Tascam DR-70D noise issue + how to fix it

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8 жыл бұрын

The Tascam DR-70D audio recorder has a noise issue on its camera output jack. When you connect this jack to the mic input on a camera using a regular mini-plug audio cable, there is an unacceptably loud amount of hiss added to the audio.
This problem can be corrected if you use a special kind of cable called a "Sescom Cable." What makes this cable different is that it has a built-in attenuator, which transforms a line-level signal into a mic-level signal. That sounds complex, and you likely didn't understand it, but don't worry about that.
What you need to do is to set the Output Gain on the DR-70D to LINE. In the video I messed up and had it set to CAM. Whoopsie! Connect the Sescom cable to the "camera out" jack on the DR-70D, and plug the other end of the Sescom cable into the "mic input" on your camera.
Why would you connect DR-70D to the mic input on your camera? I throughly explain this in my DR-70D review, which you can find here: wp.me/p4TlQS-12L
I explain the noise issue of the DR-70D in greater detail in this blog post: goo.gl/Rm2ZSP
Purchase links:
Get the Sescom cable here: goo.gl/sK6ILu (affiliate link)
Get the Tascam DR-70D here: goo.gl/JqgvCn (affiliate link)
Get the Canon 7D Mark II here: goo.gl/NkMRP4 (affiliate link)
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THANKS! If you have any questions, leave a comment. I'll try my best to answer.

Пікірлер: 83

@drdimento 6 жыл бұрын

Y'all are totally awesome. Thank you for your reviews and how you organize your presentation. Thanks !!!

@thewritinglefty4889 4 жыл бұрын

I figured out the noise issue. Take your camera OFF the auto function for volume control. The auto function seems to crank everything up to twelve and that creates a hiss. Turn the monitor gain on the dr 70 UP perhaps a bit past zero, and that should eliminate the issue

@phemmyalade 2 жыл бұрын

this worked perfectly for me! Thank you

@jean-philippegrignom6479 Жыл бұрын

This worked great thanks 🙏

@Shawn_Kelley 8 жыл бұрын

Should the your audio signal peak at the triangle on the 70D's interface? I'm finding my 12 bit Tascam internally recorded files are a good bit lower than the line-out file recorded into my GH4.

@mang-kokpinoy624 3 жыл бұрын

Very informative video amazing keep on vlogging

@eastwoofer 8 жыл бұрын

i read a comment on another vid that you could adjust audio levels going into camera via the monitor section of the menu. there you can lower live out levels to -12db. have you tried this and there's still too much gain? cheers

@glock2101 8 жыл бұрын

Thank you for the video. I thought I had a bum unit or something, I was going crazy trying every combination of settings I could possibly think of. I'll be ordering some of these cables soon.

@intrinsiccinema7374 6 жыл бұрын

thank you so much

@E.R.U.42 2 жыл бұрын

I own the DR 70D, but I have the same noise even when I'm only monitoring on headphones out. I don't know why is that

@PabloLebowski 8 жыл бұрын

Hi Sam, I haven't bought the Sescom cable yet but from your video and some tests I've done with a Sony Ex1 I assume it helps a lot but it doesn't solve the problem completely, you'll always need to use the WAV file from the Tascam for the best quality, is that right?

@HiddenDriveways 8 жыл бұрын

+Pablo Gargiulo Yup. The file from the recorder will be higher quality, providing that you have the recorder set to record a high-quality file, such as a 24-bit 48kHz WAV file.

@tonygarcia08001 7 жыл бұрын

Hi!, after watch your review, I was looking for it and I founded two options, yours (LN2MIC-ZOOMH4N) 25db att, and (LN2MIC-TASDR100), specially for tascam dr100 with 35 db att. I have tascam 70d and panasonic fz1000. The question is, the sound is much better with 35db att instead 25db, or has not so many relevance?. Thanks in advance.

@HiddenDriveways 7 жыл бұрын

-35db won't make it sound any better than -25db. Perhaps it does if you're using a Tascam DR-100 audio recorder and the -35db cable, but not in this case. The cable I used in the video was the -25db version.

@andrewdoeshair 6 жыл бұрын

Hey I'm a total n00b and I'm dumb, so I have a dumb question. I watched half of this video after ordering my Tascam dr70d then paused it and bought two Sescom cables without reading the comments or understanding why there is a benefit to using the cables, I thought they were just shielded better or something, but now I'm figuring out about attenuation and realizing I might not have needed the second sescom cable for the camera's line out back to the Tascam. Is this so, or does it not matter that the signal each way is attenuated? I haven't had a chance to take the rig for a spin yet but figured I'd ask before finding out the hard way when my audio ends up too quiet or something. Thanks!

@HiddenDriveways 6 жыл бұрын

You only need one Sescom cable. You connect one side of it to the "camera OUT" jack on the DR-70D, and the other side to the Mic input on your camera. You can use a cheap, regular stereo 3.5mm cable to connect the headphone output of your camera to the "camera IN" jack on the DR-70D. You need the single Sescom cable to attenuate the Line-Level signal from the DR-70D down to Mic-Level, so you can plug it into your camera. You can adjust the settings on the DR-70D to send a Mic-Level signal out of the "camera Out" jack, but if you do this, the audio gets noisy. This issue is the whole point of this video. It's totally understandable that it's confusing. Just get your gear out and start experimenting. It'll make sense after you mess around for a while.

@angelaedmondssiplifeslowly 6 жыл бұрын

Sam Mallery, you said "You can adjust the settings on the Dr70d to send a Mic-Level signal out of the camera out jack, but if you do this the audio gets noisy". Could you please tell me which settings specifically would create that noise as well as the better option? (is this in the monitor section, setting the gain to Cam instead of line?)

@xray111xxx 8 жыл бұрын

I hear you. Another point is that most well designed components of audio are cable invariant. Meaning they are not subject to impedance and or capacitance differences a cable might have. It is interesting how dramatic the difference.

@jesuschristisspeaking8792 7 жыл бұрын

whats the range of the on-board microphone on the Tascam DR-70D or how close to your subject do you need to be in order to get good audio??? i want to use it on a Canon 80D for weddings.

@SamMallery 7 жыл бұрын

If you're recording people speaking to the camera, they need to be directly in front of the mics like in this video. Any further away it will sound weak. For people speaking to the camera, you need either a shotgun mic no more than three feet (1 meter) away from their mouth, or they need to be wearing lav mic. For a wedding, you can hand them a handheld mic, but, if they don't have good mic technique (like the majority of people), it will sound weak. I have an article about this topic here - www.sam-mallery.com/2013/03/the-basics-of-video-microphones/

@acffh 7 жыл бұрын

So you work for Sescom then? How is their cable different from a normal mini-mini cable?

@HiddenDriveways 7 жыл бұрын

I don't work for Sescom. I work for a software startup in the fitness tracking industry. I just do video stuff as a hobby. Sescom cables have an attenuator built in, which lowers the volume (using layman's terms).

@AGshoots 6 жыл бұрын

I bought this for my 70D but have now switched to the 701D. Are there any benefits to continue using this cable on the 701D?

@HiddenDriveways 6 жыл бұрын

I've never had the opportunity to test this to see if the 701D has the same noise issue that the 70D does on the Camera Out jack. If you get the chance to test this out yourself, please leave a comment here and let us know if the noise problem is there or not.

@cagenation4958 4 жыл бұрын

Hi Sam, I need some help.I have my cables going from output of tascam -70D then into my video camera mic port. I'm Trying to get good audio onto the video recording. When I use my Panasonic handheld video camera HC-V770 with this Tascam DR-70D , if both are plugged into utility power instead of battery power, I get loud interference in my video recording on the memory card that is in the video camera. But if I unplug either unit and let one run off of battery, the sound in the video is crystal clear. Is this normal? is there something I can do to stop this in case my batteries are dead or I am making a long recording? On the audio only recording that is on the memory card in the Tascam DR-70D, the audio is fine, no issues or changes.... Thank you for your feedback.

@HiddenDriveways 4 жыл бұрын

Cage Nation Noisy wall outlets are somewhat common. You can buy an expensive power conditioner (I have a Furman PM-8 Series II, which has SMP filtering to help with this). A cheaper solution would be to keep the Tascam off of AC. Use a fresh set of Lithium AA batteries for a long shoot. You can also bus-power it with an external battery pack plugged into its USB port.

