There is something strange about the 702 limiter. I've been taping at that venue for 22 years, 8 with the 702, and I know how the wav form should look like at a given gain level. Last night I used the mic sensitivity set at "normal" instead of "low" for the first time ever. When I tested the signal, a whisper sent the LED metering ballistics to red, so I set the gain knob at 12 o'clock, which was still very hot. When I tested the result during intermission, the signal was too low, so I turned the gain knob up to 4 o'clock. I already knew from testing at home that the live LED metering ballistics give me an exaggerated false reading - maybe they give a reading without the limiter, the actual recorded signal is always lower with the limiter, but I was not prepared for what I found out when I opened the files at home with SoundForge editing software. The files from before intermission with the gain set at 12 o'clock had the wav form look exactly like it would with mic gain sensitivity set at "low", it was almost flat earth, not "normal" like it did, only the applause, which always is the loudest signal stood like skyscrapers kissing zeros, instead of hills like it would with the sensitivity set at "low". This indicates to me that the limiter aggressively reduced the entire signal way too much and only very loud signal showed the mic gain sensitivity was set at "normal". The files from after intermission, with the gain knob set at 4 o'clock finally looks healthy, with loud choral passages at -6 dB, which is exactly like I want it, and the singers whispering on stage still giving me some little visible hill, not flat earth, which is perfect. The applause kissed zeros, but no ugly holes in the sound (is this what's called "overshots"?). Next time I will run the mic inputs again at "normal", but will turn the gain knob all the way up, with the limiter on.
The gear I used: Schoeps mk4 cardioids>Schoeps VST 62 IUg mic amp>Sound Devices 702