Setting 0dB on a Panasonic DVX-100

I've mixed into this camera many times, and I've also read before on RAMPS here
that the first red mark is -12Db so if you want -18 or -20 backing it off from
the 1st red mark about 3 or 4 notches will do. I've never had a problem doing
this technique, and if you're unsure, use one track at 6 marks down as a
safety.

Tom Curley
 >> Stay informed about: Setting 0dB on a Panasonic DVX-100 

The 100 allows you to send 1 input to both tracks and set their levels
independantly. You can do what Tom says above, and still only have to
run one sound cable to the camera.
 >> Stay informed about: Setting 0dB on a Panasonic DVX-100 

"Matthew" wrote in message

> From the RAMPS archives...
>
>
> If you are talking about the Panasonic DVX100 (miniDV 24P), here's some
> info that may help.
>
> For the audio level meters, the white lights run (officially, anyway)
> from -34 dB to -12 dB. The first red light kicks on just above -12 dB.
> When all the red lights are lit (6 plus a red bar), it's at 0 dB. The
> DVX100 has an audio limiter option which users typically set to ON by
> default and then forget about; it limits level to about -4.5 dB (about 3
> red lights, give or take). It is not one of those auto-gain thingies;
> it's a simple limiter.

The limiter is only available in mic input mode.
 >> Stay informed about: Setting 0dB on a Panasonic DVX-100 

stiletto2.TakeThisOut@aol.com (Stiletto2) wrote in message ...
> I've mixed into this camera many times, and I've also read before on RAMPS here
> that the first red mark is -12Db so if you want -18 or -20 backing it off from
> the 1st red mark about 3 or 4 notches will do. I've never had a problem doing
> this technique, and if you're unsure, use one track at 6 marks down as a
> safety.
>
> Tom Curley

After several shoots with this camera, I too settled on -4 white
squares, with the second channel -6 white squares. Client does a
direct digital transfer into his Avid, and has been happy with the
levels and the sound. My biggest complaint about working with these
cameras has been the lack of a real calibration on the meters. While
the real test is client satisfaction, I'm glad to see some
verification of the technique I have been using...

Andy Hambleton
 >> Stay informed about: Setting 0dB on a Panasonic DVX-100 

Charles, thank you for the level setting information.
Have you found any work-around for the headphone output level
adjustment? It's my understanding that you can only adjust it when you
are in the vcr playback mode and not in the camera mode. I can't here
S--t with this camera and am looking for a tiny onboard HP amp to boost
the output before it returns to my SD 442. I use the multi pin jack eng
snake and don't want to buy a standard snake xlr X 2 with 1/8" mini cable.
Thank you
Steve Rogers

Charles Tomaras wrote:
> "Matthew" wrote in message
>
>
>>From the RAMPS archives...
>>
>>
>>If you are talking about the Panasonic DVX100 (miniDV 24P), here's some
>>info that may help.
>>
>>For the audio level meters, the white lights run (officially, anyway)
>>from -34 dB to -12 dB. The first red light kicks on just above -12 dB.
>>When all the red lights are lit (6 plus a red bar), it's at 0 dB. The
>>DVX100 has an audio limiter option which users typically set to ON by
>>default and then forget about; it limits level to about -4.5 dB (about 3
>>red lights, give or take). It is not one of those auto-gain thingies;
>>it's a simple limiter.
>
>
> The limiter is only available in mic input mode.
>
>
 >> Stay informed about: Setting 0dB on a Panasonic DVX-100 

"Steven Rogers" wrote in message

> Charles, thank you for the level setting information.
> Have you found any work-around for the headphone output level
> adjustment? It's my understanding that you can only adjust it when you
> are in the vcr playback mode and not in the camera mode. I can't here
> S--t with this camera and am looking for a tiny onboard HP amp to boost
> the output before it returns to my SD 442. I use the multi pin jack eng
> snake and don't want to buy a standard snake xlr X 2 with 1/8" mini cable.
> Thank you
> Steve Rogers

I haven't found a good way to get more headphone level out of it. I just
worked with the new DVX100A and it seemed to be better but I really don't
listen to the return for very long while I'm working. I just pop over to
check it when the camera rolls and go back to my mixer monitoring. Seems to
get worse very quickly with longer snake runs. I'm gonna try out the RCA
outs for a return one of these days if I think about it.
 >> Stay informed about: Setting 0dB on a Panasonic DVX-100 

The headphobe return on the VX100 has been fine for me so far--much
better sounding than that of the Sony PD150. The level seemed
adequate.

