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Epic Fan noise

Adnan Siddiqui

Adnan Siddiqui

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Hi guys,

I'm looking for the thread with info about Epic's fan noise. I was shooting interviews all day today and the Epic's fan would start up after 5-6 minutes of recording, even after I changed the fan control to manual (fan at 24% during record, 88% during standby).

Is there a solution to the fan noise when shooting long interviews?

Thanks
 
yeah, set your speed to 35% and 100% and warn your client about the leaf blower.
 
24% won't cut it for long takes. Will is right - between 35% and 40% for long takes. I don't however put it on 100% for non recording - not necessary and terrifies the client. You can set it around 75% when not recording.
 
Adnan Siddiqui said:
Hi guys,

I'm looking for the thread with info about Epic's fan noise. I was shooting interviews all day today and the Epic's fan would start up after 5-6 minutes of recording, even after I changed the fan control to manual (fan at 24% during record, 88% during standby).

Is there a solution to the fan noise when shooting long interviews?

Thanks
Click to expand...
I guess they moved the thread to a less visible location as it got a bit LOUD.

http://www.reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?78306-EPIC-FAN-NOISE-HEARTBREAKING-DURING-INTERVIEW
 
Adnan Siddiqui said:
Hi guys,

I'm looking for the thread with info about Epic's fan noise. I was shooting interviews all day today and the Epic's fan would start up after 5-6 minutes of recording, even after I changed the fan control to manual (fan at 24% during record, 88% during standby).

Is there a solution to the fan noise when shooting long interviews?



Thanks
Click to expand...
I did a lot of long interviews for our docu, i put 35% when recording and 75 in standby, but if it is a hot place to shoot,the i set 100% fan in standby.
 
fan noise is also a video noise issue?

fan noise is also a video noise issue?

Aside from the audio noise issue, there's the possibility of video noise from the changing fan speeds.

Using the fans to drastically change the internal temperature of the camera (100%, 35% speeds) will mean that the internal temperature will deviate by a large number of degrees from the temperature at which the camera was black shaded for at least part of the shot - which may increase the video noise.

Why do we go to all the trouble to black shade at a warmed up temperature, when that will vary from the temperature at which we shoot?

It would be very nice if:

1. there were less fan noise

2. there was a way to have a constant fan speed that would keep the camera at a constant temperature [just a bit below the max].

You might input the ambient air temperature into the LCD, and let the camera compute the proper constant fan speed that would be the lowest for that temperature - but not so low that it would ever need to go 100% all of a sudden.
 
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Ok. Thanks guys. Looks like Epic might not work for my future interview shoots :(
 
Some pertinent discussions:

Epic Phantom Power


Random Audio Level Dropouts


Low-Level Hum with Epic


Fan Noise


Fan Noise Reduction


How to Send Good Audio to the Red Epic


Major Sync Issues


Audio High-Pitch Background Noise


Epic Pro I/O Module

plus the infamous 167-message Interview Thread.


I should add that I've worked on several Red Epic and Scarlet projects in the last couple of months, and had zero problems with noise, shut downs, timecode glitches, or anything else. (One commercial had two crashes in three days, for a total of maybe 1 minute of downtime, which is negligible.) But we used an external timecode box, an external mixer, an external sound recorder, and only sent a wireless scratch track to the Red. We also used 100% fan in standby, which is not ideal for the sound department for rehearsals, but we coped as best we could.

If this is a long interview, I would try to find ways to split it up into 15-minute segments and take a break every so often, and keep the room and cameras cool. I'd also put some distance between the cameras and the people so that in case the cameras do overheat, you have a fighting chance of keeping the noise out of the microphones. Specific microphone choice and room acoustics will also have an effect on reducing or enhancing noise in the environment.
 
Adnan, I've used Epic on a series of long interviews for a major client, filming in cities all around the US. The interviews go an hour to and hour and a half without stopping, sometimes up to 4 a day. Fan is set at 38%. Sound is using a boom and lav on these jobs and has not complained once about fan noise. I've never had the fan kick in to a higher level in this set-up.
 
Ken, thanks. I'll try that setting out cuz I wanna just stick to Epic for most of my future shoots. Cheers
 
Thanks Marc, I appreciate it very much!!
 