@FeranoWibisono 8 жыл бұрын

hey, I've been using zoom h4n for 5 years and i really don't like how h4n works. it gets me a lot of noise and not enough gain... some people suggest me to buy 70D. is that going to be worth it? is the gain and noise great for recorder? Thanks!

@HiddenDriveways 8 жыл бұрын

+ferano wibisono Recorders like the Zoom H4n, H5, and Tascam DR-70D are good for what they are: entry-level, low-budget audio recorders. If you want "great" preamps and noise performance, you need to pay a lot more. The cheapest way to achieve this level of quality is to use the Sound Devices MixPre-D field mixer as the front end of your audio chain (in other words, you plug your mics into it), and then plug the XLR outputs of the MixPre-D (set to line-level) into the inputs of a recorder like the DR-70D.  If you just upgraded to a DR-70D or a Zoom H5, you do get a slight increase in preamp quality over the H4n.

@FeranoWibisono 8 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the quick response... what if i upgraded my ntg 2 to ntg4+ is that going to be solve my problem? Do you use any program for your h4n? I watched all of your h4n videos and that was really clean i guess...

@HiddenDriveways 8 жыл бұрын

+ferano wibisono You're welcome :). To get an appreciable upgrade in sound quality with shotgun mics, you need to jump up to the Rode NTG3. But, the sound quality of the mic doesn't improve the quality of your preamps. So, buying a better recorder or a Sound Device field mixer will help in that area. This stuff gets confusing. Anyhow, upgrading from the NTG2 to the NTG3 would be a good move. On my videos, I typically don't use any post production software to improve the sound quality. I get my sound from good mic placement and from setting proper levels. I also use my Sound Devices 302 field mixer sometimes, and lavalier mics, hyper cardioid mics, etc. I put effort into audio-for-video, but mostly in capture and recording, not in post production.

@FeranoWibisono 8 жыл бұрын

wow that's really helpful explanation, what about ntg4+, do you ever heard that? is that a good choice for my zoom h4n? cause i have no budget to get ntg3

@HiddenDriveways 8 жыл бұрын

+ferano wibisono My advice is to save up for an NTG3. It's as simple as that. The NTG4 isn't an upgrade in sound. The NTG3 is.

@mattcero1 9 ай бұрын

Big difference for sure. Do you know if I can use the 70d as an audio interface? Thank you.

@HiddenDriveways 9 ай бұрын

Nope. It has USB but it’s for file transfer only.

@mattcero1 9 ай бұрын

Thank you! @@HiddenDriveways

@merarycalzadilla5093 7 жыл бұрын

I just Got The Sescom cable, but it is very short, difficult to Mount on my shoulder rig when i'm using The dr70d as a counterweight. Would a minijack extender do The trick for me or is that going to Distortion The whole thing?

@HiddenDriveways 7 жыл бұрын

I've used mini-plug extender cables many times without issue. I used a 10-foot extender cable with a Sescom cable when I made this video - kzfaq.info/get/bejne/sN-Tl9SQr6q1dYE.html - there are no noise issues from using an extender.

@Warlock_UK 3 жыл бұрын

Five years late to the party, but I thought the point of the return cable into the camera was to get audio into the video to make syncing in post with the recorded audio easier?

@HiddenDriveways 3 жыл бұрын

That's one of the reasons why you might do this. Another is to feed good audio to the camera so a director or other production person can watch playbacks of takes with good sound. It also creates a second good-quality copy of the audio, so if something happens to the audio in the recorder, you have a back-up.

@Warlock_UK 3 жыл бұрын

@@HiddenDriveways aye. My camera has sucky preamps so it'd probably add its own noise. Thanks!

@baoliu7459 8 жыл бұрын

Question: I am recording in stereo mode with a shotgun mic connected to one of the xlr inputs. Panning is set to center. When i listen to the recording with headphones on the dr70d, i hear the sound on both sides of the headphones. But when i listen to the recording file on the computer, i only hear audio from only one side of the headphones. Is that normal? Is it just how this recorder is built?

@HiddenDriveways 8 жыл бұрын

+Bao Liu I think you have the DR-70D set to record a single mono track, but you have that channel panned in the center. Since it's panned in the center, you hear it in both ears when you monitor through your headphones while you shoot. But, since the recorder is only making a single mono track, when you bring the file into your editing software, you only hear it on one side, because that's what it is. There is nothing wrong with this. It makes sense to only record a single mono track when you're only using a single mono shotgun mic. It just means you need to pan that track in the center in your editing software, or duplicate it and pan one left and the other right.

