Wireless microphone static drops sync

[Vickie Sceifers]

Second video:

Example of losing audio sync

[Ty Ford]

Hello Vickie and welcome to the Cow Audio Forum.

The fact that you’re getting interference on your wireless is an indication that there is traffic on “your” frequency. If that’s the public safety band, you are interfering with federally licensed communications and you are breaking the law. You are on their frequency.

Although moving the receiver closer to the transmitter may help, my advice to you would be to stop using these radios at once.

Regards,

Ty Ford
Cow Audio Forum Leader

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[Peter Groom]

Hi Vicky
Aside from any legal reasons about the use of your radio mics in your part of the world that Ty mentioned.

If the radio signal is dropping out as a result of some interference, then as youre going into a zoom h4n, which MUST be analogue input, then this CANT be the cause of your sync drift.
so lets split this in 3.

1) Is your audio arriving at the zoom ok. Your headphones will tell you if this is stable (no holes / clicks etc) If it has holes in it on the cans whilst recording, its a frequency / intereference issue (or a cable fracture) . Try adjusting the frequency to a new one, or adjust the squelch. Moving receiver closer to transmitter, unblocking line of sight and making sure there are no mobiles in room or that they are turned off.
Also check that you dont have phantom power enabled on the recorder for a device that doesnt need 48v up it jacksy.

If the cans have no issues / holes in audio, then it ia s recording error. Try a different recorder.

2) On the sync side. Have you correctly matched sample rates etc on the zoom recorder and whatever you are importing the audio into for picture editing. As the files from the zoom will be inported as a digital import, the sample frequency , bit depth MUST match. What NLE (editor) are you using.? Go for 48k 16 bit if in doubt.
If they are mismatched they will drift over time. Teh camera MUST also agree with these settings.

3) recording looks like a line with dust on it????
1) are you going into your zoom mic or line level. Which audio connections are you using on the zoom. What connectors are u using from the radio mic, or is it coming from an amp or desk?
What do the meters on the zoom say you are peaking at?
What do your ears say. ? Are you monitoring the zoom constantly?

The zoom has a full scae meter topping at 0. Your input audio from the mic should be sitting regularly around -12 ish.

let us know how you come on, unless youve already been carted off to guantanamo bay for radio mic mis use!

Lol.
Peter

Post Production Dubbing Mixer

[Vickie Sceifers]

Thank you, Peter. I will be doing some more testing this week and will update the thread.

“Lines with dust on it” means, I probably had the wrong setting – line in instead of mic in. I think this will be an easy fix. I haven’t used this device very much, so I seem to have to relearn the settings every time I get it out. I def need to doublecheck the bit depth, though, and match things with my Nikon D7000 and FCP7.

Vickie