Manually adjusting the audio recording level

You can adjust the audio recording level for the built-in or for an external microphone. You can display the audio level indicator while recording or playing back the tape.

Make sure the camcorder is in Camera mode and the mode switch is set to P. Manually setting the audio recording levels is not possible when the mode switch is set to AUTO.

1. If the joystick guide does not appear on the screen, press () to display it.
   
   
   

2. Push the joystick up toward (MIC).
   - If (MIC) does not appear on the joystick guide, repeatedly push the joystick down toward [NEXT] to display the joystick guide.
   
   
   - The manual adjustment icon m will appear to the left of the audio level indicator and the manual adjustment bar (green) will appear below it.
   

3. Move the joystick left or right to adjust the audio level as necessary.
   - Push the joystick right toward + to raise the audio recording level or push it left toward - to lower it.
   - As a guideline, adjust the audio recording level so that the audio level meter will go to the right of the -12 dB mark only occasionally.
   - When the 0dB mark turns red, the sound may be distorted.
   

4. Press () to save the setting and hide the joystick guide.
   

TO USE THE MICROPHONE ATTENUATOR

If the audio level is too high and the sound gets distorted, activate the microphone attenuator by setting [MIC ATT.] to [ON] in the menu.

The audio recording level can be adjusted only while the green adjustment bar appears under the audio level indicator. To avoid changing the level by mistake, after you manually adjust the audio recording level be sure to press () to hide the joystick guide. To record with virtually no audio manually adjust the audio recording level to it's minimum level or insert a commercially available "dummy plug" into the external mic. jack. When the mode switch is set to AUTO, the camcorder will adjust the audio level automatically. We recommend using headphones to check the sound level while adjusting the audio recording level or when the microphone attenuator is activated.