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Auto Audio setting on the HVX 200
Just checking to see if the HVX has an auto audio setting that I can use in the manual mode. My production team used this camera to shoot a prison documentary this past week. I used a wireless boom (sennheiser MKH 60) to send sound to channel 1 and attached a decent shotgun mic to the camera for channel 2 for backup. Search as I might, I could not find an auto function in the manual or on the camera.
I monitored and mixed channel 1 using a Sound Devices Mixpre and sent it to the camera via a Sennheiser EW100ENG-G2 Evolution plug on transmitter. Luckily this worked without a hitch. The shotgun mic on the camera was an Audio Technica 835b. I set the level on the AT pretty low to prevent clipping since I would rather my DP concentrate on image while shooting. I would have prefered to leave channel 1 on maunual and switch 2 to auto just in case of a wireless dropout or clip or whatever. Most of the audio on channel 2 was too low to use.
Does anyone know if there is a channel specific auto control or perhaps have any other suggestions for a situation such as this? This doc was run and gun, and using xlrs to connect to the camera just wasn’t an option. Given the vast range in sound levels that one can run into in a prison, I just wanted to remain safe, I may have been too safe.
On a side note, we shot 20 SD hours at seven prisons and the camera held up like a champ. We had one dirty head servo error that was fixed with a head cleaning. The camera felt robust, I think mostly due to the metal body. I never worried about it being damaged by rough handling although I did freak out on the last day when I spotted the DP shooting from beneath an umbrella and saw little water droplets on the LCD.
Greg
Producer/Director
Goyo Media -
3 Replies
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Greg,
This is one of the mysteries of the Panasonic since the DVX-100. My guess is it hasn’t changed in the HVX-200. I think Sony is the only manufacturer of the small cameras which lets you use Auto control on individual channels.
For instance the Canon XLH1 is either auto or manual on both channels 1 + 2
I am not sure about the JVC.
On the DVX series the ALC was pretty good. It isn’t AGC it is just a limiter and the cameraman has to ride the levels. Not as brainless as AGC for some situations.
I hope I am wrong.Daniel Epstein
Gold Teleproductions, Inc
New York, NY
http://www.goldtele.com -
There is no auto level control on the HVX or the DVX. It’s all manual, all the time. There is a limiter (which they call “ALC” but which stands for automatic limiter control, not automatic level control) but that’s it. No auto level control.
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Thank you, both for the reponses, a limiter would be enough security to pump the volume a little more without risking that nasty peak sound.
Thanks!
Greg Amaro
Goyo Media
Director/Producer
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