Weapon Audio ... potentially useful notes with a question

[Michael Lindsay]

Quick disclaimer: I am not an Audio guy and please excuse poor terminolgy!

Weapon Audio with basic I/O module... just a little post to try and save others some testing time.

Never ever run in at MIC level... as it is horrible and super noisy at mic level (but a traditional high level line is also too hot to handle!!)
the software needs a little tweak to reflect this as in our setup we need to have -2db lower than the 0db min setting on the input sliders.

For our test we used 2 weapons..
We run in from a Nomad at -10 (level was at -35 when we went to Epic)
Place the Gain settings on Weapon at 0db (-2 would be perfect but at the min it is not available)
With the Zaxcom at -10 feeding out a -20dbfs tone we get -18db in the audo file. This is a 2db discrepancy but I struggled even with a gained up overloaded mic to get distortion so I am not super worried as we only realy do dual system audio

On the postive side it sounds good (can provide test) and definitely better than the Epic

Next iussue for us is DONT run external audio into track 3+4.. if you do you get a clicking sound every 1sec 9frames (at a base of 25fps)

Question:

please can Red update the software to allow us to reduce another -3db on the imput gain stage?
Is anyone else getiing the click sound every 1sec 9frames? (I have reproduced with 2 cameras)
am I doing anything wrong?

thanks

Michael L

PS I realise this is not the Audio focused I/O option and other options are coming out soon..

PPS on the mixer recorder we have here (a Zaxcom nomand 10) the 0db output setting is for traditional balanced runs at Line level, -10 is like a domestic line level
and -35 is for a Mic input level...

 

[Milan Spasic]

I'd be interested to hear this.

Also, no 48v phantom power anymore?

 

[Nick Fury]

I'd be interested to hear this.

Also, no 48v phantom power anymore?

Sadly, correct.

Thank you very much

Fury

 

[Brian Ferguson]

Quick disclaimer: I am not an Audio guy and please excuse poor terminolgy!

Weapon Audio with basic I/O module... just a little post to try and save others some testing time.

Never ever run in at MIC level... as it is horrible and super noisy at mic level (but a traditional high level line is also too hot to handle!!)
the software needs a little tweak to reflect this as in our setup we need to have -2db lower than the 0db min setting on the input sliders.

So if you want to run a small shotgun mic for run & gun like a Sennheiser MKE 400 you are out of luck? You have to use a mixer, with an adjustable output? This does not make sense.

I have been playing with my friends new Weapon and there have been some noise issues with the simple I/O, but not always.
Thanks for posting this as it is more info than available before.

 

[Nick Fury]

So if you want to run a small shotgun mic for run & gun like a Sennheiser MKE 400 you are out of luck? You have to use a mixer, with an adjustable output? This does not make sense.

I have been playing with my friends new Weapon and there have been some noise issues with the simple I/O, but not always.
Thanks for posting this as it is more info than available before.

Hi Brian!

Which camera build was that, please?

Thank you very much

Fury

 

[Michael Lindsay]

So if you want to run a small shotgun mic for run & gun like a Sennheiser MKE 400 you are out of luck? You have to use a mixer, with an adjustable output? This does not make sense.

I have been playing with my friends new Weapon and there have been some noise issues with the simple I/O, but not always.
Thanks for posting this as it is more info than available before.

I suspect that you can make the mke 400 work (It is a self powered mic with different output level options? )...

I got unsatisfactory results (noise related) feeding in at mic level but others seem to feel mic is the way to go..? (Maybe firmware related) So I need to retest. I am out of the country at the min without a 'W' so I won't be able to retest with new firmware for another 10days...

 

[Daniel Schweinert]

Which module do I need for the Scarlet-W if I want to use XLR mic Rode NTG2 with Phantom Power? Should be small as possible. Right now I have the DSMC² Base I/O V-Lock Expander.

That would be the ideal module DSMC2 Redvolt Expander if it had V-Lock integrated. Otherwise the whole setup gets too bulky: