Influxaudio Posted October 17, 2013 Report Share Posted October 17, 2013 Greetings ! I have recently started using a Sennheiser g3 wireless system for recording Lav mic's into a SD 664. I wanted to ask others here what settings are working best for them as I'm not 100% satisfied with the quality of signal I'm getting. I currently set sensitivity to just over half the range on the transmitter (in case the talent talks louder than in the sound check) and making sure I don't see the AF Peak light at all. Then on the receiver I have the AF Out settings at 0 (with the idea that I'm not adding or attenuating the gain on the sennheiser) Then I'm coming into the 664 at Mic level and have my Gain Trim at 12.00 (half of the range) What do you guys think of that ? Also I'm using a Sanken Cos 11mic and find that even with a pop shield accessory I sometimes get a lot of siblance - is that normal and to be expected ? Really appreciate any advice Influx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Toline Posted October 18, 2013 Report Share Posted October 18, 2013 Start with your transmitter & receiver at a -20 setting especially going into a mic level input. Adjust the levels on your 664 as required. Sibilance is a vocal characteristic, the Sanken is a bit bright but a very good sounding lav. When doing a level check always ask for performance level to get an idea of the vocal range. After the level check you can adjust the tx &rx in & out levels to give you the best signal to noise ratio and dynamic range. Eric Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Influxaudio Posted October 18, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 18, 2013 Hi Eric Thanks for your reply . Could I ask why you attenuate both Rx and Tx instead of one or the other. Thanks influx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrd456 Posted October 18, 2013 Report Share Posted October 18, 2013 the sound of above normal sibilance many times is distortion J,D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Toline Posted October 18, 2013 Report Share Posted October 18, 2013 Hi Eric Thanks for your reply . Could I ask why you attenuate both Rx and Tx instead of one or the other. Thanks influx You adjust the tx for the microphone input level so you don't overload the preamp in the tx. You adjust the rx output level so you don't overload the mixer input level. You can turn up the rx output to "0" or above but you have to change the 664 input to line level. it's called gain staging. Trust me on this, it works. Eric Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrej H Posted October 18, 2013 Report Share Posted October 18, 2013 Sanken proved to be amazing buried below clothes... in plain sight it is rather bright... had some nasty sibilance on a few females; but taped to man's chest and covered with clothes it works great... I used settings of -15 and -20 on Sennheisers coming into mic preamps... It worked. The only thing I couldn't solve was wireless hop to camera... Even at the lowest settings the signal from recorder's xlr out and through that g3 cube transmitter into the camera via g3 receiver came in distorted, but silent... even when both set to -30 or less... hmmm... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RPSharman Posted October 18, 2013 Report Share Posted October 18, 2013 I know this is stupid... but perhaps go to where you bought the gear, set it up, and have someone who knows the gear show you how to use it properly. Getting the "right" settings is not always easy to understand in text. If you didn't buy the gear here in Los Angeles, and picked them up at a box store (you still owe California use tax, by the way), you can perhaps rectify your mistake by asking the kind folks at Trew or LSC or Audio Dept. to show you around your new gear. It might be in their best interest to get a new client, who will hopefully be wise enough to buy gear from a local dealer the next time :-) Robert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Toline Posted October 19, 2013 Report Share Posted October 19, 2013 Sanken proved to be amazing buried below clothes... in plain sight it is rather bright... had some nasty sibilance on a few females; but taped to man's chest and covered with clothes it works great... I used settings of -15 and -20 on Sennheisers coming into mic preamps... It worked. The only thing I couldn't solve was wireless hop to camera... Even at the lowest settings the signal from recorder's xlr out and through that g3 cube transmitter into the camera via g3 receiver came in distorted, but silent... even when both set to -30 or less... hmmm... You were feeding a line level signal into a mic level input. You would need a 40db pad on the recorders output to drop the signal to mic level. Eric Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
studiomprd Posted October 19, 2013 Report Share Posted October 19, 2013 " I know this is stupid... " NOT! excellent advice... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrej H Posted October 19, 2013 Report Share Posted October 19, 2013 @Eric - Yes, I thought that feeding mic level to line level was the reason, but I used even -40 or -42 or-45 or what are the lowest sensitivity settings - I forgot now... on that cube transmitter... and also -30 and more on receiver and also changed camera input to line level from mic level and all we managed to do was to get a reasonably distorted but very low level signal... my conclusion was that I must be missing something and maybe that g3 mic kit cannot work as camera hop, too... I stuck with hardwire connection to camera - it sounded good and no problems with the wireless frequency and transmission shit... Maybe the signal got distorted already coming from recorder output into the transmitter, even at lowest sensitivity settings... hmmm... