The audio on the DJI Pocket 3 (either from the internal mics or the wireless mic) appears to be very quiet. Despite setting the external mic gain up, the audio levels are below -20db when I transfer the video file to my computer and open it in Final Cut Pro (which is at Ver 10.6.8). This means that I have to use the Audio Gain Effect in Final Cut Pro to obtain an acceptable audio level in order to achieve above -6db. Is this normal for the Pocket 3?

Ive not tested an external microphone but my audio levels were fine when opened in FCPX.  If you have the wireless MIC you can record 32 bit float audio to the 8gb storage which should be even better.

DAFlys Posted at 11-2 04:31
Ive not tested an external microphone but my audio levels were fine when opened in FCPX.  If you have the wireless MIC you can record 32 bit float audio to the 8gb storage which should be even better.

Thanks for the response, but I have tried that already. In fact, when I imported the sound file into FCPX, it was so low that I thought it had failed to record anything!

djiuser_ITbqYOIlCxmG Posted at 11-2 04:35
Thanks for the response, but I have tried that already. In fact, when I imported the sound file into FCPX, it was so low that I thought it had failed to record anything!

Does it sound low when you playback on the P3 as well,  just to rule out FCPX.

DAFlys Posted at 11-2 04:38
Does it sound low when you playback on the P3 as well,  just to rule out FCPX.

Good point and the answer is no, it sounds fine when I play it back via the P3. That said, the audio is low in any package I try on my MAC (i.e. VLC, Quicktime FPCX etc).

djiuser_ITbqYOIlCxmG Posted at 11-2 04:48
Good point and the answer is no, it sounds fine when I play it back via the P3. That said, the audio is low in any package I try on my MAC (i.e. VLC, Quicktime FPCX etc).

Stupid suggestion then,  is your Mac volume turned down?

DAFlys Posted at 11-2 05:52
Stupid suggestion then,  is your Mac volume turned down?

Yeah good point, but no.

I am also looking at audio meters in the application and they are reporting a sub -20db level, which is very low. I also tried playing them on a different machine (PC running windows) with the same results; so I am out of ideas as to what this can be.

What I really need is for someone else to let me know what their audio levels are in FCPX from the native files they create with the Pocket 3 so I can establish if I have a problem with my unit, or if this is what's to be expected.

djiuser_ITbqYOIlCxmG Posted at 11-2 06:20
Yeah good point, but no.

I am also looking at audio meters in the application and they are reporting a sub -20db level, which is very low. I also tried playing them on a different machine (PC running windows) with the same results; so I am out of ideas as to what this can be.

Looking at a clip I took mine peak out at 0db.

DAFlys Posted at 11-2 06:30
Looking at a clip I took mine peak out at 0db.

[view_image]

Many thanks for this. That proves that my unit must have a fault.

Hi there. Thank you for reaching out and we're sorry for the trouble. If the sound of your DJI Mic 2 transmitter is low, please try the following:

1. Move the DJI Mic 2 transmitter closer to the sound source;
2. Gradually increase the gain of the transmitter while monitoring with USB-C earphones;

If the issue persists, I'm afraid that you may consider sending in the unit for proper diagnostics. Rest assured that we will provide you necessary after-sales services after we conduct the damage assessment on the unit. Thank you for your kind and understanding.

Hello,
My unit is experiencing the exact same issue as the one described by the original poster. I wanted to test if you can use the external mic 2 stand-alone as a voice recorder (which works and is amazing considering audio quality, storage and battery life!) but when I transferred the file to my Windows pc the level was very low, just like the op at first I thought it hadn't recorded at all.
Is this a known issue and should I contact support for warranty? Or can it be fixed with a software fix?

djiuser_ITbqYOIlCxmG Posted at 11-2 06:20
Yeah good point, but no.

I am also looking at audio meters in the application and they are reporting a sub -20db level, which is very low. I also tried playing them on a different machine (PC running windows) with the same results; so I am out of ideas as to what this can be.

