Bizarre audio problem with my FS100

FFT-FS100.jpg

For what it's worth, here is an FFT transform of the 1st data file you sent. I picked a point where the window showed the largest amplitude on a sin component around 300Hz. You'll also notice a constant component just above 12.5kHz. The 300Hz jumps up and down in a pattern similar to the tone heard on the recording. There are other components there as well, as you see, so I think the resultant sound is a combination of those things.

As for the 12.5kHz, that stays roughly constant bouncing between 125 and about 95uV

I have to be using headphones to hear it. I've tried two pairs and I hear it on both. It's pretty low, but nevertheless, it is there.
 
In one of the sub-menus there is an option called "beep". I haven't activated this feature but can you see if you have it "on"?
 
For what it's worth, here is an FFT transform of the 1st data file you sent. I picked a point where the window showed the largest amplitude on a sin component around 300Hz. You'll also notice a constant component just above 12.5kHz. The 300Hz jumps up and down in a pattern similar to the tone heard on the recording. There are other components there as well, as you see, so I think the resultant sound is a combination of those things.

As for the 12.5kHz, that stays roughly constant bouncing between 125 and about 95uV

I have to be using headphones to hear it. I've tried two pairs and I hear it on both. It's pretty low, but nevertheless, it is there.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the chart! The tiny spike at 12.5kHz is interesting. But probably way to low and insignificant to be concerned with.

It looks like I will be sending my camera to a Sony service department. Even though I live in Colorado, they suggested that I send it to the one in New Jersey. They have more FS100 experience. I'm just trying to work out the details of the 90 days warranty as that ends tomorrow for the camera.

ectobuilder
In one of the sub-menus there is an option called "beep". I haven't activated this feature but can you see if you have it "on"?​
Click to expand...
If you are talking about the 'Beep' option under the 'Others' menu, that would be for camera beeps when you start and stop recording. I always have this off.
 
Yeah, I agree, that is pretty low. I created a 12.5kHz wave to listen to it and it was definitely not what I was hearing. I think it is in the 300-600Hz range and I can see the FFT jumping around in those areas relative to the sound coming on and off again.

Be sure to let us know once you get it back.
 
Hey Rick, can you do a FFT transform of the second audio file. The sample file that was recorded on the 30MB/s SanDisk card.

Thank you greatly!
Damon
 
I guess the Sony tech guy didn't offer any information about the source of the noise? He hadn't heard about it before? How long do you think it will take to get your camera back?
 
I tried mine again today , could not reproduce it mic, no mics, 48v whatever

what can hear is some noise of the same Freq when turning the gain pots

Im sure its some form of contamination, whatever that is

S
 
Good news!

It looks like my FS100 is not going back to Sony after all. I believe my camera may not be fully compatible with SanDisk SD cards. The SanDisk Extreme Pro 45MB/s SDHC-I produces audio beeps every time. They can be heard through the headphones while recording and in the actual recordings. The SanDisk Extreme 30MB/s SDHC produces very faint beeps every time. The beeps can be heard through the headphones but in the actual recordings, the beeps are very very faint. I just received a Lexar Professional 133x SDHC card and it does NOT produce any sort of beep what so ever. No beeps through the headphones while recording and no beeps in the actual recordings. Thank god. I was able to finish my shoots this week without worrying about my audio recordings.

It's hard to tell if my FS100 is the only one that has issues with SanDisk cards. But I will report these finding to Sony so they are aware of it.

I'll update this thread in the future if I experience this issue again. But hopefully I won't need to. Thanks again guys for your help.

Damon
 
I'm giving this thread a bump to see if anyone else has comments. I have two FS100's, using Lexar 128GB cards, class 10, 20Mbps, and I get beeps on both cameras. Incompatibility with Sandisk cards, which are the ones most often recommended for trouble free recording, seems bizarre.
 
I have the same problem with my 5N on Sandisk Extreme pro 45MBs but not with my FS100.Maybe reformat the card will help? I will test next time.
 
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I noticed the problem today on the left channel of my FS100 headphone output. I purposely put in the Transcend Class 10 instead of my Sandisk HD. Is this beeping actually recorded or just some type of bleed into the headphone (I haven't yet downloaded the footage and listened for it). Either way it's pretty annoying and apparently an endemic problem to the FS100 - not good.
 
Hmmm...

reading this made me worry.

I never run into that problem, not on Trancend not on Sandisc - but it`s a nightmare to know it could happen to me to.
So I loaded the snippets into premiere and heard nothing.
Than in Audition - nothing - amplified as much as I could - noting but the noise you expect after doing such an operation, but no beep whatsoever.#

Wave.jpg

I´m going out on a limb, but is it possible that you guys are all on Apple?

Frank
 
Not on Apple.

I have 32GB Sandisk Class 10 cards 30MBPS that also beep.

When I have no mic connected to channel 2, and the input set on MIC instead of LINE, the beep is really loud on the recording, you can hear it on the TV from 10 feet away.
 
Okay, so we can rule out Apple.
(which still not explains not why I don't see and hear anything on the provided files).

How about card size? I only have 8GB cards, cause I´m paranoid . When a big card has a problem,
you can loose a whole day of shooting, at 8GB you can loose max 45 minutes.
Have you tried smaller cards? Maybe the problem is because big cards are packed much denser?

Frank
 
I record simultaneously to the 128GB FMU unit to counter any SD card failures. Having to monitor SD cards as they near capacity on a shoot, and fiddling with them on a shoot, or losing them, is more of a concern to me.

I just tested recording ONLY to the FMU unit, not simultaneously to the SD and FMU unit, and the beep is STILL THERE! Must have nothing to do with the SD card. It is on the Right Channel, channel 2, and it beeps every time the camera writes to the SD/FMU card.

When I record only to the SD card (LEXAR 128GB in this case), and not to the FMU, the beep is still there, but it is really faint, maybe 1/10 of the volume. So recording with the FMU only, or the SD/FMU simultaneously, I get the louder beep.

With the FMU removed from the camera, recording to the SD card only, the beep is still there but it is significantly lower volume than when recording to the SD card only with the FMU attached to the camera--so faint I thought there was no beep (note my ears are not as good as most people). Still coming through the RIGHT/CHANNEL 2 only.

Guess I'll be contacting Sony next, but this is not an isolated occurence. I have it on two cameras bought months apart.
 
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This thread is rather worrying.

I did a test yesterday with a Lav on one channel and a shotgun on the other, pumped up the gain. No beeps that I could hear on either the headphone out or on the recorded file.
Today I did another test with nothing connected to the camera's audio inputs, both channels set to MIC, Manual gain just one tick below 10. No beeps amid the noise on either the headphone out or the recorded file (which I normalised to -20db to double check).

I can definitely hear the beeps in the files posted earlier in the the thread, however.

@Kraut69 The fact that your beeps occur on the FMU would definitely seem to rule out brand of SD media, please keep us posted on what Sony have to say.
 
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