I bought two last year, with no problems with the
audio other than what I describe below. The "fix"
for the PD150, best I can tell and from what I've
heard (none too reliable...;-), was a top-end
roll-off, hardly a solution (and one esily duplicated
in the editor...), but if it makes everyone happy,
since the noise level is lower, well...;-)

On Wed, 09 May 2001 01:08:51 GMT, acny37@hotmail.com (Tom Avel) wrote:
>
>Well Sony may have fixed this. But this was a Real Problem that
>existed in the PD-150 (VX-2000 twin brother) and the VX-2000. And
>Sony officially offered to fix it in the PD-150, because it was teh
>"professional' camera, while at same time not offering to fix it for
>VX-2000 users.
>
>If the VX-2000 don't have this problem anymore let me know, I would
>buy one if not for this.

>>d_ruether@hotmail.com (Neuman - Ruether) wrote:
>
>>What problem...? ;-)
>>People are quick to jump on this without really
>>understanding what is going on, I think... The
>>VX-2000 audio set-up is unusual, and its characteristics
>>make it generally difficult to add external mics to
>>it - but usually for reasons other than "hiss"...
>>From my experience with this:
>>1) the VX-2000 audio adjustments in manual mode
>>are quite wide, and it is easy to adjust record levels
>>so high that mic and preamp background noise is easily
>>heard (but these levels are generally unrealistic for
>>actual recordings).
>>2) the VX-2000 headphone amp is noisy (noise levels
>>should be checked at line out with a good audio system).
>>3) headphones are often high-end peaked (and rough),
>>exaggerating noise levels (noise levels should be
>>checked at line out with a good audio system).
>>4) the VX-2000 headphone level control is easily
>>set too high, exaggerating perception of noise
>>levels (noise levels should be checked at line out
>>with a good audio system).
>>5) the VX-2000 AGC system is unusual in two ways:
>>the compression and limiting is less than usual,
>>giving a lower than average audio level with the
>>built-in mic it is optimized for (and greater than
>>usual dynamic range, with quieter ambient-sound
>>recordings); the built-in mic appears to have lower
>>sensitivity than average, making most other mics
>>placed on the AGC appear too loud (and peak limiting
>>is excessive, and noise background is exaggerated).
>>(A mic pad cures this.)
>>6) the VX-2000 (and sometimes the TRV-900) is prone
>>to LF vibration pickup in the audio when some
>>external mics are used (it sounds like hum). This
>>is difficult to eliminate unless the mics are
>>carefully isolated from the camera.
>>In other words, "hiss", "hum", and excessive
>>limiting can easily be heard with the VX-2000
>>when external mics are used, but not at the line
>>outs when levels are properly set, when proper
>>level-matching is done, and when proper physical
>>isolation measures are taken - unless there is a
>>problem elsewhere. Blame Sony for their design
>>choices, if you want (though I find the VX-2000
>>sound excellent, if also more troublesome to
>>match properly to external mics), but not for
>>this non-existant "hiss-problem" (and not for not
>>"fixing" it...;-)
>>(BTW, K. reports hiss on the tape, but not at the
>>headphones while recording, an unlikely event,
>>or one that indicates problems with the wireless
>>mic system after headphone monitoring had been
>>done...).