What is causing this electronic sound in my Senheisser Ew100 G3 wireless lav?

[Richard Crowley]

What you seem to be DESCRIBING is “pumping” from automatic-gain control. That is where the gain starts automatically rising during silence between words, etc.

HOWEVER, I did NOT hear any significant pumping in your sample clip.
What I DID hear is excessive room ambient reverberation.

And I heard a constant background noise as well. It sounded like both ambient noise AND “electronic noise”.

While the subjects are speaking it masks the noise to some extent, and then during quiet intervals, you notice the noise more. But it wasn’t what I would call AGC “pumping”.

Now, it seems very probable that if the mics were properly positioned, you would have eliminated BOTH the ambient reverberation AND the composite noise.

[Matthew Richie]

Thanks for your reply Richard. I should’ve mentioned that the subject speaking in the clip was off mic. I just picked a clip where the electronic noise was easy to hear.
I’d also like to clarify that I meant to describe the electronic noise building then dropping off, not the gain itself.
We had a 2nd mic for both subjects, so we were able to capture good quality audio for this shoot. I’m just trying to figure out what the odd noise is that keeps coming up with this mic.

Thanks!

[Bruce Watson]

[Matthew Richie] “The mic in question has also had a rough go of it traveling through deserts, jungles, and cow pastures. Could this just be the result of rough handling?”

Yes, it could. You can wear out a mic cable, absolutely.

In my experience, roughly 80% of electrical problems occur at connectors. I’d be looking at the connector on the end of your mic cable, and the cable itself. I’d also try to find a known good mic and use that and see if the problem reoccurs. If it does not, the problem is your existing mic/cable/connector. Fix that and you’re done.

If the problem does reoccur, the problem is downstream of the mic and you probably want to keep troubleshooting. Next thing I’d do is look at the other end of the chain. Check the cable running from the receiver to the camera. That is, replace that cable and see if the noise reoccurs. If it does not, the problem is that cable. Replace and you’re done.

If the problem still happens, the cause is between those two cables. That is, your xmitter or your receiver. Check in particular the antennae on both units.

[Craig Alan]

Another test if replacements are not available is a another location and quiet.

Mac Pro, macbook pro, Imacs (i7); Canon 5D Mark III/70D, Panasonic AG-HPX170/AG-HPX250P, Canon HV40, Sony Z7U/VX2000/PD170; FCP 6 certified; FCP X write professionally for a variety of media; teach video production in L.A.

[Peter Groom]

Sounds like something else is pushing over your tx.
Mobile phone or phones, or some other type of transmision / rf.
Also are you unbalancing the mic into a jack input on the camera from the receiver?
Does selecting a different frequency not help?
Are you definitely in a bank / preset that is correct for your territory?
For instance in the UK where I am, incorrectly selecting a bank can push you into a frequency set that is reserved for other high powered transmission systems (such as Emergency services, 4g etc etc)

Peter

Post Production Dubbing Mixer