Hi, I commented instead of replying, you're not alone, I have the exact same issue. Thought It was normal but it felt weird so i googled and found this. What's your status as of now?

djiuser_qs3kjQ2AQnLx Posted at 11-4 03:51
Hello,
My unit is experiencing the exact same issue as the one described by the original poster. I wanted to test if you can use the external mic 2 stand-alone as a voice recorder (which works and is amazing considering audio quality, storage and battery life!) but when I transferred the file to my Windows pc the level was very low, just like the op at first I thought it hadn't recorded at all.
Is this a known issue and should I contact support for warranty? Or can it be fixed with a software fix?

me too. The video i connect to pc, sound is too low.

HAYHOT Posted at 11-8 03:00
me too. The video i connect to pc, sound is too low.

The internal mics sound is very low

I'm having the same problem with the wireless microphone, and that's with wearing it on my shirt collar next to my mouth. It's just, well, low. I jack it up +12db in FCPX and it's barely acceptable that way. Not sure why I'm having these problems.

I still have the issue.
The only way I have found to resolve it is in post-production within FCPX by increasing the volume to max, AND adding the gain effect to the clip. I can then adjust it up to where I want it.

On the subject of audio...
I am no audio expert, but (to my hearing) I have also found that the quality of the external radio mic (in the combo offering) is inferior to the mics on the camera. Maybe this is just because it is mono rather than the stereo one(s) in the camera unit, but is certainly not what I was expecting given all the hype of the YouTube videos out there where the producers have been provided with the Pocket 3 by DJI.

djiuser_ITbqYOIlCxmG Posted at 11-18 02:13
I still have the issue.
The only way I have found to resolve it is in post-production within FCPX by increasing the volume to max, AND adding the gain effect to the clip. I can then adjust it up to where I want it.

Did you contact support?

angroid Posted at 11-22 05:12
Did you contact support?

No, I am working around it as mentioned in my post above.

This is a difficult issue.  First of all, what are you recording?  If it's just somebody talking, then levels around -20dB may well be correct, because talking isn't a particularly loud sound.  If however you are recording a train passing 2 meters away from you, yes, you'd expect that to peak to the top.  Cheap cameras tend to use auto gain controls which aggressively boost quiet sounds and aggressively lower loud sounds, but that's not actually very realistic.  I would expect some AGC / compression to be used but not aggressively.  Good quality audio preserves within reason the original dynamic range of the sound.  

As for the sound quality, the sound from the internal mics is, in my view, very good and has the abililty to present a really wide stereo image which, when you see a video of city scenes for instance, makes you feel like you are really there.  Traffic rumble really does rumble, but any music from a cafe sounds suitably bright, and voices sound natural.  The wireless mic is probably geared more to conveying speech clearly and would be less likely to reproduce sounds of traffic so well.  I would expect that.  And of course it's mono which changes the whole feel of the sound.  One option is to get the best of both worlds by recording on the wirelss mic not linked to the camera, and recording on the camera from the built in mics at the same time, and mixing the two to taste later.

To be honest I have only shot one clip with my Pocket 3 so far, and that was just of me walking round the house I am moving into describing what my plans for it are for some friends.  I just used the built in mics.  I was impressed with how faithfully it conveyed the very faint but bassy sounds of pop music playing on another floor when I was in the lowest one.  Very realistic.  The levels sounded as expected.  Maybe yours is defective but that would be a pretty weird defect.  Lastly, I should mention that 32 bit float audio is likely to sound quiet because the analog part of the audio chain will be set to a low level to ensure that clippng of the audio doesn't happen when the sound is very loud, before it gets digitised to 32 bit float.  But then you can increase the gain substantially when editing without any ill effects, that being the nature of the 32 bit float beast.

