One last question: preamp/recorder on a budget

[Ty Ford]

Tony said, “I get almost no hiss, and the headroom is back to where it ought to be because the record levels aren’t set artifically low to control the hiss. Unlike what I’d read on the web, the quality of the internal mics is not bad, at least for dialogue, and there is surprisingly little handling noise while using the internal mics. The sound recorded off of the Rode NTG-2 is excellent. ”

Tony, I’m glad you’re happy with your purchase and you certainly seem to have done your homework.

Couple of things. Setting record levels artificially (or otherwise) low would not reduce hiss. If anything, it would increase hiss. Perhaps you could explain what you mean.

I have doubts that ANY recorder’s internal mics can be used for professional production work unless you’re holding it and putting it very near the people speaking. If that’s what you’re doing, you must have (or will soon have) forearms like Popeye.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Ty Ford

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[Tony Connoly]

Ty–I hope you’re having a nice Thanksgiving.

(i) Here’s what I was trying to say about hiss (Although I will say upfront I am not sure whether it’s worth figuring out what was happening there, except as an academic matter):

If you recall, I was previously recording into a DSLR with automatic gain control. In order to clamp down on the AGC, I directed noise into the right channel while recording into the left channel. This had the effect of preventing the AGC from changing the recording levels on the fly, and also caused the gain to be set on the lowest level possible. I found that after increasing the volume in post, some of the hiss came back but it was not nearly as bad as the hiss that was produced by the camera’s automatic gain control. Maybe there is a simple explanation, maybe there is not, but it’s probably not really relevant any more because there are better ways of doing things.

If I understand what you were saying, as a general matter and using proper gear, reducing the record level and then increasing the volume in post will increase the hiss, correct?

(ii) I certainly won’t dispute that the internal mics are not for pro work (and that’s even though I eat my spinach every day). I was just commenting on the remarks I’d read, which basically said that the mics in the Marantz were “bad” while the mics in the other hand-held units were “good”. Based on my brief experience with a Zoom and my current DMP661, the internal mics were not a factor in which one I’d use. But I’ll keep eating spinach just in case…

All the best.

[Ty Ford]

“If I understand what you were saying, as a general matter and using proper gear, reducing the record level and then increasing the volume in post will increase the hiss, correct?”

Yes, if you under record the audio will be in the noise floor of the system. As you try to increase it to proper levels you also bring up the noise floor, which is usually hiss.

“(ii) I certainly won’t dispute that the internal mics are not for pro work (and that’s even though I eat my spinach every day). I was just commenting on the remarks I’d read, which basically said that the mics in the Marantz were “bad” while the mics in the other hand-held units were “good”. Based on my brief experience with a Zoom and my current DMP661, the internal mics were not a factor in which one I’d use. But I’ll keep eating spinach just in case…”

Good idea.

Regards,

Ty Ford

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