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Toline Posted October 19, 2013 Report Share Posted October 19, 2013 @Eric - Yes, I thought that feeding mic level to line level was the reason, but I used even -40 or -42 or-45 or what are the lowest sensitivity settings - I forgot now... on that cube transmitter... and also -30 and more on receiver and also changed camera input to line level from mic level and all we managed to do was to get a reasonably distorted but very low level signal... my conclusion was that I must be missing something and maybe that g3 mic kit cannot work as camera hop, too... I stuck with hardwire connection to camera - it sounded good and no problems with the wireless frequency and transmission shit... Maybe the signal got distorted already coming from recorder output into the transmitter, even at lowest sensitivity settings... hmmm... I've used the G2/3 plug on tx as hop transmitters with no problem. It's all a matter of setting up the levels and matching the ins & outs correctly. Also I've ever been in favor of feeding a camera from a recorders outputs. When possible feed the camera & recorder from separate outputs from a mixer. Eric Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesse Flaitz Posted October 19, 2013 Report Share Posted October 19, 2013 Assuming it was an Epic or Scarlet, the inputs will not work with stock G3 cables, it will phase cancel and distort. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rb1138 Posted November 14, 2013 Report Share Posted November 14, 2013 @Eric - Yes, I thought that feeding mic level to line level was the reason, but I used even -40 or -42 or-45 or what are the lowest sensitivity settings - I forgot now... on that cube transmitter... and also -30 and more on receiver and also changed camera input to line level from mic level and all we managed to do was to get a reasonably distorted but very low level signal... my conclusion was that I must be missing something and maybe that g3 mic kit cannot work as camera hop, too... I stuck with hardwire connection to camera - it sounded good and no problems with the wireless frequency and transmission shit... Maybe the signal got distorted already coming from recorder output into the transmitter, even at lowest sensitivity settings... hmmm... Isn't there a special line level cable for the transmitter? Your recorder's output might be too hot. I set my tape out at mic level, instead of buying the above cable. Works fine for scratch, and I haven't had the problems you describe. Although I should probably buy the cable, though I thought it was more expensive than that ^^. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesper Magnusson Posted November 14, 2013 Report Share Posted November 14, 2013 Your recorder's output might be too hot. I think this is the problem too - you might be overloading the input of the transmitter, so it doesn't matter how much you turn them down; you're just lowering an already distorted signal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antoinefromparis Posted November 22, 2013 Report Share Posted November 22, 2013 I havent had a problem with them, usually the sound is pretty good. Mic sensitivity low is best (-20 or -30) depending how you miced. I've run them on mixer or sometimes straight in the camera with clear results, just remember that receiver output is line not mic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonG Posted November 22, 2013 Report Share Posted November 22, 2013 Signal Flow and Gain Structure Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VM Posted November 22, 2013 Report Share Posted November 22, 2013 , just remember that receiver output is line not mic. Oups, you should read the manual ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Blankenship Posted November 22, 2013 Report Share Posted November 22, 2013 The receiver's output is what you set it to. The wiring of the input is in the manual. The explanation of both input and output settings are in the manual. Aimed at no one in particular, just a reaction to some of these question in general: +1 what JonG said. Understanding signal levels, signal flow, and gain staging are basics for a professional sound mixer. Forgive the tough love, but if you don't understand these elements (and a whole bunch more), you're not yet a pro, you're just a guy with gear. Also learn what decibels are and what they mean to what you do (it's a ratio, so unless you know what a dB number is referenced to, it means nothing). Learn Ohm's law, how it's applied, and why it matters. Learn what bridging inputs are and what impedance means (I hear frequent references to "impedance matching" from people who haven't a clue that impedance matching is seldom used with voltage gain stages -- since about the sixties. If you're talking power transfer, it's an issue, but how many people here are designing power amplifiers?) When working with cameras, learn the differences between "time base," "time code" and "frame rate." They're three different things, and not knowing what they are and how they relate to each other is a recipe for creating issues in post. And, yes, they're confusing to everyone since different camera manufacturers approach them each in their own unique way. There are massive amounts of misunderstanding in all the above and what you don't know WILL hurt you in this industry. I step down from my soap box now and head out to forage for sustenance as I transition out of "geek mindset" and into "hunter-gatherer mode". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
studiomprd Posted November 22, 2013 Report Share Posted November 22, 2013 " Forgive the tough love... There are massive amounts of misunderstanding in all the above and what you don't know WILL hurt you in this industry. " Amen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Reineke Posted November 23, 2013 Report Share Posted November 23, 2013 Without repeating what's already been discussed at length, search this forum as well as the DVI and DVX forums for line/mic input & output wiring instructions, gain staging, software settings and other 'experienced' user recommendations for the G2/3 systems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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