Panasonic AG 7350 audio problem?
 

Hi

I use a Panasonic AG7350 for video digitization.

I recently found some video cassettes from my father (may he rest in peace) with private family recordings. My father had copied the recordings from various video cameras onto cassettes, but also used different VCRs.

I've noticed that the sound on some recordings is extremely muffled and quiet. Other recordings on the same cassette are perfect.

As far as I know, the sound can be recorded either via the audio head or via the drum as a hi-fi audio track.

Could it be that the sound reproduction via the audio head or the drum is defective? How can I test which one is currently playing? The image reproduction is flawless in any case.

I'm not sure if it's a defect or if the recording is bad. Unfortunately, I don't have another VCR to test.

Thanks for your help

It's hard to be sure from here exactly what is going on. Can you upload some audio examples of these changes in audio quality? Also best quality is usually obtained from the original camera tapes if they're available, rather than a copy.

On the rear of that machine make sure you are using the left set of audio outputs, labelled "Norm/HiFi". This will allow you to toggle between the audio tracks using the switch on the front of the machine.

Check and see which sounds better on your problem tapes. Sometimes, especially with lectures or other voice, I have resorted to the linear ("Norm", in Panasonic lingo) audio because the HiFi had too many problems. The linear tracks are poorer fidelity and tend to have a healthy amount of tape hiss like a not-so-great old audio cassette, but better than nothing. If it is possible that some of your father's dubs were done on equipment that lacked HiFi, linear may be all those tapes have.

Also note, very important: your Panasonic deck further subdivides the linear audio track into two channels (they call it 1 and 2 rather than L and R per their custom). It was an extremely unusual feature usually only found on pro gear, and there it is. Make sure you are listening to both channels in your headphones or speakers when capturing! It will be in mono, but one channel may be quieter and/or more muffled than the other since most (if not all) consumer gear recorded one big track for liner audio rather than two.

I would also take a moment to pop the top and clean the stationary heads if it were me.