "48k @ 32bit"?
Click to expand...

Oops, yeah I meant 16bit.

Does adjusting gain make a difference in the hiss level?
Click to expand...

It does, but it's still relative. I can lower the hissing with the gain but noise still drowns out the vocal levels.
So by the time the hissing is under controll the dialoge is too low to hear.

And by hissing I mean that it sounds like the mic is way too hot until you hear dialoge and then it sounds like it needs gain.

I've pretty much given up on good sound on this project (my lights are going back in a few hours :( ) but I still need to figure this out for future projects.
 
Last edited:
It sounds like maybe your mic might be bad. I'd check the cables for any breaks, maybe the ground might be disconnected on the mic or camera, it might be a little lose. Also try another mic?


You know I was going to buy this mic, but the sound room store never never never pick up there phone, so I'm still looking around.
 
I actually have two Oktava's and I've tried them both with the same result. I've changed the cables as well as used the mic in my buddy's sony v1u and it sounds great, like it should. So it must be my dvx.

I'm still stumped though. I'm just waiting for someone to tell me that I've got the wrong settings but I'm afraid that I'll have to get a professional to take a look at it.
 
The chances that you have two bad oktavas are pretty slim. I would check the DVX first. It sounds like you have done that with the settings and all. I'm not sure. Maybe one of the Audio Gurus can offer better advice here.
Jgastelb
 
jgastelb said:
The chances that you have two bad oktavas are pretty slim.
Click to expand...

Oh, you never shopped at the Guitar Center!


Anyway, Dustin... kooky question - have you tried both mics at once? And, when you say "obviously -60 is worse" does that mean you've tried it?

Lastly - when did you try the mics on the Sony? You know, of course, that you should never plug/unplug a mic while phantom power is on... any chance you tried the Sony first, then fried the Oktavas?

Does the hissing show up in your audio meters? The DVX headphone amp is pretty hissy... but you say it was the same in Vegas, and that hiss shouldn't vary with the gain...

If all the settings are as you say, and the testing is as you say, then it really seems the DVX could be the problem. Though it seems odd as well for that to happen on both channels.

Sound sample?
 
Oh, you never shopped at the Guitar Center!
Click to expand...

Oddly enough, they are from guitar center but I bought them around 02 or 03 for recording music. I was lucky and got real ones that sound decent. I would hands down buy from soundroom if I could do it over though.

have you tried both mics at once? And, when you say "obviously -60 is worse" does that mean you've tried it?
Click to expand...

I haven't actually tried both at once, I'll try it though, why not I've done just about everything else!

Lastly - when did you try the mics on the Sony?
Click to expand...

Yeah we tried them in the sony after we noticed the problem and I was using one of my Oktavas as a possible voice over mic today and it was fine.

Does the hissing show up in your audio meters?
Click to expand...
Yeah it does

I'll work on a getting a sample.

BTW thanks for taking the time.
 
Oh, well, I'm out of ideas to the contrary... all indications seem to point to the camera. Have you had it long? Have you used it successfully with other mics before?

I hope you can get it reseolved easily! You may want to chat with the folks at Spec-Comm unless you have a local place you trust with repairs...

Oddly enough, they are from guitar center but I bought them around 02 or 03 for recording music. I was lucky and got real ones that sound decent. I would hands down buy from soundroom if I could do it over though.
Click to expand...

Yes, that was before the Chinese ones began to proliferate! I have two (out of six) MK-012s from the Guitar Center I bought just for modding when they were on sale for $50 each; I tested 12 they had in stock and found only three that were acceptable - interestingly, the capsules were marked differently inside on most of the bad ones (looked like a red X from the factory, rather than a green or white dot on the passable ones...)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top