Audio Technica 4073a sound problem with HVX...

[ruester]

I'm not sure if it was a setting in my HVX, or something to do with my mic so any advice would be great -

I was doing a shoot for a live band the other night and had my AT 4073a shock mounted to my camera. I kept an eye on the levels on the camera and they never shot above the 2nd line on the lcd monitor on the camera. I did have headphones to monitor the output, but couldn't actually hear them over the sound coming from the band. When I got back home to check the tapes, the sound was heavily clipped and very crackly.

I don't know what happened. I used this microphone just the week before to shoot a sketch where I was basically screaming at the microphone in close proximity and it recorded just fine.

Does anyone know why this might have happened. Thanks all!

Aza

 

[MattinSTL]

I would guess the transients were keeping the HVX pre in a clipping state even though they're short and probably not directly tied to the meters... i.e. the meters aren't fast enough to show what was really happening.

You'd have to have at least a 10db pad to record live music with a 4073a... at least.

Let's see what somebody else has to say... but I'd bet my explanation is pretty close. FTR I never had good results with interiors and 4073a... or in loud ambient situations.

 

[BRH]

You are overdriving the mic preamp in the camera. Another reason not to go straight to camera. Meters plenty fast enough, but no matter how much you turn down the gain pots to get the meter 'looking right' you are still overloading the mic pre. If your cam has menu setting for mic like -60 and -50.. set it at -50. Still will need an external pad on mic input.