atr 35s lav - buzzing and noisy

[Libby]

I know this lav mic is really really cheap so I am not expecting miracles...but I am not expecting this terrible buzzing sound either.
I checked the battery, checked to ensure device was 'on' and that it was plugged into the camera well.
No joy.

What is it I can check to stop the buzzing? It sounds like bad recpetion on a tv set.

Thanks.

 

[Alcove Audio]

Possible problems:

The transmitter or receiver may be broken.

Bad wiring - loose connection, incorrectly wired to the lav or mini-pin connector, frayed wires are touching (same applies to connections on the transmitter and receiver).

Insufficient shielding - you may be in an area that has high RF and the shielding cannot deal with it. The ATR-35 is UHF and very prone to interference anyway.

You may be using an unavailable frequency band/block. As of July 10 the 700mHz band is now being used by wireless broadband services and emergency services (police, fire, EMT, etc.).

 

[Libby]

Its strange because I am using a pair of earphones that are also buzzing in the same way the lav is.
Its too odd that two items are buzzing...
Could the earphone have the asme high rf problem?
What could I do about it? - other than filming elsewhere.

I am wondering about the rf. I have a satlite dish on the roof...funny thing is, I used to have one these light switches that turned on everytime the door opened but it interferred with the dish so I couldn't use it anymore.

Could it be the dish on the roof?

I am going to have to find a place and time to try it out later on. I might try the basement...the dingy dark basement...if not I will have to wonder someplace else and check it out.

 

[Alcove Audio]

Welcome to the wonderful world of audio troubleshooting!

There can be dozens of weird reasons why the lav and the earbuds are buzzing; fluorescent lights, poorly shielded electrical devices in the area (yes, even in the walls or under the floor), high RF, AC lines crossing audio lines, the TV being on (and sometimes even off), your internet connection, poor electrical supply (try running everything off batteries and/or get a voltage regulator)... use your imagination, think outside the box.

Start by turning absolutely everything off by unplugging them from the wall and turning off all of the lights - hope you have a flashlight! If there's a buzz your device(s) are the problem. If not, then, one by one, turn everything back on until you hear the buzz again.

It could even be just two devices that don't get along. (Do the earbuds buzz when lugged into your iPod?) And of course, you have to keep in mind that the AT-35 and most earbuds (and many "budget" items) are just really, really cheap with insufficient shielding.

Good luck!

 

[Libby]

Its definately the camera...canon hf200. I tried the lav and earbuds on with another cheaper camera and they were fine...no buzzing.

The weird thing is, when I plug in those cheap earphones that come with my cd player (they run about a buck or two) they don't buzz.

These earbuds are from the center and I am sure are pretty decent.

I have a feeling its something pretty stupid ... because it usually is.

 

[knightly]

take them out in the woods (away from other technology)... see if they keep buzzing... if so, it's a problem with the gear, if not, it's a problem with the shielding... make sure anything with an electric motor is off (refrigerators, air conditioners, ceiling fans) and any dimmers (which shed the electricity they are resisting as rf radiation) and if you have to use power cords, try not to cross them, if you have to cross them with the audio cable, do so perpendicularly so that you don't create an inductance field.

 

[Libby]

I will take them someplace after work and check them out where I am pretty sure no tech will interfere.
In the meantime, if that were the case, wouldn't the ear buds and lav mic have the same buzzing problem with the cheaper camera?
Why would a Canon hf200 have the buzzing sound and not some cheap camera?


...The buzzing is annoying...but I tried them again and it seems its just the right side that buzzes...on the earbuds.

 

[Alcove Audio]

In the meantime, if that were the case, wouldn't the ear buds and lav mic have the same buzzing problem with the cheaper camera?

As I mentioned in my previous post it is often just the specific piece of gear or the particular situation. Quite often there is no rhyme or reason for things like this, they just are.

 

[superamazing]

This is a very old conversation, but I figured out what is going on.

The cheap camcorder the OP is using does not have a microphone output, it has an a/v output. The audio side sounds fine, but the video side (the right side) is playing back a video signal, which causes the horrific electronic sound.