Oktava MK012 weird sample plot?
- Thread starter KINOKS
- Start date
Noiz2
Sound Ninja
In plain english you have a big-ass low (as in probably to low to really hear) tone/hum in the signal. A high pass (low cut) filter should clean that out.
What caused it? Could be a number of things from some weird RF (radio signal) to underpowered phantom power. The MixPre will do something like this with the Oktava under certain circumstances. The fix (on the MixPre) is to use the 80Hz low cut filter, (or use the higher phantom setting).
2 frames is WAY TOOOOO long to fade. You probably can't do 1/4 frame so do a one frame. When you go to sound post make sure to put some "handles" on them. If you are doing the sound yourself in the NLE listed VERY close to the ins and out and extend the audio if needed to avoid clipping the beginning and ends of words at the cut.
Next time use the low cut in the field.
In semi plain english, the reason for the popping is that you have this big offset. So while the sound you want is probably not popping (or not much) you have that big wave that the sound you want is following. On the cuts you are "switching" that on and off like a light switch. The only real fix is to remove it.
Also you want to remove it because it's eating up headroom. If you leave it in you are likely to have clipping problems later.
What caused it? Could be a number of things from some weird RF (radio signal) to underpowered phantom power. The MixPre will do something like this with the Oktava under certain circumstances. The fix (on the MixPre) is to use the 80Hz low cut filter, (or use the higher phantom setting).
2 frames is WAY TOOOOO long to fade. You probably can't do 1/4 frame so do a one frame. When you go to sound post make sure to put some "handles" on them. If you are doing the sound yourself in the NLE listed VERY close to the ins and out and extend the audio if needed to avoid clipping the beginning and ends of words at the cut.
Next time use the low cut in the field.
In semi plain english, the reason for the popping is that you have this big offset. So while the sound you want is probably not popping (or not much) you have that big wave that the sound you want is following. On the cuts you are "switching" that on and off like a light switch. The only real fix is to remove it.
Also you want to remove it because it's eating up headroom. If you leave it in you are likely to have clipping problems later.
KINOKS
Well-known member
What do you know...you two were right
I just tried recording with a 100HZ low cut filter and things are back to normal (almost, at 400 LCF the Oktava looks like Sony at 100LCF). Thx!
I did 2 tests with both mic. One with and another without the lowcut filter. For the Sony there wasn't much of a difference, and there was no popin on either of the recordings, but for the Oktava it's night and day difference. Why? Is it just the way the Oktava works? And explain this: why hasn't this been happening before? I have some 1 year old material shot with the HPX171 with the Oktava plugged directly in to the camera and the sound is normal. The HPX171 to my knowledge hasn't got a LCF and anyway I just did a test yesterday with the HXP and the Oktava and the problem was there... Is there something wrong with the Oktava, is there something in the mic that's producing lot's of low spectrum energy or what not?
I just tried recording with a 100HZ low cut filter and things are back to normal (almost, at 400 LCF the Oktava looks like Sony at 100LCF). Thx!I did 2 tests with both mic. One with and another without the lowcut filter. For the Sony there wasn't much of a difference, and there was no popin on either of the recordings, but for the Oktava it's night and day difference. Why? Is it just the way the Oktava works? And explain this: why hasn't this been happening before? I have some 1 year old material shot with the HPX171 with the Oktava plugged directly in to the camera and the sound is normal. The HPX171 to my knowledge hasn't got a LCF and anyway I just did a test yesterday with the HXP and the Oktava and the problem was there... Is there something wrong with the Oktava, is there something in the mic that's producing lot's of low spectrum energy or what not?
Noiz2
Sound Ninja
Good questions. The Oktava has a lot of low end, the Sony?
Oktavas come with a low cut module, maybe that was screwed in before?
I did notice a LOT of handling noise on the sample, maybe it's a boom op problem?
Maybe this last was in a place with some ventilation system problem and the others weren't?
Maybe you had phantom set to 48V before and switched to 12V.
Maybe a neighbor got a hold of some of those French police subsonic crowd control devices and is trying to get even with you for stealing their parking space?
As a rule mics don't create sounds. They pick up sounds around them. Bad wiring can act like an antenna and pick up garbage. Also dirty contacts can act as radio receivers.
I would Check my cables, then the mic contacts. Do some tests and if I couldn't find the problem probably relax because I have the fix, and it fixes more than just the low carrier pick up. Look how much of the handling noise went away with a 80Hz cut.
You don't want anything down there for dialog anyway.
I have a fine mic I can't use around Navy Radar, because it "hears" it. Tried all kinds of things but nothing solved it. There is nothing "wrong" with my mic but it's circuit for whatever reason resonated to the Navy radar signal. Airports are not a problem?????
It also picks up the low freq. ground/underwater radio that he Navy uses. You can map the antenna arrays with it like a Geiger counter.
Oktavas come with a low cut module, maybe that was screwed in before?
I did notice a LOT of handling noise on the sample, maybe it's a boom op problem?
Maybe this last was in a place with some ventilation system problem and the others weren't?
Maybe you had phantom set to 48V before and switched to 12V.
Maybe a neighbor got a hold of some of those French police subsonic crowd control devices and is trying to get even with you for stealing their parking space?
As a rule mics don't create sounds. They pick up sounds around them. Bad wiring can act like an antenna and pick up garbage. Also dirty contacts can act as radio receivers.
I would Check my cables, then the mic contacts. Do some tests and if I couldn't find the problem probably relax because I have the fix, and it fixes more than just the low carrier pick up. Look how much of the handling noise went away with a 80Hz cut.
You don't want anything down there for dialog anyway.
I have a fine mic I can't use around Navy Radar, because it "hears" it. Tried all kinds of things but nothing solved it. There is nothing "wrong" with my mic but it's circuit for whatever reason resonated to the Navy radar signal. Airports are not a problem?????
It also picks up the low freq. ground/underwater radio that he Navy uses. You can map the antenna arrays with it like a Geiger counter.
KINOKS
Well-known member
No, no, no, no, no and lol
No matter where I shoot I get this low en noise. Not a boom op thing, no low cut module was ever screwed on, the last examples were shot next to my running PC so you can hear that, but it doesn't matter as I can shoot in an almost quiet room and still get this, also not a phantom power issue. Anyway, we'll just shoot with a lowcut filter set on the R26 and that's it.
Maybe there is something wrong with the mic, maybe some dirt or corrosion got in it...
Hahahaha you got some spy equipment there, don't ya?
hahhaha
Noiz2
Sound Ninja
Well in may not matter where you record but you Did have a LOT of handling noise on the sample. The start and end sound like someone was hand holding the Oktava (with out shock mount). If that is typical then you would get all of that "noise" with any Oktava, they are very sensitive to handling noise.
Steve House
Veteran
See this tech support bulletin on the Sound Devices web site for a possible explanation of the cause here. http://www.sounddevices.com/notes/mixers/oscillation-xfmr-inputs/
Noiz2
Sound Ninja
That is the thing I mentioned earlier. His clip doesn't have what happens to the MixPre (it makes a very distinctive sound) but the same thing might well have a different "sound" on other preamps.
Fix is the same though, turn on the 80Hz roll off.