Subject: VX2000, sound, and the BBC
From: Bill Finch (alioth at ix netcom com)
Date: April 18 2001

Just a few years back, the BBC wouldn't touch DV with the proverbial 10
foot pole. They had a well intended attitude. They wanted to broadcast
only the highest quality image and sound. Perhaps they were correct at
the time, but two things have happened to change their policy. DV
wouldn't go away and just kept getting better. Secondly, they ran out of
excess cash. Less cash - less money for BBC productions. They started
broadcasting more "independent" productions. Many of the independents
used DV and DVCAM.

Now the BBC encourages production with DV - because it's cheap and good.
They still want good images and good sound so they set up an education
service for the independent DV producers. For example:

http://www.bbctraining.co.uk/categories/courseDetails/courseDetails/O005.shtml

will link you to course teaching you everything you need to know about
using a VX2000 to their satisfaction (you pay £713).

One of the things you will learn is that the BBC engineering department
will modify your VX2000 (for a minor fee), bypassing the mic preamp as
John indicates above. It will then be necessary to use an external
preamp, feeding the line out to BBC's modified VX2000 line in. In the US
the preamp to use is the Shure FP24 or the Sound Devices MixPre (they
are the same unit). I've lost the reference for the UK equivalent, which
is slightly less expensive.

The BBC makes no mods to the video. The VX2000 video is good enough as
it stands.

The BBC modified VX2000 (with good preamp) costs about the same as a new
PD150 and works one whole heluvalot better for making top notched
video/sound. With the BBC mods you still have a fully functional (as
delivered by Sony) VX2000. Additionally you have a method for recording
better quality line or external mic sound.

Why didn't Sony do this to begin with? Answer - they didn't want to
compete with their own VERY VERY EXPENSIVE pro products. 

Another example of Sony's practical attitude is the WV-DR7 deck. It
records and plays back mini and full size DV tapes as well as S-VHS and
VHS. It is built as well as Sony's pro units sold in the US. It does DV
to S-VHS transfers that look better than any you've seen. It costs about
$2100 (US dollars). It is NTSC only and sold only in Japan. Sony will
not export this unit (dealers will) because it competes with equipment
that costs about $8000 in the US.

If you have a big budget, none of this matters. Buy DigiBeta or a
DSR-500. If you budget is limited, use a VX2000 with pride. Your product
will be limited mostly by your talent, not by your equipment.
----

Date: Apr 19 2001
From: Julian Baldwin  (julian baldwin at bigfoot com)

Bill Finch has provided most of the relevant info on the BBC mod to the
VX2000 but I can fill in a couple of the gaps:-
1) The cost of the mod. if you get them to mod your own camera is about GBP
200.
2) The mod. changes the phono sockets from line output to line input and
thus the only output at high level is from the headphone socket.
3) The manual level control option on the INTERNAL mics is lost.
4) The signal to noise ratio when measured using a medium output personal
mic improves from about 45dB on the normal mic amps to about 60dB after
modification.
5) The XLR adaptor which is used with the mod. is the special (high level
out) version of the adaptor made by GLENSOUND (see their website) called
something like NT1. This has been designed for the job and incorporates an
active limiter (well 2 actually - one per channel) which is vital when
operating with manual level control on the camera (same applies to the
TRV900 / PD100 for which the regular version of the Glensound box was
designed). The Glensound box costs about GBP 260.
6) The BBC will sell the VX2000 together with the mod. already done plus a
Glensound adaptor at a package price which is a saving over the cost of
buying the items separately and then having the mod. done. They also provide
a guarantee to replace the Sony one.
7) The modified VX2000 is considered to be superior (certainly as far as
sound is concerned) to the PD150 with its hiss problems and in some respects
the operational features of the picture department are preferred.
8) VAT (sales tax) is extra on EU sales.

All that is needed now is a source of individuals who are skilled directors,
knowledgeable reporters, talented camera(wo)men, experienced sound
recordists and able to work 14 hours a day without their brains exploding!


Readers may be interested to know that much of BBC TV news output is shot on
DVCAM cameras (principally DSR500 - chosen for its 16:9 capability (and
cheap price!)).

Cheers,
Julian

-----
I believe that there is no problem carrying out the mod. on NTSC cameras
since the mod. only involves the sound circuitry.
Incidentally, when you contact them about mods. make it clear that you are
talking about the SOUND INPUT mod. because they also do other mods including
a graticule marked for 14:9 framing and you (probably) don't want to pay for
that in addition by mistake!. (Yes I do mean 14:9 because that is the
framing in which BBC programmes are shot - i.e. nothing too close to the
edges).

The BBC do not keep NTSC cameras in stock but might be able to get one to
special order. Take care to check that the cost of this option is not
excessive though because the cost of cameras in the US is probably much less
than the UK.
The normal charge for the mod. includes a replacement 12 month guarantee
(because that is the normal guarantee period in Europe) and since you might
not wish to ship a camera back to the UK for repairs you could ask if they
would make a lesser charge and not offer a guarantee.

For full information contact:-
Roshan Herath at the BBC's Media Technology centre in London
roshan.herath@bbc.co.uk

Best wishes,
Julian

------
>How bad is the audio noise on the VX2000 and PD150? I've been thinking of
>buying a PD150 to go alongside my TRV900, but these comments about noise
are
>making me think twice about the idea... and while this mod sounds good, I
>don't really want to lose the line-out capability.
>
> Mark

You don't really lose the high level output because you can take an output
from the headphone output and that has the advantage that it is similar
quality  (to line-out) and variable level.

There is an excellent article written by Alan Barker entitled "VX2000/PD150
Audio problems" which I found on the Web but I can't remember where I found
it. Maybe another list member can help with the URL.

I don't have further figures for the noise on the VX2000 beyond those quoted
in 4) below but I do know that on the PD150 the main problem is in the
Manual Gain position whilst the Auto gain is not so bad. Apparently much of
the problem lies in the fact that an IC in the Manual gain circuitry has not
been decoupled properly and it picks up shash from other parts of the
camera's circuitry. The original batch of PD150s was dreadful but later
batches were adjusted by SONY to improve the situation. My understanding is
that they turned up the gain on certain stages and turned down others to
compensate. This results in less 'headroom'. Early issued models can
apparently be returned for correction.
I do not know how good the later/corrected models are but personally I
would not consider buying one without thoroughly checking that the signal to
noise was satisfactory for the purposes I need. The BBC seems to think that
the modified VX2000 is the favoured option together with the high-level
version of the Glensound GSTN1 XLR box.

Maybe someone with personal experience of the VX2000 and the PD150 would
care to comment.
-----------
(March 24 2004)
Greg Winter in Webster, New York can do an audio modification to the 
VX2000 and PD150 which improves audio S/N by 20 dB.

His web page is here:

http://www.gregjwinter.com/modification2.htm
http://www.gregjwinter.com/compare.htm