High Pitched "Hum" from DV Camcorder...

[DeZaStR]

I own a Sony DCR-TRV22 Digital Camcorder. It's a good little camcorder, except for the fact that it records "motor hum"....a high pitched buzzing sound coming from inside the unit.

Does anyone have any experience with removing this effectively?

[redwudz]

If you can't cure it in the camcorder, you can try filtering it with a freeware program like Audacity. Be aware any filtering takes some audio quality with it.

I would try to track down why the camcorder is creating the noise, but if not, filtering may be your only option.

If you look under 'Effect' and 'Noise Removal' in Audacity, you can grab a sample of the sound on a section of the audio that is clear otherwise and use that sample to filter with. Takes some playing with to get a good compromise.

You can also adjust the 'High Pass' and 'Low Pass' filters for some noise reduction if the sound is outside the frequency range of your average audio sound frequency.

[edDV]

I own a Sony DCR-TRV22 Digital Camcorder. It's a good little camcorder, except for the fact that it records "motor hum"....a high pitched buzzing sound coming from inside the unit.

Does anyone have any experience with removing this effectively?

Sony solution ECM-HS1



Deluxe solution from RODE of Germany

[DeZaStR]

Thanks for the replies guys...

I've tried "some" software to try to remove the noise, but no great luck so far.

As far as the extra mic, I've tried one of those as well...this one:
http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/USD/SY_DisplayProduc...uctSKU=ECMMSD1
It's the Sony ECM-MSD1 High Grade Stereo Microphone, but have had no luck with it either as the noise is still there.

[edDV]

Search this page
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=breadCrumb&A=search&Q=&ci=8650

[DeZaStR]

EdDV....thanks again, but I'd really rather focus on a way to remove the noise after the fact. The reason for this is I have read several reviews on this camera, and one things comes back time and time again...the motor noise. One guy even said he had the microphone around 5ft away from the unit, but it still picked up that same "hum".

Besides the one redwudz mentioned in the eariler post, are there any other good pieces of software that might help me eliminate this noise?

[edDV]

EdDV....thanks again, but I'd really rather focus on a way to remove the noise after the fact. The reason for this is I have read several reviews on this camera, and one things comes back time and time again...the motor noise. One guy even said he had the microphone around 5ft away from the unit, but it still picked up that same "hum".

Besides the one redwudz mentioned in the eariler post, are there any other good pieces of software that might help me eliminate this noise?

Well in that case I'd reject the camera mic and use something else, or get another camcorder. The mic needs to be isolated. Sound deadening material on the cam may help.

As for filtering, you need to do a frequency analysis on that noise only to see what kind of filter is needed. If the source is the head drum, at least that stays constant over the length of the tape. Noise cancelling technology might be possible subtracting on-cam mic noise from the shoe mounted shotgun.

[DeZaStR]

I just wanted to follow up with you guys. Thanks again for your help.

Both Audacity and High/Low Pass filtering in Premiere solved my problem. I think premiere works best for me because Audacity required an external audio file to edit, vs. just editing the avi file in Premiere. I was able to remove the hum virtually completely from both noisy and quiet situations, with hardly any loss in quality at all to the primary audio.

Thanks again! You guys really helped me out here!

[jolphil]

Hi,
While in the Pinnacle forum a person had the same problem and a reply said to use "Goldwave" software..He said you sample part of the audio without sound and just the unwanted hum,then use that as the filter to the whole sound track..He swore by it..
I have not tried it but it sounded interesting to me..
Goodluck,
jolphil

[redwudz]

Audacity has a similar 'sample' method, but likely Goldwave does it a little better as Audacity is freeware. Even with that, it takes some fine tuning to eliminate interference. If you can do it with a high or low pass filter, that's easier.

[jolphil]

Hi again,
The problems with high/low/notch filtering is that sometimes the noise spectrum is very wide and wormed throughout the audio spectrum...Thus in order to reduce to unwanted signal you must also take out part of the Wanted signal...Thats why i think the sample method would tend to be better..I have not tried any of this but I used to design filters..(long time ago)..
It is only speculation on my part...
jolphil

[dphirschler]

I once recorded a concert with a mic that had something loose inside it. It sounded great except for a constant high pitched hum. I sampled that hum by itself, made a wave file that was as long as the concert recording, inverted the hum wave file and added it to the concert wav. It achieved complete and total elimination from the recording.

Looking at the wave of the hum noise, it was a constant perfect square wave.


Darryl

[RottenFoxBreath]

jeez,if i had a camcorder with a problem like that,and it was widely accepted it DOES have a problem,it would be back to the store or sony,and shoved right up there arses,if they were laid back about fixing it.
sounds like a design flaw right there,and as it is faulty,and does have a recognised problem,then it should be repaired or replaced...
as for buying a mic,thats throwing good money after bad.

[jolphil]

Hi dphirschler,
Great idea..Thats pretty much what a sampeling filter would do,but you did it manually..
I'm curious as how did you match both the timing(phase) of your error signal and also the correct amplitude in order to cancell ?

I also agree that if I owned a camera that had that much motor noise I would look elseware..But having said that, sometimes you get a clip that for one reason or other has been recorded next to some loud device and
need to correct..
jolphil

[dphirschler]

Hi dphirschler,
Great idea..Thats pretty much what a sampeling filter would do,but you did it manually..
I'm curious as how did you match both the timing(phase) of your error signal and also the correct amplitude in order to cancell ?

It was a square wave, so I just lined it up in a multitrack editor zoomed way in on a zero crossing. As for the amplitude, I don't recall having a problem with that. I don't remember having to adjust that at all. I think it was constant across the whole recording. I was prepared to adjust the slider for mixing %, or shape the volume in parts, but I didn't have to. It's probably because I did not touch the recording level during or even after the concert.


Darryl

[justinluck]

I'm having a similar problem, except mine is with pre-recorded miniDV tapes. The audio sounds great except for a constant low pitched hum that envelopes the whole track. I've been trying out the Goldwave trial, but haven't really figured out how to use the program yet. I can't find any tutorials for it. Does anyone know of any instructions on how to use the sampling method that was mentioned earlier in the thread? Thanks for any input!!

Justin

[stantheman1976]

I own a Sony DCR-TRV22 Digital Camcorder. It's a good little camcorder, except for the fact that it records "motor hum"....a high pitched buzzing sound coming from inside the unit.

Does anyone have any experience with removing this effectively?

Sony solution ECM-HS1



Deluxe solution from RODE of Germany

Hey, Ed. Have you used that Rode mic yourself? I just ordered a Panasonic PV-GS400 and one of thsoe mics today. I read some good reviews on it, so I thought I'd give it a shot.

[edDV]

Not I.

I've used the RODE NT-1. A friend owns a pair and uses them for studio audio recording. Great sound. It's the poor man's Neumann.

http://www.zzounds.com/cat--3579
http://www.zzounds.com/cat--3254