[I speak as a retired classical music recording engineer - but that was as much art as science, so I don't claim huge knowledge of the technicalities.]

fansfe82067d Posted at 11-22 06:22
This is a difficult issue.  First of all, what are you recording?  If it's just somebody talking, then levels around -20dB may well be correct, because talking isn't a particularly loud sound.  If however you are recording a train passing 2 meters away from you, yes, you'd expect that to peak to the top.  Cheap cameras tend to use auto gain controls which aggressively boost quiet sounds and aggressively lower loud sounds, but that's not actually very realistic.  I would expect some AGC / compression to be used but not aggressively.  Good quality audio preserves within reason the original dynamic range of the sound.  

As for the sound quality, the sound from the internal mics is, in my view, very good and has the abililty to present a really wide stereo image which, when you see a video of city scenes for instance, makes you feel like you are really there.  Traffic rumble really does rumble, but any music from a cafe sounds suitably bright, and voices sound natural.  The wireless mic is probably geared more to conveying speech clearly and would be less likely to reproduce sounds of traffic so well.  I would expect that.  And of course it's mono which changes the whole feel of the sound.  One option is to get the best of both worlds by recording on the wirelss mic not linked to the camera, and recording on the camera from the built in mics at the same time, and mixing the two to taste later.

Thanks for such a comprehensive response. You obviously know much more about the technical aspects of sound recording that I do, and I like your suggestion regarding mixing the the two sound sources which I'll give a try.

In terms of my experience... all I can say is that when I take any form of video on my ax700 camcorder the resultant sound is much louder and cleared when I edit it in Final Cut Pro. If I take the same scene with the Pocket 3, it is much quieter and I have to boost it in order to bring it up to an acceptable level for export. Maybe this is to be be expected for the Pocket 3. I also have the Pocket 2 which still produces a lower level (and slightly muffled sound from the internal mic(s)) compared to the ax700 camcorder, but it is still louder than the Pocket 3.

djiuser_ITbqYOIlCxmG Posted at 11-22 06:31
Thanks for such a comprehensive response. You obviously know much more about the technical aspects of sound recording that I do, and I like your suggestion regarding mixing the the two sound sources which I'll give a try.

In terms of my experience... all I can say is that when I take any form of video on my ax700 camcorder the resultant sound is much louder and cleared when I edit it in Final Cut Pro. If I take the same scene with the Pocket 3, it is much quieter and I have to boost it in order to bring it up to an acceptable level for export. Maybe this is to be be expected for the Pocket 3. I also have the Pocket 2 which still produces a lower level (and slightly muffled sound from the internal mic(s)) compared to the ax700 camcorder, but it is still louder than the Pocket 3.

If I can think of a way to provide a sample from mine that would be at all useful for comparison, I will post it here later.

fansfe82067d Posted at 11-22 16:13
If I can think of a way to provide a sample from mine that would be at all useful for comparison, I will post it here later.

If you can, that would be great.

The audio levels are quite low and seem not to correspond to what the camera's meter (the green line) shows. Here I was recording speech straight into the pocket 3 using a Rode Videomic NTG via USB-C connection. The meter levels showed it not far off clipping!  However, as you can see from the screenshot in Izotope RX9, the actual levels were indeed only around -20db. That strongly suggests that the camera's audio meter calibration is not correct.



You can of course normalise the recording to bring that up but it should not be necessary to this degree.  I will run some more tests, but to me, at this point, it looks like the on-screen audio meter is over-reporting the signal level. I can test later by sending a calibrated 1kHz test tone from one of my Sound Devices field recorders into the camera at mic level and see what the meter says is happening.

Here's further analysis of a file where the camera's audio meter showed a fairly 'hot' signal just below clipping.... yet....



Pretty clear that what the meter shows bears little relevance to what is being recorded.

fanscaae50a3 Posted at 11-22 22:43
Here's further analysis of a file where the camera's audio meter showed a fairly 'hot' signal just below clipping.... yet....

[view_image]

Great work, many thanks for this. It would be appreciated if DJI would now respond to this issue.

