Hi,
I have a very important overseas shoot in a couple of weeks and I want to make sure I take the right gear. Don't worry, this isn't so much a what do I take question but more so relating to some problems I have had with my Sennhesier EW100. If the problems are something that I have done and I can rectify them I will take two of these mics, however if it is just limitations of the mic itself I will fork out the cash and hire some really good wireless lapels.
My problem (I will be as specific as possible):
I recently used a Sennheiser EW100 on a shoot (using all the gear which we brought with the Sennheiser EW100 pack). I have used this system quite a few times without a problem. I had the mic receiver plugged into a HVX202.
I had big distortion problems. The sensitivity on my receiver was set around -20 (even sometimes -30) and the readings on the meter didn't show peaking. Also the reading on the receiver was normal and the AF output level was set at a reading suitable for MIC level (around -24) so it could go straight to the HVX202. I don't use any auto limiter in the camera but keep a close eye on the levels and adjust it manually accordingly. I put the receiver to channel 2 so I can duplicate it to both the left and right channes (using the channel select switches) so I have one level set lower 'just in case'.
Essentially I got distortion really easily. Even at -20, many times I got distortion (although all the levels appeared fine on the camera, transmitter and receiver (I must admit the levels on the receiver did seem a bit high but not to warrant the distortion I was getting. I had to reduce the sensitivity on the transmitter considerably to keep the level on the receiver at a good range... is this normal?). I had headphones and tried flicking switches all over the camera, etc and the only way I managed to get good takes was to set the transmitter sensitivity at -20 / -30 which unfortunately increases background noise considerably. Increasing the volume on the camera (up to but not including peaking) did not affect the amount of distortion at all.
I'll be honest and say I don't know what happened. I have hired this mic without any problems in the past (or nothing like this anyway). I wonder a bit if it was the camera (it was a hire camera I have never used before) as I find it hard to replicate the problem when I plug it in my DVX. I should also note that I tried two Sennheiser EW100 systems on the HVX I hired and both had the same easily distorted results.
So my question is, am I making a mistake with my setup, could it possibly be a camera problem, or does the Sennheiser EW100 (or the lapel mic that comes with it) just have a really limited range that is works within? If it is the third I will hire some gear, is there anything that anyone particularlly recommends (I need to use two lapels at once)? I usually hire a different wireless mic for shoots but they are a bit older so I worry about the reliability, but I have never had distortion problems.
Thanks heaps guys... I am at a complete headblock with this one.
Cheers,
Matt
I have a very important overseas shoot in a couple of weeks and I want to make sure I take the right gear. Don't worry, this isn't so much a what do I take question but more so relating to some problems I have had with my Sennhesier EW100. If the problems are something that I have done and I can rectify them I will take two of these mics, however if it is just limitations of the mic itself I will fork out the cash and hire some really good wireless lapels.
My problem (I will be as specific as possible):
I recently used a Sennheiser EW100 on a shoot (using all the gear which we brought with the Sennheiser EW100 pack). I have used this system quite a few times without a problem. I had the mic receiver plugged into a HVX202.
I had big distortion problems. The sensitivity on my receiver was set around -20 (even sometimes -30) and the readings on the meter didn't show peaking. Also the reading on the receiver was normal and the AF output level was set at a reading suitable for MIC level (around -24) so it could go straight to the HVX202. I don't use any auto limiter in the camera but keep a close eye on the levels and adjust it manually accordingly. I put the receiver to channel 2 so I can duplicate it to both the left and right channes (using the channel select switches) so I have one level set lower 'just in case'.
Essentially I got distortion really easily. Even at -20, many times I got distortion (although all the levels appeared fine on the camera, transmitter and receiver (I must admit the levels on the receiver did seem a bit high but not to warrant the distortion I was getting. I had to reduce the sensitivity on the transmitter considerably to keep the level on the receiver at a good range... is this normal?). I had headphones and tried flicking switches all over the camera, etc and the only way I managed to get good takes was to set the transmitter sensitivity at -20 / -30 which unfortunately increases background noise considerably. Increasing the volume on the camera (up to but not including peaking) did not affect the amount of distortion at all.
I'll be honest and say I don't know what happened. I have hired this mic without any problems in the past (or nothing like this anyway). I wonder a bit if it was the camera (it was a hire camera I have never used before) as I find it hard to replicate the problem when I plug it in my DVX. I should also note that I tried two Sennheiser EW100 systems on the HVX I hired and both had the same easily distorted results.
So my question is, am I making a mistake with my setup, could it possibly be a camera problem, or does the Sennheiser EW100 (or the lapel mic that comes with it) just have a really limited range that is works within? If it is the third I will hire some gear, is there anything that anyone particularlly recommends (I need to use two lapels at once)? I usually hire a different wireless mic for shoots but they are a bit older so I worry about the reliability, but I have never had distortion problems.
Thanks heaps guys... I am at a complete headblock with this one.
Cheers,
Matt
