field mixing with dvx100a - setting levels

F

fintorciafx

New member
Sup;

Recently i did sound for a short on a dvx100a using a wendt x5 mixer.
Viewing the dvx100a manual I read that the levels on the bottom of the LCD display of the camera are marked as follows: [(-32)white bars(-12)red bars(0)]. Basically the first red bar begins at -12 db. Now, does that mean that Panasonic consider -12 and louder (-11, -10, etc) is consider modulating, or.... would I consider recording in the range of -12 to - 6 anyway, as shown on the dvx100a itself. ... Now after setting my ref, tone. and doing some tests recordings with my own dvx, and speaking w/ others, i considered keeping it levels in the white anyway, say -18 according to the manual and levels on the camera. My mixer was not hitting much louder the -8 b/c of the diff. "judgements" what is modulating w/ wendt and panasonic.. Does this make sense, if you have experienced this you know exactly what im talking about probably.. what would you suggest, and keep your levels out.. I did record at -18 according to the levels on teh panasonic and it did sound soft, but if i were to hit in the red, it sounded "eh. ok" but not peaking.. got answers anyone?

thanks. [(-32)white bars(-12)red bars(0)]
 
Tone @ -12 dB (-----------+----) with + being -12 dB is pretty typical for the DVX100a setup..
More often in pro apps you would use -20 dB. The difference on the DVX100a would be S/N
is only around 60 dB opposed to much higher figures with more expensive cameras..

I personally think it's risky to use -12 dB because if it peaks, you're screwed. I would set tone
at -12 dB only if I had a hard limiter to shut it down at -6 dB.. Technically, it shouldn't sound
distorted until it hits the last red bar (0 dB), but technically and what happens in the realworld
are different things as you know.. I think it sounds slightly distorted even at -12 dB, IMHO.

I'd like to hear from others as well....
 
Sucks that you have either AGC or manual.. but not manual with a hard limiter on the camera..
That would be really nice.... But, no camera I've worked with will do that.
 
I remember reading somewhere that the DVX has a limiter built in and it was hard to get it to hit 0dB. Can't think of the source, but maybe somebody can confirm or deny.
 
The DVX has manual audio levels and an optional soft limiter. The limiter begins working at signals above -6db and maxxes at -4.5db. It is still possible for transitory peaks to exceed the threshhold, and even to clip, but overall loud levels will be limited to -4.5.
 
It's in the menus under ALC. Automatic Limiter Control, not auto level control. There is no provision for auto level control on the DVX.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top