Not sure if this is a valid point or not, but when I put in the Kensingtong adapter alone into the EX1 without the Sandisk Ultra II card, it gives me the same error as when I have the Sandisk card in. If there is no card in the adapter, it should not give you any type or error, correct?
Upgrade EX1 firmware to 1.11
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basspig
Veteran
Now that I FINALLY have a working set of batteries for our network UPS, I can safely go ahead and do the firmware upgrade to my EX1, but there is still that lingering question about what it does to the audio recording system. The instructions say something about changing the 3dB step to a 6dB step, but if that's the case, it would be reducing the number of steps to half that the attenuator can set values to. I also want to be certain it doesn't do any other hocus pocus with the frequency response or other aspects of the audio before I take the plunge, as it may not be reversable.
basspig
Veteran
What I'm wondering is how they reduced that distortion. What worries me is one way that may be accomplished is by rolling off the low frequency response, like they did in the HVR-V1U and other prosumer cams. Another way would be to increase the influence of the non-defeatable limiter that kicks in about 4 dots below the redline on the meter. If either of these turn out to be the type of change involved, that would make the camera no longer suitable for concert work. Up to now, this camera, with it's flat audio response, has enabled me to get by with just a pair of good studio condenser mics for low-budget concert situations where I can't charge thousands for separate audio, nor have the time or space allocated to me to set up a DAW in a venue. Having that audio on-camera has been a lifesaver. I would hate to lose it!
I guess I'm going to have to take my chances and see what happens with the firmware update.
basspig
Veteran
I just got done testing the audio with RightMark Audio Analyzer, after the firmware update to 1.11. Everything went smoothly.
The audio response was not adversely-affected. However, I see what they did to reduce distortion, and it is actually pretty decently-engineered:
There is just the slightest bit more rolloff at 20Hz on the new firmware, compared with the old, of about 0.5dB (an inaudible amount). I can see by comparing the before and after curves, that there is a gradual rolloff that begins to be visible at 30Hz and starts dropping more steeply by the time you get to 20Hz.
The Line input remains unchanged. This slight subsonic filter affects the Mic inputs only.
It appears that they roll off everything below about 15Hz, with the turnover being seen to start around 30Hz. But it's only 1.3dB down at 20Hz. Not bad.
Most notibly, the high frequency response seems to be improved (though not audibly) as the graph is now ruler-flat to 20KHz on the Mic input, though unchanged on the Line input.
Some of the spurious noise is reduced in the s/n test. Over most of the range, noise is 115dB below the reference signal, with a few spikes pushing the noise floor up around 50Hz (not my local line frequency, perhaps because the camera was in 24P mode there is a harmonic of the frame rate).
These test results are accessible from my tests page:
http://www.basspig.com/CameraAudioTests.htm
The NEW indicator is the FW upgraded results. Bear in mind that the old test was comparing Left/Right channels, whereas the new test is comparing Mic/Line signals, so some differences are to be expected.
A word about the autofocus. It's not faster, but it is more accurate--it hunts less, so in the summation, it works out to be faster because once it locks onto an edge, it stays there, whereas the old firmware would oscillate in and out of focus a couple of times before settling.
I should also note that the very FIRST time I powered the camera up after the FW update, it took about 15 seconds to boot. I had a sinking feeling for that period, thinking I'd bricked the camera, but on first boot, it's probably sorting out the new FW and reconciling the hardware with it. Subsequent bootup is 5 seconds.
The audio response was not adversely-affected. However, I see what they did to reduce distortion, and it is actually pretty decently-engineered:
There is just the slightest bit more rolloff at 20Hz on the new firmware, compared with the old, of about 0.5dB (an inaudible amount). I can see by comparing the before and after curves, that there is a gradual rolloff that begins to be visible at 30Hz and starts dropping more steeply by the time you get to 20Hz.
The Line input remains unchanged. This slight subsonic filter affects the Mic inputs only.
It appears that they roll off everything below about 15Hz, with the turnover being seen to start around 30Hz. But it's only 1.3dB down at 20Hz. Not bad.
Most notibly, the high frequency response seems to be improved (though not audibly) as the graph is now ruler-flat to 20KHz on the Mic input, though unchanged on the Line input.
Some of the spurious noise is reduced in the s/n test. Over most of the range, noise is 115dB below the reference signal, with a few spikes pushing the noise floor up around 50Hz (not my local line frequency, perhaps because the camera was in 24P mode there is a harmonic of the frame rate).
These test results are accessible from my tests page:
http://www.basspig.com/CameraAudioTests.htm
The NEW indicator is the FW upgraded results. Bear in mind that the old test was comparing Left/Right channels, whereas the new test is comparing Mic/Line signals, so some differences are to be expected.
A word about the autofocus. It's not faster, but it is more accurate--it hunts less, so in the summation, it works out to be faster because once it locks onto an edge, it stays there, whereas the old firmware would oscillate in and out of focus a couple of times before settling.
I should also note that the very FIRST time I powered the camera up after the FW update, it took about 15 seconds to boot. I had a sinking feeling for that period, thinking I'd bricked the camera, but on first boot, it's probably sorting out the new FW and reconciling the hardware with it. Subsequent bootup is 5 seconds.