Audio meters in Viewfinder - ho

Shooter

Shooter

Veteran
Quick answer required please for a confused DVX cameraman (newbie).

How does one use the meters in the viewfinder. My manual indicates -12dB then red indicators light up. Does red mean overload ( and therefore avoid this zone totally) or is the red zone audio safe head room and peaks can display in here.
 
Re: Audio meters in Viewfinder - ho

The white vertical lines just before you get into the red area indicates -12 db. For me I like to average my audio as close to -12 as possible with peaks no greater than 2 red dashes above -12 db. It also depends on the type of mic you use as well. I had bass distortion once at -12 db.

I would just play with different levels until your get a good level. I use ch 1 as my main audio and ch 2 as backup. I set ch 2 two 4 db lower just incase I peak to much on the main channel.

Ray
 
Re: Audio meters in Viewfinder - ho



i do the same thing except i use channel 2 as my higher level and put channel 1 lower just in case.

same thing. just different.

one of the top ten tips i got when i first got my camera.

matthew
 
Re: Audio meters in Viewfinder - ho

Consider the red area a danger signal. The last white before red is -12. The right end of the red is 0. In digital audio, zero is death! So going into the red is OK as long as you don't go to the end.
 
Re: Audio meters in Viewfinder - ho

I let it go 2-3 red blocks, since I can keep more distance to the noise floor. But then again, I usually interview people that speak quietly and that are not very used to being in front of the camera. maybe the approach for stage actors that scream every line should be different...
 
Re: Audio meters in Viewfinder - ho

It's a matter of variation in levels. A screamer can be kept at a certain level, IF that's all they do is scream. But if they talk softly and then scream, that's when it becomes difficult and extra headroom is helpful.
 
Re: Audio meters in Viewfinder - ho

xort,

How accurate do you find the DVX's audio meters to be?  I ask only because I have an XL2 and while they provide for a very good "close approximation" they're not dead on.  Also, is it possible to set a threshold in camera.  Say I wanted to maintain a level of -6db, could you change the white/red configuration to reflect that?

Matt
 
Re: Audio meters in Viewfinder - ho

So would a reference signal (1khz @ -12dB) be the way to establish the level to the camera for a mixer on the line input (0dB) ?
 
Re: Audio meters in Viewfinder - ho

[quote author=MattC link=board=audio;num=1101366411;start=0#6 date=11/29/04 at 11:31:33]xort,

How accurate do you find the DVX's audio meters to be? I ask only because I have an XL2 and while they provide for a very good "close approximation" they're not dead on. Also, is it possible to set a threshold in camera. Say I wanted to maintain a level of -6db, could you change the white/red configuration to reflect that?

Matt[/quote]



Matt,

I have just run across the XL2 for the second time today, and I was curious if you, or anyone, has really compared the audio sections of the DVX to that of the XL2?

-Dave
 
Re: Audio meters in Viewfinder - ho

I'm just asking because I get people asking me now, and I really don't know much about the audio section of the XL2.

-Dave
 
Re: Audio meters in Viewfinder - ho

Dave,

No I have not Dave, I'm sorry. I think the audio section of the XL2 is pretty good for a camcorder, but I don't own a DVX so I have no frame of reference by which to compare it. If you compare it to a top of the line DAT unit - well you can't - it doesn't compare.

But for what it is, I'm impressed, or maybe my expectations were already pretty low. The pres on it aren't that bad, I would say they were about equal to any sub $300 - $500 dollar pre. Kind of sound like a Presonus pre, you know? Not great, but not awful either? I find I have to turn the gain down for most things. When I did that short that I posted, I found that the sounds it captured were very clear and present (the carafe for instance), but I still wound up working with the waveform a bit to get everything to sit right. Also, there was quite a bit of room rumble which I had to remove in post, but again, I think I had the gain set too high, although it was at the default setting.

As has been discussed, it doesn't have a balanced line it, which can be a drag, although I don't consider it that big of a deal. Although.... The portable mixer you mentioned before - the MixPre - that didn't have an xlr mic out or an rca line out, so there would be no way to go directly from there into the camera correct?

Hey, if you're in NYC, I'll bring the XL2 and the beer and we can compare to our hearts content.

Matt
 
Re: Audio meters in Viewfinder - ho

Matt C
I couldn't say how accruate the meters are. I doubt they are extremely accurate, considering tte price of the camera.
I don't know about changing the meters. I seriously doubt it.

This is a consumer camera, don't expect much.

I try to make sure nothing goes deep into red to avoid clipping at 0db. Simple as that. I set reference tone from the mixer at -12db, the last white mark, and keep an eye on things from there.
 
Re: Audio meters in Viewfinder - ho

Well for me, I ended up messing a shoot up because of this. I was recording a concert (not plugged into a mixing board) using my onboard camera mic. I noticed that my levels were well into the red so I adjusted the levels to get out of the red and what I noticed when I reviewed the tape is that the volume and fullness of sound suddenly just dropped out!

So since then I have kept both my channels with the arrows pointing just about straight upward. Now if I have my wireless mic hooked up, I will adjust it more to the right of either channel and my audio comes out fine.
 
Re: Audio meters in Viewfinder - ho

[quote author=MattC  Although....  The portable mixer you mentioned before - the MixPre - that didn't have an xlr mic out or an rca line out, so there would be no way to go directly from there into the camera correct?  

Matt[/quote]
you can suply -10dbv signal from sd mix pre out directly to the camera the input 3/4 (rca) , that way you avoid the mike input
the benefit is you can run 2 par cable to the camera ( left right , reurn left right + common ground) that very light and thin ( you can make short brake 5 pin)
that setup will eliminate mike pres on the camera -thats better then pad the signal to mike level
and the camera external mike would be in place all the time , so you momentary can change to this one when you brake from the mixer ( dont tell me that you go to front and work with that **** cannon suply with the camera)
the bad thing that you running unbalance level which pick up allot of hum on long runs - good for under 15 feet without any hy power soeces and dimmers around
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top