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XHA1 Audio hissing?
Hello,
I have never really needed a external mic for my projects until a few weeks ago.
So anyways i purchased a NTG-2 and a blimp.
I connected it and tried out sound quality. To my surprise i got a really bad hiss.
Now, I’m no noob, so i didn’t use auto gain, and i used a shielded XLR cord. I tried it with Phantom, without Phantom (AA battery) but still no luck.
So here i am thinking that i have a bad mic, and so i go to try another mic, and just before i plug it in i still hear a hiss through the headphones. I recorded it and it was there on the tape.
So obviously its not the mic, but the camera makes a hiss when its not connected to anything.
Is there something I’m doing wrong?
Thanks,
Tim -
5 Replies
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Well when I first started reading I was about to say “Ahh… he’s got a bad mic cable,” but by the time I got to the end of your post, obviously that was not the case.
Barring any weird or funky settings (and it doesn’t sound like you have any), my first guess would be that you have a bad mic pre-amp in the camera.
A few things to ask yourself (and check) to help with the diagnosis…
Is the hiss always there?… or sometimes it is, and sometimes it isn’t? Sounds like before you might have been using the onboard (front) mic… was there no hiss there?
Is the hiss in both left and right channels?… or just one of them?
Does the hiss vary in intensity when you turn the mic gain up and down? Or is it always there at the same level, even when you have that channel turned down to zero?
Is it, and its level, affected at all by switching the phantom power on or off?
Is it, and its level, affected at all by switching the input type from mic to line in?
Knowing those things might help a bit…
T2
__________________________________
Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com
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Thanks for your reply.
“Is the hiss always there?… or sometimes it is, and sometimes it isn’t?” No, its there all the time.“Sounds like before you might have been using the onboard (front) mic… was there no hiss there?” Nope, hiss is not showing up on the on-board mic.
“Is the hiss in both left and right channels?… or just one of them?” Both. depending on the volume for each Chanel.
“Does the hiss vary in intensity when you turn the mic gain up and down? Or is it always there at the same level, even when you have that channel turned down to zero?” The hiss does vary in intensity when the volume is turned up/down. Its not there at zero.Is it, and its level, affected at all by switching the phantom power on or off? Not really, possibly a little bit better on battery power, but really a unnoticeable change.
Is it, and its level, affected at all by switching the input type from mic to line in?
Yes. The hiss goes away completely, but so does the mic’s audio.Hope this helps!
Thanks -
Bump… anyone got any ideas?
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Since you said the hiss disappears on line in, IF you have a mixer, plug the microphones into the mixer. Set the XH-A1 for line in and connect to line out on the mixer.
Of course, mixers aren’t right for every shoot.
Sounds like the camera may need to be serviced. I recently got a second XH-A1S. Not such a problem anymore to send one camera for servicing since I now have two.
Check your local pawn shops and music stores, Guitar Center etc. for used mixers at good prices.
Roger
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Yeah based on your description I think you have a mic pre-amp issue… so unfortunately that means a trip in for repair. But knowing the answers to all of those questions I asked above will help the tech get to the bottom of the issue.
T2
__________________________________
Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com
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