Ideal MIXER-CAMERA SETUPS!

timapter

timapter

Veteran
Hey everyone... Im a 3rd year film sound student, and have been doing video sound to make some side cash for 2 years now....

Here is a great topic that hasnt been covered here:

We often work with mixers and cameras in the field, but setup of gain structures etc between cams and mixers is still a bit of a black art, although its actually black and white!

So how about this: How do you like to setup YOUR mixer and camera?

Heres an example: The Sound Devices 302 and the PD150

I like to run tone to the PD150 (line level), and set the level to -12dB, then operate my peaks on the mixer at 0, with the average around -12dB.

Now, Im sure there are better ways to do it? A guy told me to set levels in the middle, turn on the AGC, and work the mixer with peaks at 0, average at -12dB. Thoughts?



What about other cams? the DVX, the HDV-Z1, the DSR series?
Also, what about monitoring in the mixer? I usually get horrible monitoring from the PD150 and use the mixers ST monitoring...
 
pd 150
line level
agc-on
wind off ,nr off (menu)
reference tone +2 db above 0VU( internal setting) =-20dbfs on the camera
ride the picks +8+10 on the mixer
limiter could be set +16-18above 0

dvx ref tone +4db , attenuation -10db on the mixer out -20 dbfs on the camera(line input)
ride the picks +8-+10 on the mixer
limiter the same
z-1 +4db ref=-20 dbfs on the camera ( the 10white dot)
the piks and the limiter the same
wind off ,nr off
dsr the same
use rca outs for monitoring from all the cameras except the z-1
audio out 2v internal setting headphones at maximum
 
are these setting for a SD302 mixer? Or any mixer, actually? Um, how does the logic with AGC work? What about the output limiters on the 302? Any point?

So basically, +2 tone on mixer, -20 on camera, AGC on, peaks at +8?
 
dude, thank you so very much! great to get quality help! just one last thing:

by riding my levels like this, where will my peaks be sitting on the cameras? more or less...

great post, thanks!
 
Wow George... don't keep sh*t like that to yourself... If you have more threads of gold then spill 'em!

Now I gotta' think of some other good questions. Thanks for asking Tim!
 
-8-12 dbfs - you can ride it hotter without any problem but if you supply your stuff to satelite link track or quick news editing , they not like more then -10 dbfs , you might be fired :-)
 
Cool, thanks a bunch george... With regard to the AGC being used on cams like the PD150/170, what effect does this have on what is recorded? Does it almost function as a limiter/compressor type thing? What about pumping of ambience?

Thanks, your post is probably the most useful thing ive ever read here!
Tim
 
there is no agc on pd 150/170- this is wrong term from Sony
this is hard limiter before 0dbfs with fixed analog stage
the only reason to work with agc ( hard limiter on Sony pd-150 mainly) , the audio routing on the boards have another root which pick up less self noise of the camera boards - why?
ask Sony - you can hear it clearly when you play with agc-on /off inside the menu
it has no influence on back ground noise
 
http://www.sounddevices.com/tech/pd150.htm

the noise gate does not exist on 150/170 ,it is just different signal flow on the boards which pick up less self camera noise


the 170 has a little bit different input stage - for calibrating send tone to to one of the mixer inputs - rise the tone until it will hit the 20 db on the mixer , connect the camera with agc on(wind,nr-off) and check in what point when you decreasing the signal the distortion desapear ( you will hear it clear in your headphones), then calibrate your output on the mixer for the same amount of attenuation( this is the best feature 302 has) .
now check when you give actual ton from the mixer where it hit the camera , increase the tone level on the mixer until the mixer tone will hit the -20 dbfs mark ( this is only for editing purpose so the would not recalibrate your signal by the mistake)
work usually picks at +8-10 on the mixer
 
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