Sony Xperia S - Microphone issues

[kennethvejen1]

Hello Sony.

I have a question regarding video recording.

A few weeks ago I was at an event where I tried to record a video, when I came home and showed my video on my Sony flat screen the bass coming from the music made the sound recording extremely grated - it was impossible to hear clear sound. I think the music was around 100dB or so which is quite normal at an event.

I noticed that there are two microphones on the Xperia S, is there any way to switch between them, to increase the sound quality when the bass kicks in?

Besides that, my 3 year old lowprice camera is recording at a lower resolution, but with a sound quality where the camera somehow reduces the bass automatically, so that the sound is clear all the way through. I really hope that this is a software issue and not a extremely lowprice microphone that is included in the Xperia S, because I intend to record with the mobile in the future and really want this issue to be fixed!

Best regards

Kenneth

[Jeff]

We certainly want to hear feedback from other users that might have recorded in a similar environment, so let's hope we get some more detailed replies!

In the meantime, how do you feel about sound quality during "regular" recordings? Let's say a person talking in a room, or nature sounds outside?

There is no way to switch between microphones, but I'll pass on the feedback/idea.

[kennethvejen1]

Then I hope to hear more feedback on this from other users.

I just want it so badly to record, not great, but acceptable sound from events with high dB bass - simply just without grate. As I should have mentioned the sound is fine and clear when recording at mid and high frequency at the event, but lacks at low frequencies. I could upload the video on youtube and link it, if that helps anything?

But as for nature sounds and people talking it is just fine, so mid and high frequencies is fine

Okay

[Jeff]

Sure, upload it I'll pass it around here at the office and see if anyone can give their opinion on it.

[kennethvejen1]

I have now uploaded a video from DDJA in Copenhagen 2012.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJnTFwTEXdM&feature=youtu.be

At 1:16 you will start hearing the bass kicks in and from there, sadly enough sound terrible. But as you can hear from start, the mid and high sound pretty well!

Hope to hear about a kind of solution anytime soon :smileygrin:

And then a funny thing I noticed, when the laser hits the camera lens, the camera begins to bounce, any explanation on that?

[Jeff]

I can hear the difference for sure.

I'll pass it around, and see what I can come up with, if anything.

As for the laster/camera...no idea, but I'm sure its some kind of interference (or magic :smileywink:)

[kennethvejen1]

Good, then I'm not the only one then.

Thank you, I will cross my fingers for a solution to this problem, because I have heard other video recording from a mobile, where this is not an issue

The phone is the Sony flagship, so it must be solvable

[Jeff]

Alright, here's the situation.

I had a few people listen to it, and the informal consensus was "The music is too loud".

HOWEVER.

We are going to pass it to the development team for investigation.

This is not a speedy process by any means, and I will be entirely honest in telling you know that our answer may be "The phone is working as designed".

Regardless, we are considering this situation a priority from our end, and I'll try and get you some feedback ASAP.

-Jeff

[kennethvejen1]

Of course the sound is loud at events, especially at electronic music events - unfortunately for the ears.

I do not think that the high should be a problem at this moment, because when I take my old camera and record at such events, the music sounds fine when the bass kicks in.

I have an example from probably an iPhone recording from a hardstyle event, where the sound sounds quite well, even when the bass kicks in. From that point of view I see no reason why the Xperia S should record that bad compared to linked recording. I really hope this problem gets fixed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIl_X5VIuQg&feature=youtube_gdata_player

-Kenneth

[Pmac2k]

Sounds like digital drop out, you will probably find the way the old camera is dealing with it is by using a sound limiting technology (compression/limiter) it very basically turns down the 'volume' of the microphone to keep it within a certain range.  The problem your experiencing seems to be that when digital recording it uses a series of 0's and 1's to 'record' the sound. When its too loud it simply runs out of 1's and ends as digital distortion. 

I would say that it is something that is possible by having a audio compression algorythm on the microphone input which I would imagine is possible to be done via a software update... just needs developing, unless there is an app out there that will allow video recording that has it built in to the app.

-Peter