Weird ticking sound

Philip42 · November 12, 2021, 1:24pm

Hello everyone. Does anyone have a solution to this sound? It’s a theta V. I don’t know what to do. 11 november 2021 - YouTube Thank you.

Philip42 · November 12, 2021, 1:24pm

Hello everyone help please. A while ago a weird ticking sound popped up. I have no idea how to solve this. I have a theta V. 11 november 2021 - YouTube

craig · November 12, 2021, 2:05pm

Are you processing the file at all with a video editor? Or, is that file straight from the camera?

If the file is straight from the camera,

update the camera firmware
post process of how you are downloading the file

There could be a problem with the microphone on the camera. However, you should eliminate software problems first before you attempt to return it.

Philip42 · November 12, 2021, 9:06pm

No straight from the camera. Updated the firmware but it didnn’t solve the problem. No difference between downloading to smartphone or computer.

craig · November 12, 2021, 10:28pm

Did you just get the camera?

There may be a physical defect in the microphone connection.

Is it still under warranty?

I’m assuming that when you play the video file on your local computer or mobile phone, you have the weird ticking sound on the local file, right?

I just read your original post and see that you have a THETA V. Try plugging an external microphone into the microphone jack and try again. The jack is a special 4 channel audio jack for spatial audio, but I think you will get stereo with a stereo microphone.

Philip42 · November 12, 2021, 10:39pm

Yes i have and it is still under warranty
Lucky me.

Philip42 · November 12, 2021, 10:41pm

I do not have a microphone.

craig · November 12, 2021, 10:42pm

my personal opinion is to try and return it.

Note that I don’t work for RICOH, I’m just a member of the community. If it is new, it seems to me that the safest course of action is to return it for a refund or exchange.

Philip42 · November 12, 2021, 10:49pm

I will send it to have it repaired. Thanks

ayman · December 9, 2021, 10:57pm

I am having the same issue…no luck with the warranty as the camera is older than a year…and I’m on a Theta Z1. I did the camera.reset trick via the curl request…but no luck.

craig · December 9, 2021, 11:01pm

although not ideal, can you inspect the 4 channel audio track and see if there is one track that is causing the problem? Maybe you can just delete that one track (which will mean you lose spatial audio), but stereo might be good enough in some cases.

ayman · December 9, 2021, 11:10pm

Oh thanks…what tool would I do that in? Looking at the file off the camera in VLC I just see the stereo audio track: MPEG AAC, Stereo, 48kHz, 32 bit

(BTW I am on latest firmware already).

craig · December 9, 2021, 11:44pm

I do not have very much experience with this. If you scroll through the long thread below, you may be able get some tips. I think they are using Adobe Audition and maybe even audacity.

This may work.

ayman · December 10, 2021, 11:52pm

Thanks, well that was fun because I actually learned how to:

Run the mp4 through Ricoh Movie Converter
Open the movie in Audacity and see 4 channel audio.

Now unfortunately, the click is in all channels. On channel 3 I can hear my voice under the clicks (as they are less pronounced on that channel).

I suppose my only option is to send it in for repair (does Ricoh do that? I’m hoping for something less than just the cost of a new unit). Something still smells of a software issue to me as the camera hasn’t left my home office so I don’t know how the hardware would get damaged since my last successful video recording (earlier this year).

craig · December 13, 2021, 10:50pm

thanks for this information. If I can replicate the problem, I can write a report and send it to RICOH. At the moment, I cannot replicate the clicking sound.

I’m using Z1 with firmware 2.01.0.

recorded unstitched 4K video inside the camera
transferred it to Windows 10 with USB cable
used RICOH THETA desktop app to stitch it
played on desktop in RICOH THETA app and in Windows Media player

If you play it straight from the camera with no processing, do you still have that problem?

If you download this file, can you play it hear reasonable sound?

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ezHRbYbnvhpi1pb2ut2hky5CAW9D2NZ7/view?usp=sharing

I don’t think it will play in 360 direct from GoogleDrive, so you would need to download it.

ayman · December 23, 2021, 2:24am

Thanks. Your file plays just fine. For me this issue just showed up one day out of nowhere (after over a year of using the camera just fine for videos). Clicking sound is just always there now: example video.

craig · December 23, 2021, 4:52pm

there may be a electrical connectivity problem with the audio circuit that developed over time. I am just guessing.

ayman · December 23, 2021, 7:35pm

Interesting…I’m on 2.00.1…not 2.01.0. The app says I’m on the latest version.

If I set it to LIVE mode and plug it into VLC the click is there. So it’s not the recording…here’s the meter in a silent room. I suppose I’ll just send it in for repair if I can figure out where to send it.

craig · December 28, 2021, 4:22pm

It might be the microphone connection. I’m just guessing. Although other people have reported the problem, it does not seem to be replicable across all the cameras.

Ideally, they can look at it under warranty.

Contact | RICOH THETA

ayman · December 28, 2021, 5:12pm

Thanks for the repair link! It’s out of warranty but maybe they’ll be cool about it.