Audio Gain Control

[Chris Holmes]

Does anyone know, please, if it is possible to temporarily disable the audio gain control on a Sony VX-1000E camera?

Chris Holmes
Member No: 13787

[Dave Watterson]

A little googling came up with these notes. They relate to the VX-1000 but I suspect the e at the end simply denotes European model rather than a major change.
Try ...

• Moving the HOLD/AUTO LOCK to the centre position enables you to override the auto settings.
  Press the REC LEVEL button and you can adjust the incoming sound levels using the CONTROL dial and the level indicator on the right of the rear display panel.
  When the REC LEVEL button is pressed a volume level figure appears below the level indicator.
  This volume level also appears in the bottom left of the viewfinder (it usually comes up at about level 7)
  There is a PEAK warning light above the level indicator which lights red when overloaded - the levels should be adjusted so that THIS LIGHT NEVER APPEARS. This does not appear in the viewfinder so you must check the display on the back of the camera.
  Even in the manual mode there is still a limiter built into the system and sound will be compressed if you set the levels too high.
  On the whole it is better to record slightly too low than too high.

Hope that helps.

Dave

[Chris Holmes]

Hello Dave

Thanks for your efforts with Google. In fact, the info you've submitted more or less duplicates the instruction manual and is something I'm familiar with. These particular notes describe how to set the camera's recording level whereas I'm wondering if I can temporarily disable the audio gain control, which presumably operates up to the manually set audio recording ceiling.

I can see nothing in the manual but wonder if anyone knows better from hands on experience!

[tom hardwick]

We seem to have hit a solid, immovable object with this Chris, don't we? I asked on the VX yahoo forum and no-one could help with definitive information, so it sounds as if Sony decided way back in 2005 to disallow full manual audio control. They corrected this with the VX2000, so it might be time to buy one of these for your film transfer work. I know where one's for sale BTW.

tom.

[Chris Holmes]

Tom, it certainly looks that way. Thanks, anyhow!

Chris