sound devices 302 hiss from return

K

kalos

Member
hi i have just purchased a 302 and today i linked it up with our 2 XDCam HD cameras and was shocked when i heard a loud hiss when im am monitoring the return feed on both cameras.
i ran 1khz tone at 0db on my metering and set it at -20 on the camera, which is what i have always done with other mixers. the audio sounds fine when monitoring just the mixer, and its fine when i record and playback the recorded audio, its just a huge hiss when i monitor the return feed ... any ideas why this is?

kale.
 
If your return is plugged into the headphone jack of the camera, it's likely the headphone circuit of the camera. Is there a change in level when you switch monitoring from mixer to return? If the return is louder, then the camera headphone output can be turned down to match monitoring levels. I usually have to do this on one of my regular gigs with a director who shots on the 170. How does the track sound when played back in the edit suite?
 
Just as gpforet said, it's most likely the headphone amp of the camera.
The full sized XDcam's Ive used over the years all have noisy headphone amps, in fact really the only camera out there that
I use that has an acceptable headphone return is a Panasonic Varicam (2700,3700)

It's just something you have to live with.
I play with fire a lot of times because I'll just spot check every few mins the camera feed to make sure it's working but then go back to monitoring off of my mixer
where I can actually tell what I'm recording. (its MUCH safer to just listen to the camera feed the whole time, and I recommend you staying with that route)
 
yes its from the headphone jack out of the camera, and there is a level change its much louder on return than the stmix on the mixer. i checked in the edit suite and the audio is all fine.

i guess ill have to live with it, and am glad it doesnt sound like an issue with the 302 return itself.
 
try adjusting the camera headphone out level so it matches the mixer monitor level, that way switching back and forth will not be as jarring and you're hearing won't be colored by the level change.

It is something you'll have to live with. In fact, even the headphone out from my Alphamix seemed a bit noisy, so when I sent it back to PSC for cleaning and to have the power distro upgraded, I had them check the headphone circuit and they said it was fine. I am monitoring on M-Audio IE-30 In-ears which are very sensitive and isolating so I hear more than I would be if using headphones.

kalos said:
yes its from the headphone jack out of the camera, and there is a level change its much louder on return than the stmix on the mixer. i checked in the edit suite and the audio is all fine.

i guess ill have to live with it, and am glad it doesnt sound like an issue with the 302 return itself.
Click to expand...
 
I would suggest (not knowing your exact camera) to set the camera's headphone knob to about 80-90%
then use your headphone return volume knobs on the right side of the 302 to adjust the overall volume so it matches
listening off of only the mixer.

If your 302 return knobs are cranked to 10 you'd have to turn down the camera headphone knob to make up for that,
and the opposite holds true as well. Of course adding noise, etc into your feed.

The reason I don't suggest putting the camera knob to 100% is the possibility of the headphone amp breaking up distortion wise.

Sometimes on the small cameras (hdx 200, etc) you need every ounce of volume you can get out of the camera so it's best to turn it to 100%,
but larger cameras usually have better headphone amps which give you more volume so there is no need to run them at 100%
 
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