Audio Questions...

[andythefilmer]

On my 100B I have never fully understood the settings for MIC ALC and the MIC GAIN... My ALC is set to on and both gain controls are -50... The audio always comes out just fine on my camera, whether it is tape or firestore. Just wondering what these are.. Thanks!

Andy

 

[robotsound]

ALC is Auto Level Control. It's overriding your manual Mic Gain knobs and setting the levels for you automatically.

As with auto-exposure on your picture, this is more convenient to use, but yields less control over the outcome.

Most people who are going for maximum quality end up doing everything possible manually, with regard to both picture and sound, as it affords greater control over the finished product.

 

[andythefilmer]

Oh crap! I hate doing manual unless it's a run-and-gun situation... But hey, at least my audio has been coming out good! What about the mic gain settings?

 

[Alex H.]

ALC is Auto Level Control. It's overriding your manual Mic Gain knobs and setting the levels for you automatically.

As with auto-exposure on your picture, this is more convenient to use, but yields less control over the outcome.

This is not auto level control. On the DVX, it is auto limiting control. It does not set levels for you. Instead, it provides a little limiting protection for sudden peaks. It's not the greatest limiter in the world, in that it isn't really a brick wall and you can still overdrive the signal, but it can help in a pinch. I keep mine off, since I use external audio gear with much better limiters.

As for the -50dB/-60dB, that's a mic level setting that can help give you a little more headroom on the front end. If you have a hotter mic, set it to -50dB. If your mic isn't as strong on the output, you can get an extra 10dB by setting to -60dB.