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PDR Audio Quality

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Old Feb 2, 2023 | 08:27 PM
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Default PDR Audio Quality

Howdy Racefans.. I want to post a query out to anyone that has PDR in their car.. "When you use your PDR, does the audio come out sounding like CRAP?" My stereo sounds awesome normally, but when I played the PDR recording I thought I must have blown a speaker!! Honestly, it sounds like the microphone is rattling around and you can actually hear it react to the various road bumps slowly driving down the street! I removed the memory card to make sure the noise was on the audio and not some sudden speaker failure, but it's definitely noise in the recording.. Sounds even worse if you listen with earbuds. Is anyone else experiencing this issue? Does anyone know if the microphone is accessible? PDR is a sweet feature to have not only for monitoring performance, but it's a pretty sweet dashcam as well if I can get the sound squared away! Thanks for any ideas you might have on this!!

2017 C7 Stingray
6.2, manual trans.
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Old Feb 2, 2023 | 08:48 PM
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My PDR on my 2016Z sounds fair on the car sound system, however I rarely play it back over in the car, I usually playback on my PC or laptop & sound quality is very clear.
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Old Feb 3, 2023 | 07:47 AM
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Have not noticed what you are describing. See if playing it back on a computer changes the sound.
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Old Feb 3, 2023 | 09:40 AM
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The recordings are all very clear, both in the car and on my home computer.. It just sounds like the microphone is loose and banging against the framework or the trim.. something. With every little bump in the road, there is the associated "clacking" of something in there that is obviously loose and it sounds like it's being played through a blown speaker.. The system is still useful for the data that it can provide but, I'll be turning the volume full off. It's just too aggravating to listen to! Thanks for your replies!
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Old Feb 3, 2023 | 09:52 AM
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Originally Posted by Ed Shaw
The recordings are all very clear, both in the car and on my home computer.. It just sounds like the microphone is loose and banging against the framework or the trim.. something. With every little bump in the road, there is the associated "clacking" of something in there that is obviously loose and it sounds like it's being played through a blown speaker.. The system is still useful for the data that it can provide but, I'll be turning the volume full off. It's just too aggravating to listen to! Thanks for your replies!
Upload a snippet to YouTube and post it here. No sure where the mic is for the PDR but I'll hazard a guess it's behind the trim panel where the camera is on the windshield. Pop that off and take a look.

Here's what one of mine sounds like for comparison:


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Old Feb 3, 2023 | 12:24 PM
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"I'll be turning the volume full off."

How do you turn the volume off?


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Old Feb 3, 2023 | 10:12 PM
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It is hard to tell where the PDR gets its sound from. The best I can tell is it gets its sound from the HMI module which uses the cell phone microphone as its sound source. If that is the microphone it is located at the top of the driver's side A pillar. To check to see if it is loose you will need to remove the A pillar trim.

Bill
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Old Feb 4, 2023 | 07:49 AM
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Has anyone successfully shut off the sound on their PDR recordings? I like recording the drive, but don't want the chit chat.
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Old Feb 4, 2023 | 05:21 PM
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brilliant suggestion Bill!! I just assumed it was another mic located with the camera,, I'll let you know what I find out!
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Old Feb 4, 2023 | 06:37 PM
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Originally Posted by rheavn
Has anyone successfully shut off the sound on their PDR recordings? I like recording the drive, but don't want the chit chat.
Yes, but the capability may have been added along the way.

Recording Audio (or not) is one of the PDR Settings shown in my 2019 Owner's Manual...


I don't see it in the 2015 OM....
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Old Feb 4, 2023 | 09:48 PM
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Thanks.......................I'll try recording in valet mode.
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Old Feb 7, 2023 | 04:09 AM
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I found out the speaker for the PDR is right there by the mirror, along with the camera. By tapping on the plastic cover I can tell that it's loose enough to have a slight rattle. That must be what i'm hearing.. I also noticed that on good asphalt (the kind they have on highways and not generally on neighborhood streets) the audio is completely acceptable. I think I'm going to have to say the blame most likely lies with me! I was looking for Bose quality sound and forgetting that the audio really isn't the cool part of the PDR.. On a different note, I think I know why the guy who owned this before me sold it after only driving it about 15,000 miles.. You get used to the power pretty quickly I'm thinkin.. and then your mind begins wondering about ZO6's.. THANKS for all the help guys! You meet the nicest people in a Corvette!
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Old Feb 8, 2023 | 12:14 PM
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Has anyone successfully shut off the sound on their PDR recordings? I like recording the drive, but don't want the chit chat.

These two comments contradict each other. Can you explain since the audio is not presented to the PDR user until the PDR user is in the playback mode. I listen to the radio not the pdr camera and doubt if I even could listen in real-time to the pdr while recording. I record all the time since I use the PDR as an insurance camera and spend five minutes of my life that I'll never get back each time I set up a PDR recording.

speaker for the PDR is right there by the mirror

Don't you mean microphone??
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Old Feb 9, 2023 | 07:23 AM
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"Can you explain since the audio is not presented to the PDR user until the PDR user is in the playback mode."

I'd rather not have the in car chit chat on the sd card recording. It doesn't seem like it is possible to omit.
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Old Feb 15, 2023 | 01:56 PM
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Originally Posted by rheavn
"Can you explain since the audio is not presented to the PDR user until the PDR user is in the playback mode."

I'd rather not have the in car chit chat on the sd card recording. It doesn't seem like it is possible to omit.
You must mean when using the PDR as a dash cam? On track it is almost impossible to hear anything but the engine and wind noise.

Bill
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Old Feb 15, 2023 | 07:44 PM
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Yes I am referring to using it as a dash cam.
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Old Feb 21, 2023 | 06:20 PM
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Does PDR only work when the car is running on a c7 zo6 3 lz
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