GH4 Panasonic GH4 Audio Meter Reference

[Sol M.]

I ran some tests for a better understanding of what each segment of the GH4's audio meters represents. Here are the results:

• No Blocks: -30dB and lower
• Block 1: -30dB to -26dB
• Block 2: -26dB to -23.5dB
• Block 3: -23.5dB to -17dB
• Block 4: -17dB to -14dB
• Block 5: -14dB to -9dB
• Block 6: -9dB to -5dB
• Block 7: -5dB to -1.5dB
• Block 8: -1.5dB to 0dB and beyond (clipping)

I put together a brief guide with more details and setup instructions, along with a printable pocket-reference that you can have with you when you're out shooting in the field.

 

[robfilms]

I ran some tests for a better understanding of what each segment of the GH4's audio meters represents. Here are the results:

• No Blocks: -30dB and lower
• Block 1: -30dB to -26dB
• Block 2: -26dB to -23.5dB
• Block 3: -23.5dB to -17dB
• Block 4: -17dB to -14dB
• Block 5: -14dB to -9dB
• Block 6: -9dB to -5dB
• Block 7: -5dB to -1.5dB
• Block 8: -1.5dB to 0dB and beyond (clipping)

I put together a brief guide with more details and setup instructions, along with a printable pocket-reference that you can have with you when you're out shooting in the field.

sol m.-

thank you for the audio guide.

i also "discovered" your other guides for using the gh4.

as someone seriously thinking of leaving my sony fs100 for the gh4, the info you provided has been helpful.

thank you.

be well.

rob
smalltalk productions/nyc

 

[Sol M.]

sol m.-

thank you for the audio guide.

i also "discovered" your other guides for using the gh4.

as someone seriously thinking of leaving my sony fs100 for the gh4, the info you provided has been helpful.

thank you.

be well.

rob
smalltalk productions/nyc

Hey Rob, glad to hear the guide helped

 

[danny dale]

@Sol M. - was reading on your blog about your findings with the audio fix (I have one of the early batches that has the buzz) and you mentioned sending it back to Panasonic to look at the issue of the different levels showing when fed the same signal and also about the 10dB noise floor increase.

Did you ever send it or hear back from them about this? I'm contemplating sending it in for the fix but was curious about these 2 issues you pointed out....

Thanks, Danny

 

[Sol M.]

@Sol M. - was reading on your blog about your findings with the audio fix (I have one of the early batches that has the buzz) and you mentioned sending it back to Panasonic to look at the issue of the different levels showing when fed the same signal and also about the 10dB noise floor increase.

Did you ever send it or hear back from them about this? I'm contemplating sending it in for the fix but was curious about these 2 issues you pointed out....

Thanks, Danny

Been too slammed to even set up a loaner camera from Panasonic to send mine in. I'm still hopeful that a second round will resolve the issues. I'll update the posts on my site when I have a chance to send the camera in.

 

[Ed Kishel]

In an effort to set unity gain between the Tascam DR60d and the GH4 (to make aure the levels on the Tascam correspond with the same levels on the GH4) I recorded the slate tone at each of the settings on the camera output dial (1 through 10). I then brought in the video to vegas and watched the level for each tone. I looked for the one that showed up as close to -18dB on the Vegas master output meter (since the slate tone shows up at -18dB on the tascam). It looks to me that, with the GH4 set to -12dB, the DR60d needs to be set at level 8 on the dial.

This also results in 4 bars on the GH4 meters, corroborating with what Sol suggests. Can anyone else using the DR60d confirm that setting #8 on the output dial brings the levels of these two machines in line with eachother?