What to do with the Upper Audio Dials!?

B

Bassman2003

Veteran
Hello,

I am getting to know my HPX-500 and the upper two audio dials for the front XLRs are so tight I can barely turn them.

Is there a fix for this?

They are pretty much useless for adjustment during recording.

Why on a pro camera?

Thanks
 
Actually, on a pro camera you don't want them to turn easily... It is assumed that a sound recordist sets a medium level on the camera and rides his levels on a portable mixer, sending the signal either hardwired or wireless to the camera... This is how I work much of the time...

If you want to monitor levels yourself more easily, in the Audio menu you can assign whichever input you select to the front Gain control - this is very handy, especially for the nose mike...
 
Thanks for your reply.

I have to disagree about not wanting to turn the dials easily.

When you don't have the benefit of a sound recordist and you are recording more than one separate channel, like a live show, I really need to be able to adjust volume.

The push to turn actually moves the camera while filming!

The bottom two are smooth and can be adjusted while filming, but the 3 and 4 channels are a different animal.

Do you think I could get a Panasonic tech to alter them to the way every other broadcast camera works?

They are kind of un-useable for live situations in their present state.

Thanks for the tip about the front control. This is only for one channel or both channels, but it helps a bit.
 
You could mount a mixer on your tripod and dial it in it yourself.... There are a bunch of affordable ones around, not to mention scores of used Shures...

If you use a monitor, with the mixer mounted under it, you would have very easy to see VUs...
 
That would work but I can not get behind the need to buy an external mixer just because Panasonic decided to change the design of a dial.

My DVC-200s have "normal" smooth dials.
 
many cameras have this style of dial -

but you can also use the audio adjustment near the front of the camera
 
Just for the sake of argument, I would like to know which ENG cameras have this type of push in audio dials.

I have never had an audio dial move from being brushed against etc...

Why would one want so much resistance on a dial anyway?
 
Bassman2003 said:
Just for the sake of argument, I would like to know which ENG cameras have this type of push in audio dials.

I have never had an audio dial move from being brushed against etc...

Why would one want so much resistance on a dial anyway?
Click to expand...


From Panasonic...
HPX500, HDX900, SDX900, Varicam, Varicam 2700, Varicam 3700, etc.

Dude, it's 2008... :Drogar-Dum(DBG):
 
Not trying to argue here, just trying to understand.

Maybe something is lost in translation here.

I am speaking of the hard to turn dial knobs on the HPX-500.

From the posts here it seems these are a good thing over the "old style" easy to turn dials?

These inhibit my recording ability, wondering why would they be preferred?
 
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Hi mate.

What I usually do when recording direct to the HPX is set an upper and lower sound level. My upper level is set to the correct setting based on the incoming audio. My lower is set below this in case I get something hot in the upper.

Trying to to monitor and adjust on the cam isnt something I would recommend. And the hard to adjust controls are suitable for my purpose as once I have them set, I dont want them to move.

If I want to monitor sound accurately and adjust, its something I use a field mixer for.
 
they are not hard to turn - they just simple require to be pushed in to turn so that they dont turn accidentaly
 
Well, we will have to disagree on this point.

I don't think one can move the dial with one hand only. Which is all one has available as the other is on the tripod handle or on the lens servo.

I have to have my other hand on the opposite side of the camera applying force to counteract the force that is needed to push in the dial.

This is impossible to do while recording and not have it show through camera movement in your recording.

Thanks for your info on the front dial, but for instances where you need to control more than one audio source like a direct + live feed, the front dial is not enough.

Would want to use a mixer with sticky hard to turn knobs or sliders?

The camera options seem to favor the use of channel 1 & 2 over channels 3 & 4. I would rather stay with 2 channel audio but use the 3 & 4 dials as they are smooth.

Can this be done?
 
I'm sorry you are having issues here. However most cameras are designed like this. They are designed for using an external mixer. Not to be adjusting levels on the fly.

Regardless if you disagree with the design or not - it is the way the camera, as well as many other high end cameras are designed. Perhaps you might consider selling the HPX and buying another camera with "smooth" controls.
 
there is nothing to disagree with - saying they "are hard to turn" implies something is wrong. When in fact they are designed to "stay in place".
 
Doesn’t anyone use the front dial as Smelni mentioned a while ago? thats what its for right...fine ajustments, you just need to turn it on in the menu.
 
I agree with the OP.

I always work by myself in ENG situations and having to push in the dial to adjust is a pain. Imagine having to do that in a press-conference situation!! I think the single operator is becoming more common now, so there needs to be compensation for this as well.

Personally, I think it is more important for an operator to be able to change setting quickly and easily, than the threat of "perhaps" bumping the dials, which are set into the camera anyway.

After coming from a Sony environment, dollar-for-dollar - Panasonic do do some really weird things as far as usability are concerned, especially for the single operator.

For what it is worth, I have my radio mic receiver set to ch1 for interviews (adjustable by the front control) Channel 2 is camera nose mic, channels 3 and 4 used for any mic inputs I might use for press-conference setups where two mics are needed.

In actual fact, using the radio mic, this now means I can have 3 mics at a press conference. Radio Mic (Ch1) and two desk mics (ch 3 & 4), which Sony didn't allow me to do on the previous DVCAM I had with only two channels of audio.

It is all about compromises I guess.

Shame about that - I want it ALL AND MORE!!!!!

lol
 
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