I keep my audio dials on center...

HerzogisGod

HerzogisGod

Well-known member
is this a good safe position for clean audio? or should I turn them up a little higher.

My audio seems over all to be a bit low when I play back footage on my TV
 
Use the audio level meter, not the dials to judge levels. Your peaks should average around the second mark, just staying out of the reds. That is the correct
level, sounds like you are set a bit lower. Also, be sure you are set for mic in rather
than line in, assuming you are using mics plugged directly in.
 
Quick question branching from that...

If I'm shooting on location with a field mixer (FP33), would it be safe to leave the camera volume knobs centered, and then use the 1khz tone on the mixer to zero it out?

Main reason I'm asking is I haven't heard much about which preamp is less noisy: the HVX internal's or those of external field mixers (in this case the FP33). I would assume whichever preamp is noisier should be the one that is turned down, and the quieter preamp turned up.
 
The traditional rule of thumb is to use your mixer's tone to set your levels to match on the camera. That way what you see on your mixer's meter is the same as the camera.
Jim
 
1kHz tone @ 0VU from the mixer should be set to -20 dBFS on the peak reading meter in the camera. This will result in speech reading 0VU on the mixer's meter reading about -12dBFS on the camera's meter.
 
Someone please correct me if I'm mistaken, but synchronizing the 1KHz tone level on a mixer to the -20db marker on the camcorder is useful for establishing a starting point for setting levels, but after that, if the camcorder is capturing the audio to be used in post, wouldn't it be prudent to lower the levels slightly on the piece of equipment that has inferior preamps (camcorder) and raise the level on the mixer (quieter preamps) to compensate? ... and then ultimately monitor camcorder levels to make sure they are within optimum range?

Or should the camcorder levels always just stay set where the mixer's tone matches -20db and then use the mixer to adjust the gain as needed?
 
Using the synchronization method has always worked for me with out any problems. You should always run the audio out from the camera back to the mixer for monitoring by the audio operator. That way you'll know exactly what the camera is recording.
Jim
 
Jim Carswell said:
Using the synchronization method has always worked for me with out any problems. You should always run the audio out from the camera back to the mixer for monitoring by the audio operator. That way you'll know exactly what the camera is recording.
Jim
Click to expand...

Yes ... I definitely agree. I just wondered if, after the devices are synchronized, we could benefit from changiing the balance in favor of the device with superior preamps. The whole idea being to lower the noisier level and equally raise the quieter level to compensate.

I would think that this could only be done to a small degree before eventually the signal being raised (mixer) would be in danger of clipping. I use the MIXPRE and it seems to be able to put out pretty strong levels before clipping will occur.

I dunno .... the more i think about it, the more it seems like just setting the HVX dials to -20db from the mixer tone and then boosting the signal from the mixer (or in my case the MIXPRE) is the way to go. Like you said .....just synchronizing the levels .... it's probably more trouble than what it's worth to change the balance.

Just be careful to drive the signal volume, as needed, from the mixer and not the dials on the camcorder.
 
Half way up is fine for most stuff but shooting in a loud bar or concert it will be too high and cause clipping.
 
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