-
Canon 60D Audio Levels constant HISS! How to eliminate background hiss.
I recently purchased the new Canon 60D. I have been happy with it. I started to shoot some HD video on the camera and I used an Azden SGM-1X shotgun microphone and the audio comes out with a constant hiss. I have tried a direct connection from the microphone to the camera input as well as a running the signal through an conversion box (SignVideo XLR-PRO Jr.). Still I would get the hiss.
I then thought to switch off the auto audio levels and I took the audio levels way down. The hiss was reduced, but still it is a headache to clean up in post (as the audio never sounds quite *right*).
Finally I tried the same process but I used a long cable to put some distance between the camera and my microphone. Still this did not eliminate the hiss.
What should I do? I am working on a tight budget and I was hoping to simplify my workflow by recording everything on one device.
What are the best options for DSLR audio in-camera or off-camera? If I shoot in 24fps (23.976fps) what steps should I take to make the audio match up? Whatever light you can shed on this topic would be great. I know that a lot of readers are looking for solutions to these problems and any recommendations you have would be great!
Thanks a ton!,
Skylar -
9 Replies
-
Could be the Azden doing it. You’d have to try plugging a couple different mics into it to see if it in fact is your mic causing the prob. If not, it could be something in the jack itself, or the cable going from mic to camera. There are a lot of possibilities.
-
It is not the microphone. I have tried it in other recording devices and the signal is clear (using the same cabels). I want to know how other people have dealt with the poor audio quality on the canon DSLRs. I have a small budget and it is easier for me to record both audio and video on a single device. Thanks for the tips though, I’ll keep working it from my side.
-
Can you disconnect the mic from the cable with it still plugged into the cam, and see if you still have the hiss, do you get the hiss from the built-in mic?
-
It also could be the auto gain some of those cameras have. The 5D is really bad about the auto gain and there is no way that I know of to turn it off. Adobe Audition should be able to get some of the hiss out in post, but it’s still a pain. You might have to get a Zoom H4N and record sound to that. I love mine and it’s clean as a whistle.
-
I have the new 60d as well. I’ve tried playing around with different microphones and inputs. The built in microphone doesn’t have any hiss but the quality is unusable. I’ve tried two different microphones two completely different plugs with the camera’s mic input and as soon as I plug in either mic I hear the exact same hiss. It’s obviously due to the 60d and not the microphones. And the only thing the audio level control does is reduce the total volume of the hiss.
I don’t know how to fix it.
-
I found this, though:
https://www.cinema5d.com/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=13640&start=0&st=0&sk=t&sd=a -
It is not the microphone, but indeed the camera. The AGC or automatic gain control is the problem. I’m no expert but I’ll explain it the best i can. The AGC is used in the 5D and 60D to turn the sound down when their is a loud voice. Otherwise you have that constant hissing sound in the background. Fortunately unlike the 7D, the 5D and 60D have the option to turn this off giving you semi-clear audio. But when you plug in a shotgun or external mic, this option goes away. I’m sorry to say, that pretty much your only and easier option is to buy a external sound recorder like a Zoom H4N. It is not that hard in post to line them up. That’s what a clapper-board is for. So the loud sound it makes during production show up in your editor and can line them up fairly easily. Easiest option, Zoom H4N, it around $300. It’s worth it.
-
The AGC could be part of the issue, but with AGC, you should hear the hiss increase during quite moments and decrease when people speak. I also get this hiss and it is constant whether people are talking or not. The only way I have found to combat it is to get the mic very close to the subject so that their volume is so loud that you can lower the overall levels.
The other issue I have noticed is that the audio levels in general are very low. Even when the meters show them at really good levels, the resultant files seem far lower.
Unfortunately, with the type of work I do, it really is just unacceptable. We cannot afford the extra time it takes to fix every single file in post. We have a system that works great for what we do, and the 60D is more of a hinderance than a help.
-
Have you tried it with a lavalier? I haven’t yet, but I bet that it will be a bit cleaner.
Reply to this Discussion! Login or Sign Up