This is a normal house constant temp? Say 68 degrees right? What about outdoors on a sunny day or in a hot room?

Ken Willinger said:
Adnan, I've used Epic on a series of long interviews for a major client, filming in cities all around the US. The interviews go an hour to and hour and a half without stopping, sometimes up to 4 a day. Fan is set at 38%. Sound is using a boom and lav on these jobs and has not complained once about fan noise. I've never had the fan kick in to a higher level in this set-up.
Click to expand...
 
Recently 38%/100% manual hasn't been cutting it. Inside, relatively cool locations I've had to go to 45% or even 50% manual while rolling to keep from overheating. It's still fine at that level, even 8-10 feet away from the subject. No louder than a film camera. I've been able to roll as long as I want with these settings.

ALSO, GOOD TO KNOW- While you are rolling you can adjust the fan speed on the fly. So I suggest you start in manual mode at 38%/100% and keep an eye on the temp while rolling. Once it gets to 70 degrees you can crank it up to 45. I have found 48-50% is the spot where it can even start lowering the temp of the camera while rolling (in a relatively average temp room- not hot, not cold). Manual fan management is not necessarily fun and it would be great if there were a setting on the camera that would at all costs prevent the camera from overheating by slowly incrementing the fan speed. Seems like this is what AUTO should do, but it DOESNT!
 
This may sound crazy, but the auto setting seems to work fine for me. Ya know, it automatically ramps up or down as needed, like automatically.

Nick
 
Nick Gardner said:
This may sound crazy, but the auto setting seems to work fine for me. Ya know, it automatically ramps up or down as needed, like automatically.

Nick
Click to expand...

That DOES sound crazy. Haha. Auto has always ramped the fan but overheating is inevitable in AUTO for long takes and then the camera cuts and kick the fan on 100% automatically. From what I have read on this forum this seems to be the norm for long takes in AUTO. It's definitely been my experience so far!
 
Huh. I have done hours and hours of interviews in all kinds of locations and never had the 100% kick in happen. Weird.

Nick
 
Les C. said:
Aside from the audio noise issue, there's the possibility of video noise from the changing fan speeds.

Using the fans to drastically change the internal temperature of the camera (100%, 35% speeds) will mean that the internal temperature will deviate by a large number of degrees from the temperature at which the camera was black shaded for at least part of the shot - which may increase the video noise.

Why do we go to all the trouble to black shade at a warmed up temperature, when that will vary from the temperature at which we shoot?

It would be very nice if:

1. there were less fan noise

2. there was a way to have a constant fan speed that would keep the camera at a constant temperature [just a bit below the max].

You might input the ambient air temperature into the LCD, and let the camera compute the proper constant fan speed that would be the lowest for that temperature - but not so low that it would ever need to go 100% all of a sudden.
Click to expand...

Les, is this something you've actually experienced? Or are you just dreaming up stuff to worry about?

I've done interviews long enough to fill a 256G card with breaks only long enough to let the camera write a new clip every so often. I've never seen anything like a difference in the cameras noise profile. And these shots get cut back-to-back pretty frequently. My experience is that the camera can run all day with the fan set to something between 36% and 40%. And I've never had the idle fan speed set to 100% in a year of owning it. 75% is as high as its ever been set, and it's usually in the 60s.

Think about it. If you run a 15-minute take and cut the camera for the 12 seconds it takes the subject to take a drink of water, for example, that 12 seconds is going to have virtually no impact on the camera temp. You have to keep the camera stable while it's recording. And it's perfectly capable of doing it at sound levels that will be fine for all but the most intimate camera-subject placement. The idea that you can cool the camera with a short burst of fan between long takes is misguided.

It is in the opposite situation (short takes) where the high/low fan setting is useful. If you are running short takes, you can run the fan slower during record (the camera temp will rise) then let the faster fan speed cool the camera between recordings. That technique will let you record very intimate close ups with very acceptable sound levels.

There is an easy way to keep the camera temp stable during long takes:Pay attention. If the temp is climbing higher than you think you want it, turn the fan up a click or two.

As for this video noise worry. Forget about it. Not going to happen.
 
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