Hi,
I've been using the SP-CMC-8s > SP-SPSB-20 (12v battery box, no roll-off or volume pot) > Sony PCM-A10 combo for a bit now, and pretty much have the feel of where to start my levels, and adjust from there. However, the other day, at a venue (a decent-sized arena, fairly loud show) that I've taped at a few times w/no problems, I ran into something weird... I started with my levels at their normal 13 - and was maybe halfway to -12db. Over the course of the set I cranked it, in slow increments, all the way up to 21 or 22. No real change. When I got home, the resulting WAV needed A LOT of normalization, and there is also some faint noise to be heard if I listen closely against the speaker, probably from amplifying such a weak signal.
(I initially panicked throughout the set thinking that I may have somehow been recording via the internal mics, in my pocket, but thankfully that was not the case.)
Any ideas? Not even a cause, but avenues to troubleshoot? I checked the voltage on the 12v battery in the box, and while not 100%, it was ~10v. However, if the box were dead, I imagine that I would have had the opposite problem - overloading.
I don't imagine it to be a loose connection, as there were no cuts, and both channels were present and on par with one another, level-wise.
I did a quick scan through the A10's settings, and I can't find anything that may have changed. I literally just turn it on, make sure it's on line-in, manual gain, and pair my phone.
I must be missing something...
plug it all back together and see if you can duplicate the problem while at home with the stereo cranked up?
There's been a few posts in the PCM a10 thread about the 12V battery boxes suspected of causing damage to the a10.
Switch components and test.
For example, switch out the microphones and AB a recording; Switch out the Battery Box and AB; Switch out the recorder and AB.
Thanks, all - will try with the stereo when I have the place to myself / won't annoy anyone.
I'll also go back through the A10 thread(s).
Quote from: rjl on February 04, 2024, 06:17:05 PM
I checked the voltage on the 12v battery in the box, and while not 100%, it was ~10v.
Did you check it using a voltmeter/multimeter or battery tester? If using a voltmeter/multimeter you want to test the battery while under load, otherwise you can get a false reading. The issue is that a weak battery can show decent open-circuit voltage but the voltage will immediately drop once under load. You can use a resistor or lightbulb as load, but usually the easiest thing to do is simply to test the battery while its in the battery box powering the micrphones. A dedicated battery tester should already have a load integrated into it.
Quote from: Gutbucket on February 05, 2024, 09:40:55 AM
Quote from: rjl on February 04, 2024, 06:17:05 PM
I checked the voltage on the 12v battery in the box, and while not 100%, it was ~10v.
Did you check it using a voltmeter/multimeter or battery tester? If using a voltmeter/multimeter you want to test the battery while under load, otherwise you can get a false reading. The issue is that a weak battery can show decent open-circuit voltage but the voltage will immediately drop once under load. You can use a resistor or lightbulb as load, but usually the easiest thing to do is simply to test the battery while its in the battery box powering the micrphones. A dedicated battery tester should already have a load integrated into it.
Good to know (I had just used a multimeter with the loose battery)!
Quote from: rjl on February 05, 2024, 02:11:35 PM
Quote from: Gutbucket on February 05, 2024, 09:40:55 AM
Quote from: rjl on February 04, 2024, 06:17:05 PM
I checked the voltage on the 12v battery in the box, and while not 100%, it was ~10v.
Did you check it using a voltmeter/multimeter or battery tester? If using a voltmeter/multimeter you want to test the battery while under load, otherwise you can get a false reading. The issue is that a weak battery can show decent open-circuit voltage but the voltage will immediately drop once under load. You can use a resistor or lightbulb as load, but usually the easiest thing to do is simply to test the battery while its in the battery box powering the micrphones. A dedicated battery tester should already have a load integrated into it.
Good to know (I had just used a multimeter with the loose battery)!
I think that this may have been it. Tried with the stereo on. The battery, under load, was about 7.5v. I swapped in a new one, set it up next to the stereo again, and the fresh battery read a little over 12v while recording. I think I may be good. Will find out in a month or two, as I have some stuff coming up.
Battery was the only thing that I could think of (I had no idea as to others' potential issues w/12v on he A10), but I figured that it would result in ugly overloading rather than a weak signal. I may look into a 9v box, but I like the form factor of 12v, esp the one that I have - it looks like a key fob.
Thanks, all.
Quote from: rjl on February 05, 2024, 02:38:54 PM
Battery was the only thing that I could think of (I had no idea as to others' potential issues w/12v on he A10), but I figured that it would result in ugly overloading rather than a weak signal.
I have definitely gotten low levels from a weak battery — sometimes I can see it decline during a show (often one channel before the other, and sometimes preceded by a waveform that peaks higher in one direction than the other). Hope this turns out to be the fix!
Quote from: nulldogmas on February 05, 2024, 02:46:12 PM
Quote from: rjl on February 05, 2024, 02:38:54 PM
Battery was the only thing that I could think of (I had no idea as to others' potential issues w/12v on he A10), but I figured that it would result in ugly overloading rather than a weak signal.
I have definitely gotten low levels from a weak battery — sometimes I can see it decline during a show (often one channel before the other, and sometimes preceded by a waveform that peaks higher in one direction than the other). Hope this turns out to be the fix!
What's funny is that, in spite of all of this - it's not a terrible recording... but what kills me is that it could have been much better. Live and learn.