audio buzz/clip recording a rock band- HDR-SR1

redstar wrote on 3/4/2008, 11:50 AM

Hi,

While recording a rock band I get this buzz when the wave form spikes above a certain level (I can see it on the wave form). Its like a kind of clipping effect. It happens usually when the singer is singing above the raging rock band (he is using a wireless mic too). I'm setup about maybe 10 to 20 yards away. The setup works great a lower volumes. Theories ? Clipping, processing overload, interference ...

I'm using a Sony HDR-SR1 with a Sony ECM-HST1 Stero Video Microphone in the shoe. The volume setting is at low volume.

The best program to clean it up that I have found is soundforge - general audio restoration that cleas up 98% of the buzz but its an extra production step in the workflow that I would like to avoid. On the audio track, I am reducing the gain and using the normal EQ and compression default setting (but have tried others).

Any suggestion about using this or an alternative configuration would be greatly appreciated ?
thanks

Comments

richard-amirault wrote on 3/10/2008, 6:16 PM

Sounds to me that's exactly what is happening .. "clipping"

Unfortunatly there is nothing I know of in post processing to totally fix it. In digtal audio you never, never ever want to clip.

Is this a particular rock band? Are you friends with them? Can you get a feed off the sound board? If so, then you could attach a seperate digital recorder to the sound board then in editing use *that* file for the sound, not the camera audio.

Unfortunately you'll need to spend at least $200 for a decent digital recorder (like the Zoom H-2) And if you *still* get overload then you'll need a compressor (physical box) between the sound board and the recorder.

Richard in Boston

redstar wrote on 3/25/2008, 7:56 PM

thanks - I'll try that

To salvage the shoot I had; I went searching for a video audio restoration solution. I tried quite a few products and plugins but had best success using Sony sound forge applying the audio restoration settings . I applied the restoration to a MP3 audio file that I rendered from my video mpg file. I saved it in sound forge MP3 and put it back on the audio track in my video. The sound was not great but OK and just a couple of buzzs (clips) remained.

thanks
Chris in Chicago