to anyone with vast experience with Sennheiser G2 series

S

Sectaguy

Member
Never seen this before. Has this happened to someone with the G2? Volume went way down WHILE recording. Nope, batteries were fine. I've attached the clip from the moment volume was fine till it went down. Please help or give a rough idea on what might be the problem. Thank you!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpvhgpaCOdY
 
My guesses:

1) first would have been "batteries died"... OK... no then.

2) a button or volume knob on the camera (not the G2) was inadvertently touched.

3) the mute button on the G2 transmitter was riding the line between off and on... and it finally slipped over (sliding switches have an engage point... flip it and you'll see what I mean... but I would think this explanation to be a long shot over the above two).

The sound is much like it is if you're using a phantom mic and turn the phantom switch off while recording... the mic sounds like it ran out of power vs. simply turning off... (I realize that isn't what happened, but that's the basis of my guesses as to what did happen.)
 
MattinSTL said:
My guesses:

1) first would have been "batteries died"... OK... no then.

2) a button or volume knob on the camera (not the G2) was inadvertently touched.

3) the mute button on the G2 transmitter was riding the line between off and on... and it finally slipped over (sliding switches have an engage point... flip it and you'll see what I mean... but I would think this explanation to be a long shot over the above two).

The sound is much like it is if you're using a phantom mic and turn the phantom switch off while recording... the mic sounds like it ran out of power vs. simply turning off... (I realize that isn't what happened, but that's the basis of my guesses as to what did happen.)
Click to expand...
Thanks for your input!

1) Batteries were about 25% on both at the time. Changed them both (receiver & transmitter). Did another take and volume was still poor. At this point, I started playing around with the sensitivity and the AF out. Little increase, nothing approaching "normal".

2) Very, very conscious about the accidental touch on the knob so I looked briefly at it (as if, was it my head?). Volume knob on the camera was the same (wanted it around 30%).

3) It might be true about the mute button. Never thought of that, although if it switches to mute, I shouldn't be hearing anything. Right? Oh, I used a Countryman B6, which doesn't need the phantom power coming from the transmitter (It wasn't the Plug. My B6 has the 3.5mm connector).

Conclusion. I wanted to start a trial and error by checking the cable and trying other lavs. Can't. Couple of hours later I successfully recorded with the system with no problem. It's scary because I don't find it reliable any longer.
 
Maybe it was a reception issue and the squelch kicked in? Did you check to make sure the freq was clear before using it?
Batteries at 25% has caused problems for me before, so I have started to switch as soon as the battery gets to 1 bar.
I haven't listened to it, but these are some suggestions based on my experience.
 
It sounds like an electret failure. Electret condenser microphones often fail this way, usually after a fair number of years. It happens quite suddenly, and the symptom is exactly as you describe - a drop of about half or more in output level. If it's the case, the only solution is to replace the mic.

I have a Sony Electret (not a lav though) that failed this way after about 12 years. It still worked, but output level was drastically down. I was told there was no fix for it aside from outright replacement, and also that the issue is basically inevitable with electret condensers - virtually all electrets will fail after 10-20 years or so. I can't attest to that, since I'm not an electret mic expert, but the information did come from people who were pretty knowledgeable.

I could be wrong of course, but the symptoms do fit the bill...
 
Last edited:
Ted's got a pretty good idea there. Although I use B6's and I can't imagine what you'd have done to kill that mic (factory defect maybe?)...

But I do have to add... 25% battery life is considered fine? You should have a friend that you give your "moderately used up" AA batteries to... I have several people that get all the AA batteries that test under 1.4v. (a cheap tester will tell you how much life a used battery really has left)... I would never use a battery in the G2 with less then 2 bars... and I START with fresh batteries on every shoot...

I have long since written off rechargeable AA batteries! Those things are 100% unpredictable after a dozen charge cycles. Go to costco and buy a 36 pack of regular coppertops... then go knowing a full-day shoot will require two changes... and a half-day shoot will probably be fine with a fresh, new set... then at the end of the shoot... give those batteries away, or pitch 'em. (just don't save them for next time)
 
I'm inclined to think it's the microphone. I try to take care of the B6 but you never know. It could be factory defect since it doesn't have a year of life.

I agree 25% battery is not fine. It's just that in this case, I didn't consider it to be a big factor. I changed them and next take, same thing happened (with 100% of power).
 
Moisture seeping into the mic capsule from perspiration? Did you have the moisture resistant cap on the mic capsule or did you use it "naked?"
 
I used one of the response caps... not sure on this but I think it was crisp. Anyways, I have used the B6 before "naked" but with a Rycote Undercover. Was not the case here though.

By the way, thanks everyone for your responses and concerns. Really appreciate it!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top