[Richard Crowley]

“I feel it is impossible for me to cause traditional squealing feedback because my mics are not going to the PA therefore they can’t complete the feedback loop. Am I wrong about that?”

If your microphone (whether wired or wireless) is not feeding the PA system, then it is impossible for them to be causing any acoustic feedback. Alas it is rather common to encounter people running venue systems who are experts at misinformation.

[Richard Crowley]

It sounds like distortion from transcoding from one compressed audio codec into another one. This is typically bad news as you demonstrate.

You provided none of the details that would allow us to intelligently discuss what could be happening. For example:
What camera?
What file format?
What are you playing them on that “sounds file”?
It is hard to believe that you need some kind of editing that is available in Camtasia that is not available in Premiere.
What codec is the file encoded when it leaves Premiere and enters Camtasia?
What codec is the file encoded as when Camtasia exports it?
What are you going to do with the video?
What codec do you need for your proposed delivery method?

[Richard Crowley]

“I turned-off the H4n’s “Plug-in” power and turned on the mics’ power.”

Does this mean that you have already tested the configuration with the 1/4 inch adapter and the 1/4 inch input on the H4n?

I would not bet that the combination would work. The 1/4 inch input on the H4n is not claimed to be a mic-level input. The 1/4 inch input does not provide phantom power, even when it is turned on for the XLR input. It is not at all clear how that microphone is wired. It is a self-powered mono microphone, yet it uses a TRS output connector which begs the question, what is connected to the ring terminal?

[Richard Crowley]

New York City has the reputation of being one of the big cities known for “RF Hell”.

50 feet doesn’t seem far enough to warrant using wireless between two fixed locations (the PA mixer and your camera). 50ft would be just one length of XLR cable off my reel. If you really MUST go wireless, then rent a professional rig and get expert advice on what band/frequency to use.

I would NOT trust a low-end wireless system to perform reliably in NYC. I would be MUCH more likely to just use a hard-wire connection. Or I would use a separate audio recorder located at the PA mixer. A low-end wireless kit would be my LAST choice.

Do you have appropriate adapters and cables to interface the PA mixer with the wireless transmitter?

[Richard Crowley]

Gauge will have no discernible affect on sound quality. Smaller gauge wires are more flexible and will be better at lying flat on the ground, etc, but they are a bit more fragile as well. As with most anything else, it is a trade-off.

You could try getting a star-quad cable or two just to see if it makes any difference. IME, I can see no difference in performance.

For heavy RFI (Radio-Frequency Interference) situations as you are describing, it may be useful to use the Neutrik EMC-XLR series of connectors which have built-in filtering. There are also tricks like connecting capacitors between pin-1 and the connector shell, etc.

HOWEVER, there is only so much a cable or connector can do. If the mic preamp is susceptible to RFI, then you need to consider using more robust equipment or inline filters in severe service areas.

Star-point grounding won’t be of much help out on location with the symptoms you describe, and won’t work at all with mics requiring phantom power.

100 ft is not a terribly long run for low-impedance balanced mic cables. I often use runs of several hundred feet.

I make my own cables, but if you are not up to that, I would recommend https://www.redco.com/Custom-Cable.html to have exactly the cable, connectors, color, and length you want. I get most of my cable and connectors from them.

[Richard Crowley]

I concur with Messrs. Toline, Ford, and Bergstein. It is cell phone (or equivalent) type noise. Known generically as “RFI” (Radio Frequency Interference). It is quite a mild case. I have experienced situations where it was so bad you would have thought you were inches from a giant buzz saw.

This is not a function of the recorder, the media, or the file type. It is NOT any kind of indication that the recorder is dying. It IS a function of the microphone, cable, and susceptibility of the mic preamp.

As has been already mentioned, a complete prohibition on active cell phones is a very common practice in many/most types of production. AND someone should have the primary responsibility of monitoring the audio recording whenever you are rolling. It is their responsibility to yell “CUT!” when they hear that kind of interference.

Legend is that at least one famous Hollywood director carries a hammer and nails on the set. Anyone caught with an active device gets it confiscated and actually NAILED to the nearest door-frame or fence-post. Zero tolerance.

[Richard Crowley]

I heard 9 minutes and 19 seconds of moderate level hiss and NO signal at all. It is not at all clear what you want to do with this? There is no detectable signal here that I could detect.

[Richard Crowley]

download.cnet.com lists over 100 “cue player” applications for Windows. All of them either free or quite inexpensive. I would think that you could find several candidates in their list that would have the features that you are looking for. Most of the paid apps have free download and trial.

[Richard Crowley]

Well, to use PBS as an example, from what I understand and have read in their specs, it may be already doubtful by your own description. But then much depends on other facts not in evidence. For example if it were only a couple of 10-second “sound bites” with sub-standard audio quality and you use some clever music-under and sound effects, etc. you might be able to creatively work around it. But if you are talking about a 15-minute sit-down interview with crummy audio and is a key element of the production, you may have painted yourself into a corner.

When I said “other elements” I was referring to your own comparison between your questionable tracks and (for example) audio from a presidential appearance/press conference, etc.

Whether or not something is “acceptable” to some particular distribution outlet is pretty much up to them. Do you not have a way of asking them directly?

There are others here who are much more qualified than I am to consult on broadcast-program audio post-production mixing and sound design. But your question may be rather nebulous to allow them to offer any practical advice.

[Richard Crowley]

I fear that a 2 minute audio clip is not sufficient to make a judgement call on all the issues you are asking about. Much is subjective, requires comparison with other sound track elements, depends on your (and the broadcasters’) expectations, how difficult it would be to go back and re-shoot properly, who the broadcaster is (cable-access or PBS or somewhere in-between?), how valuable (or irreproducable) the problem clips are, etc. etc.