Thanks for that very technical update that seems to confirm what many of us are experiencing. Hopefully this can be fixed by DJI with a firmware update.

I have the same problem. I set the gain on the Mic 2 to +4 (from zero) and it is slightly better. But the meter on the display hits red, but the actual recorded volume is low enough I have to boost it in post.

PK Shiu Posted at 11-25 12:58
I have the same problem. I set the gain on the Mic 2 to +4 (from zero) and it is slightly better. But the meter on the display hits red, but the actual recorded volume is low enough I have to boost it in post.

Yes.... there is a disparity between the indication on the meter and the levels recorded.

I must check that.  I still have not turned the Mic 2 on!

Has anyone retested now that we have a Firmware update? Maybe this was one of the "other bugs" that were fixed in the update.

Now that I've tried the new firmware which creates a secondary audio file,, I can notice the difference between using the wireless mic and using the built in microphones. The wireless mic is noticeably lower audio than the unit's internal microphones, even though the wireless microphone it attached to my collar and closer to my mouth when speaking.

A couple of people here have suggested adjusting the gain on the mic. I'm assuming they mean via the Pocket 3 swipe from right then tap the transmitter icon then adjust the gain there. Does this adjust the gain of audio recorded onto the Pocket 3 only or also the transmitter's internal storage? I'm looking for how to adjust the gain on the transmitter itself. It's a shame we can't connect to and manage it directly from the MIMO app.

I'll try to do some tests here to add more info to the debate - hopefully within 24 hours.

I have the same problem with DJI MIC 2 (I do not have an issue with internal mic. ). On screen, indicators sometimes hits red when normal talking with gain setting as 0 dB (default) so I need to keep the gain settings as defalut. I've tested DJI MIC 2 with new firmware and it shows very low volume like above images. I need to increase volume almost 15 dB and excessive stretching induces poor sound in Davinci Resolve 18.5 and 18.6. I hope future firmware can fix it.

Igalstu Posted at 11-11 17:23
The internal mics sound is very low

i solve this problem. when i turn on mic dji, i can increase transmitter gain. the sound will be bigger, level depends +?? , you can try it

Audio recording is just as important, if not more important, for a truly cinematic experience. DJI did an outstanding job producing the Pocket 3/Mic 2 but it would be a sad waste if this subject of audio gain is not taken seriously and corrected by the R&D team. DJI can and will resolve this I’m sure.

Just for the record I too have noticed the same anomalies as reported and am monitoring this hoping for a firmware fix.

Any news about this...? My external Dji mic 2 records superlow. I changed the gain to +10 now. Audio will then import into FCP at around-10db

andee Posted at 1-1 02:47
Any news about this...? My external Dji mic 2 records superlow. I changed the gain to +10 now. Audio will then import into FCP at around-10db

I'm afraid not. I don't believe that DJI are treating this as a potential defect as the last comment we have from them on the subject reads;

"Hi there. Thank you for reaching out and we're sorry for the trouble. If the sound of your DJI Mic 2 transmitter is low, please try the following:

1. Move the DJI Mic 2 transmitter closer to the sound source;
2. Gradually increase the gain of the transmitter while monitoring with USB-C earphones;

If the issue persists, I'm afraid that you may consider sending in the unit for proper diagnostics. Rest assured that we will provide you necessary after-sales services after we conduct the damage assessment on the unit. Thank you for your kind and understanding."

djiuser_ITbqYOIlCxmG Posted at 1-1 04:30
I'm afraid not. I don't believe that DJI are treating this as a potential defect as the last comment we have from them on the subject reads;

"Hi there. Thank you for reaching out and we're sorry for the trouble. If the sound of your DJI Mic 2 transmitter is low, please try the following:

Maybe somebody is reading this thread who has not these issues:
when using your Osmo Pocket 3 Dji mic from a normal distance, speaking at normal level, with no changes in gain and then import this footage into TCP. What are your audio levels then?