Philip Perkins
 >> Stay informed about: Setting 0dB on a Panasonic DVX-100 

for normal use I made tail with rca outs from the camera ,the disappointing
thing with the 442 that there is not enough level in the return
amplifier( -10 dbv outs on the camera) and you cant match the levels with
the mixer out , but the outs on the camera have cleaner sound then the
headphone out and you can sit on the return all the time with out the
problem
use only right angle rca for the return not to damage camera body, the new
100a already have the ability change the audio in camera mod
few weeks ago I ran schoeps 541 with cut1 directly to the camera and got
very good results ,the pres on that one are very close to what you have on
digi beta
--
Oleg Kaizerman (gebe) Hollyland
, "Steven Rogers" wrote in message

> Charles, thank you for the level setting information.
> Have you found any work-around for the headphone output level
> adjustment? It's my understanding that you can only adjust it when you
> are in the vcr playback mode and not in the camera mode. I can't here
> S--t with this camera and am looking for a tiny onboard HP amp to boost
> the output before it returns to my SD 442. I use the multi pin jack eng
> snake and don't want to buy a standard snake xlr X 2 with 1/8" mini cable.
> Thank you
> Steve Rogers
>
> Charles Tomaras wrote:
> > "Matthew" wrote in message
> >
> >
> >>From the RAMPS archives...
> >>
> >>
> >>If you are talking about the Panasonic DVX100 (miniDV 24P), here's some
> >>info that may help.
> >>
> >>For the audio level meters, the white lights run (officially, anyway)
> >>from -34 dB to -12 dB. The first red light kicks on just above -12 dB.
> >>When all the red lights are lit (6 plus a red bar), it's at 0 dB. The
> >>DVX100 has an audio limiter option which users typically set to ON by
> >>default and then forget about; it limits level to about -4.5 dB (about 3
> >>red lights, give or take). It is not one of those auto-gain thingies;
> >>it's a simple limiter.
> >
> >
> > The limiter is only available in mic input mode.
> >
> >
>
 >> Stay informed about: Setting 0dB on a Panasonic DVX-100 

Hey Chris,

I also use the trick of keeping one channel lower than the other by a
few white marks to be safe. I send tone and set the 0 level at the
point where the bar crosses to red. So, the "big" vertical white mark
is showing for 0 level tone on the left channel and the right channel
is 4 white marks down from the left. It is a shame that there aren't
any real numbers or anything on this meter. I appreciate the question
as well as everyone's comments. This helps me out a lot.

I will warn you that the level controls are very sketchy. You can set
it to line up just right at the start of the day and look at it later
and it has lost a white mark or two. So, I don't know how trustworthy
the marks are anyway.

I was previously using the Sound Devices 442 and l just setting the
limiter to kick in a +4dB and lining up tone at 0 on the Sound Devices
meters as well. Then I run everything pretty hot so the signal sits
at 0 and goes into limiting on a fairly regular basis. With the
limiters on the 442, it doesn't sound bad at all. It is more like a
sort of compression.


So, if I follow the discussion, that means I was kicking in the
limiter at with 8db of headroom. That's probably a little TOO safe.
Does anyone know if the limiter on the 442 is a true brick wall or if
it is more gradual than that? It seemed that even setting the limiter
to kick in at +6dB I was still hitting some distortion occasionally on
the camera tracks (when I cranked it, as a test). Has anyone else
experienced this, or just me?

Great idea on the RCA outs! I hadn't even thought of that! Thanks
all.

As far as the anemic headphone level, you may want to check out JK
Audio's Remote Amp. It is basically a little battery-powered
headphone amp for IFB's. You feed it audio on an XLR. It has a
little level knob and all. Of course, it would still mean another
cable. Don't know if that helps at all. Rolls makes some really
cheap headphone amps as well. Maybe you could double gang the level.
Just a thought.

-Matt.
 >> Stay informed about: Setting 0dB on a Panasonic DVX-100 

I connected a DVX100 to a PD150 with a fire wire cable so I could see what
the meters where really saying. I found that the 4th bar back from the red
was about -20.
If Panasonic and Sony got together they might be able to make a half way
decent camera between them.



On 30/1/04 8:26 PM, in article
4293d9d3.0401292326.65aa192e DeleteThis @posting.google.com, "See Sounds"
wrote:

> Love to get some feedback concerning where to set a 0dB tone coming
> from my Shure FP33 mixer (Line Level) into a Panasonic DVX-100
> camcorder (HD one day, DV the next, what can I say!). The bar graph
> indicator on the camera has no numbers or gradations. I have
> experimented and asked other sound folks and come up setting at 8 bars
> up on the "meter". Not a very satisfying technique. The output of the
> headphone jack is known to be underpowered, so the tendency is to pump
> up the input to get phone feed that sounds "right " in your
> headphones. I guess the only way to know for sure is test various
> levels on the camera and then check on a studio machine that has
> calibrated playback. Anyone out there done this test? Panasonic rep NO
> help.
>
> Thanks, Chris Coughlin Marin, CA
 >> Stay informed about: Setting 0dB on a Panasonic DVX-100 

nottford RemoveThis @jagunet.com (Ty Ford) wrote in message ...
> I was giving a talk about location audio to some video folks in DC last month.
>
> One of them said that on her PD150, leaving the headophone audio level up
> added to the noise level (hiss) of the audio being recorded.
>
> I was explaining that we needed it up to feed the return back to the mixer.
> We tried a quick test and it did seem that there might have been a small
> increase. Anybody have any comments on this?
>
> Regards,
>
> Ty Ford

How can you tell? The headphone return from a PD150 is very noisey at
any volume level setting.

Philip Perkins
 >> Stay informed about: Setting 0dB on a Panasonic DVX-100