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Posted by ushere on 06/25/07 09:54
Mark & Mary Ann Weiss wrote:
> Hello everyone. My name is Mark Weiss, from Connecticut. I run a small video
> production company, mainly covering event videos (cultural dance, orchestral
> and other musical performances, fashion shows, weddings, corporate video,
> etc). I'm also an avid audiophile. My background and profession before I
> retired was Professional Engineer, focused in radio broadcast, which
> included design of FM processors, stereophonic technology for over the air
> transmission, etc.
>
> I designed my own sound system in the 1970s and have acoustic design
> background as well.
>
>
> I own a couple of Sony VX2000s, but with the urgency to move to HD and sell
> the earlier gear before it loses all sale value, I moved to the HVR-V1U. I
> chose this camera for it's 30P capability, better video lens and...
> professional quality balanced audio inputs. At last, I thought... a camera
> where I can connect my Neumann U87s and actually record music with
> reasonable fidelity!
>
> Well, the reality was starkly different from the hope that the appearance of
> these connectors gave me. At first, I thought there was a mistake in
> manufacture with the first V1U, but when the second one arrived, I realized
> it was no mistake. They really DO roll off below 1222Hz! I became so
> interested in accurately measuring the response of the camera that I did
> numerous tests, finally ending up with the industry standard RightMark test.
> The results are abysmal. The camera fails on frequency response. It gets a
> "very poor" rating.
>
>
> What else can one rationally give it when you go out and record a marching
> band, with the bass drum thumping your chest, and you come back to the
> studio, play back the recording and those thundering bass drums only sound
> like tapping on paper cups--this played on a legendary sound system
> world-renowned for its bass response.
>
> Needless to say, I think Sony has a major issue to correct with these
> cameras. It's worse than the PD150 hiss problem. In all other respects, the
> V1U audio is acceptable. s/n is pretty good for a camera, but there's no
> excuse to roll off the low end at 1222Hz. Look at these results, carefully
> measured under laboratory conditions:
>
> http://www.basspig.com/HVR-V1U_PCM_Audio(DV).htm
>
>
> This response curve is what I'd expect to see from the high pass output of a
> two-way crossover network. No preamp in the world is this poor. There is no
> excuse for the camera not to be flat to 5Hz, like every other piece of
> digital recording equipment I own. Even my $299 Zoom H4 is flat to 5Hz and
> sounds way better than the audio on this camera.
>
> One of the attractive features of the V1U is the promise of higher end audio
> than the VX2000. Anyone seeing the attention Sony paid to XLR inputs with
> adjustable attenuators, individual AGC, etc., would conclude that the audio
> better be pretty darned good. Instead, it's about telephone quality. Even
> female speakers at a lecture I recorded sound thin and lacking in body to
> their voices, and this was with 20-20,000Hz condenser mics known for their
> big bottom end sound.
>
> I am very disappointed, and so far, the technical support folks at Sony have
> been silent about the results of their testing that they are supposedly
> conducting on this camera at my request. It's been almost 2 weeks since
> they'd said they would contact me with their findings. I can only hope that
> they decide to recall the camera model and correct this glaring defect.
>
> I've set up a general camcorder audio tests site at
> http://www.basspig.com/CameraAudioTests.htm and invite owners of these
> camcorders to run a RightMark test on your camcorder and submit it to me for
> inclusion in our growing database.
>
>
> --
>
>
> Take care,
>
>
>
> Mark & Mary Ann Weiss
>
>
>
> VIDEO PRODUCTION . FILM SCANNING . DVD MASTERING . AUDIO RESTORATION
> Hear my Kurzweil Creations at: www.dv-clips.com/theater.htm
> www.basspig.com The Bass Pig's Lair - 15,000 Watts of Driving Stereo!
> Business sites at:
> www.mwcomms.com
> www.adventuresinanimemusic.com
> -
>
>
>
what mic were you using?
where was it placed relative to the sound source?
and what the hell do you expect from a $4or5k camera?
i don't think there's a pro around who expects 'serious' sound from its
on board audio, even when using, say a senn me66 or equiv. the frequency
it does an adequate, if not exceptional job with is that centred on
speech. recording anything serious would usually involve some off board
equipment, dat recorder, whathaveyou.
add to this the known quality difference between hdv and dv audio, and
you have your answer i think.
but hey, bloody great pics it takes, no?
leslie
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