@kbgod3072 8 жыл бұрын

+Sam Mallery Is therea way to adjust the settings on the dr-70d so i can listen to the audio on both sides with my headphones when the file is on my computer? i was able to with the tascam dr-40 but not the dr-70d. I have an audio technica AT875R shotgun mic.

@kbgod3072 8 жыл бұрын

+Sam Mallery I am Bao Liu, this is my other account

@laneturner8759 8 жыл бұрын

It may be that the mic input of the camera is supplying a small amount of voltage for consumer shotguns and other mics (not 48 volt but smaller amount) and the sescom cable is designed to deal with that somehow thereby cleaning it up as the tascam device would not behave properly if was receiving any voltage from the cams mic jack into its output jack. What complicates the issue is that not all cameras / camcorders supply this voltage. The cams owners manual would tell you. Other thoughts?

@HiddenDriveways 8 жыл бұрын

The vast majority of cameras supply this voltage, which is called "Plug In Power." Any feature on a device that is designed specifically to interface with the mic input on a camera would need to work seamlessly with Plug In Power. The Sescom cable does one thing: it attenuates the incoming signal.

@laneturner8759 8 жыл бұрын

The issue with this whole problem is the tascam unit is specifically designed to work as is with a dslr type 1/8" mic inputs and it should not need to be attenuated. In fact the tascam unit i have (dr60dmkii) has a level knob to adjust the audio level being sent to the camera so something is missing as attenuation alone does not reduce hiss---only level. Just seems strange.

@HiddenDriveways 8 жыл бұрын

You can turn the outputted signal from the DR-70D down from line-level to mic-level. This isn't done with a dedicated knob on the DR-70D, it's done by selecting a choice from a menu. The DR-70D can attenuate the signal without a Sescom cable. The problem is that when you do this, the audio that is sent to the camera is noisy. If you send line-level audio out from the DR-70D and attenuate it with a Sescom cable, the audio recorded by the camera is clean sounding and vastly superior.

@MarioRiveraPonce 4 жыл бұрын

Has Tascam fixed this problem?

@atomterrible 8 жыл бұрын

I wasn't going to believe where you were recording, but then 1:45

@pr.abelmuanica764 7 жыл бұрын

Thanks for such helpful information. I am having problems with my WAV files though. I am currently editing a video for which I had the audio recorded separately. After doing the sinking, the audio only plays on computers but never on cellphones except when using headphones. Sounds strange to me. I tried to convert into different formats but nothing. Can you help?

@kobbyoboro4188 7 жыл бұрын

My 60D Mk III has exact hissing sound but I am using an XLR Cable. In fact the hissing sound is already there before I even fixed my Microphone! I have played around the settings, still nothing. Please any idea on a fix?

@HiddenDriveways 7 жыл бұрын

What kind of cable is it? XLR female to male stereo 3.5mm?

@kobbyoboro4188 7 жыл бұрын

The XLR female to XLR Male. My Shotgun Mic runs on Phantom Power so I noticed the 3.5mm does not have Phantom Enabled hence couldn't try like you did here.

@kobbyoboro4188 7 жыл бұрын

Yes.

@HiddenDriveways 7 жыл бұрын

Is the hiss there when no cable is connected at all? Is the hiss on the recording not just in the headphones?

@kobbyoboro4188 7 жыл бұрын

Okay will remove the cable and give you feedback. You suggesting cables might be bad? As for the headphones, the hiss is in the recorder and not in the headphones. I tried two different headphones plus after recording, the hiss is there. I can send you a recorded file on your mail if thats okay. mine is botstudioz@gmail.com. I will however remove all cables and give you feedback again.

@thmallik 5 жыл бұрын

I faced this problem, guess Tascam should give a proper explanation for this non professional manufacturing fault.

@hectorsilva3340 8 жыл бұрын

How about Tascam fix the issue and everyone is happy... I have a sync issue with the tascam 60d and no answer from Tascam...

@acffh 7 жыл бұрын

So, ANY ATTENUATOR would work?

@HiddenDriveways 7 жыл бұрын

Yup.

@mrdonchile 5 жыл бұрын

I cannot get my built in Mics to work, Why? I have nothing plugged into my Tascam. How can I see my VU Meters working for my Built In Mics of the Tascam?

@brandinwilliams4113 5 жыл бұрын

they only operate on channel 3 and 4: Menu/Basic/Input3/4- change from "xlr/ trs" to "mic." hope you find this helpful

@BlackIjs 7 жыл бұрын

Effective, but sad that this unit is $62 CAN at amazon.ca (The DR-70D is $317).

@HiddenDriveways 7 жыл бұрын

It's $27 at B&H, customs charge to Canada is $8.47, shipping likely around $12 - www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/746645-REG/Sescom_LN2MIC_ZOOMH4N_LN2MIC_ZOOMH4N_Line_to.html/BI/20531/KBID/15501/kw/SEL2MZH4N/DFF/d10-v2-t1-xSEL2MZH4N - Not a steal, but still less expensive.

@Jimmyageek 7 жыл бұрын

i just want to use with the Rode Micro

@al4video 8 жыл бұрын

Nice video, but you are muddying the water when you say the Tascam has a noise issue. It's not an issue, what you are doing is matching the input level from the source to the camera which is normal.

@HiddenDriveways 8 жыл бұрын

+Al Gardner I appreciate your comment, but I respectfully disagree. Level matching tools are built into the DR-70D. The problem is that when you use them as advertised, you end up recording audio into your camera that is filled with hiss and noise, which makes the unit's "camera output" feature pretty much useless.

@al4video 8 жыл бұрын

They are built in but the dslr has a non standard input. The issue is with the camera and not the Tascam. Anyway thanks for your review.

@HiddenDriveways 8 жыл бұрын

Thanks again for sharing your opinion. I don't want to come off as argumentative. I'm honestly curious... What makes a consumer, 3.5mm stereo mini-plug mic-level input on a DSLR non-standard?

@JohnnyMotel99 6 жыл бұрын

I would add that my SD552 has a choice of line or mic output. So for a bit of kit purporting to be 'pro' not having any way to attenuate the output onboard the 70D, makes it look less than pro. It's a tough competitive world out there.

@xray111xxx 8 жыл бұрын

I too am wondering why are you bothering with the Camera's noisy Mic Preamplifier in the first place. I am new to Video, but certainly not audio. If you have an external recorder, why wouldn't you ignore the Camera out from the Camera going to the 70D? Seems silly. Just get a couple of Lavs, or other mics, plug into the 70D, marry the audio and video in post, and do your magic to make it look great, and sound great. I want a 70D or 701D only so I don't involve the poor sounding built in mics of the camera, and its noisy Mic Preamplifier stage. One other thing, if the cable is creating that much of a difference, it is in the cable's make up in the impedance, and capacitance. You shouldn't have to fix a problem or tune with cables. Understand and use the best procedure to stay away from the noise in the first place. By the way, that solution is free!

@HiddenDriveways 8 жыл бұрын

I'm just pointing out one of the "features" of this recorder, how it falls short, and what you can to do remedy it. Not every production calls for perfect sound that you sync in post. Sometimes it's better to have a more streamlined workflow. You're on the right track by thinking you can do a better job by syncing in post, but it isn't always worth it, especially when the project doesn't call for perfection.

@WallyZorro 6 жыл бұрын

Very true! I like to make things simple where possible. I do agree that editing would be necessary should it be truly part of a near perfect project.

@netik23 4 жыл бұрын

I'd like to see a schematic for this magic cable. Cables don't work in the way that is suggested here. If there's an attenuator, then there's a small resistor inline. I doubt they've done that, because the main signal volume is still there. Mini-to-mini cables are straight though, so what this issue seems to be is an internal camera automatic gain control (AGC) issue. You should never use internal camera audio for the final mix, ever. The DR70d's file should be enough and the camera recording should only be used as a sync reference.

@HiddenDriveways 4 жыл бұрын

Definitely not AGC. You make the best possible copy of the audio in the camera for redundancy. If something bad happens to the better audio in the recorder (corrupted file, etc.) then you have a reasonable second copy of the sound in the camera. It's an advisable practice for shoots where there is no chance at a second take. If you want a schematic contact Sescom at 845-246-1915 and ask for the schematic of their LN2MIC-ZOOMH4N product.