Topic: Need clean, cheap gain

[Massive Dynamic]

    I'm currently running AT853rx > UA-5 (p-mod) and think I may have trouble getting decent levels at some acoustic performances at a festival this summer.
    Does anyone know the total gain output of the UA-5 in db? Stock, p- or w-mod?  A search didn't turn up any measurement in db, and the Edirol manual had no info at all.
    I know some say the UA-5 starts to get noisy past 1:00 or so, so I'm wondering what my options are.  Get a MV-100 and run into the RCA inputs?  A used V2 would be nice, but the two pieces combined would be almost as much as a used V3 or MMe.  Am I overlooking something?

Ragan

[Chris K]

instead of spending $650 for a v2, you may want to consider upgrading your mics

just my opinion

[Craig T]

I think the "noisy at >1:00" comments have come from stock UA5's.  The preamp mods definitely lower the noise and you should be able to crank it up past 1:00.  Try recording something off your playback system that causes you to crank up the gain on the UA5 to see if you hear any noise.

If you need more gain, don't add a preamp.  Sell the UA5 and get something different.

[Craig T]

Try recording something off your playback system that causes you to crank up the gain on the UA5 to see if you hear any noise.

Oh, and don't confuse the hum of your refrigerator or HVAC system for preamp noise.  I've done that before - they sound so loud recorded through mics.

[Massive Dynamic]

Thanks, Craig, I'll try to run some tests at home.  Fortunately, my listening room has a door to separate it from the rest of the house.  And a mic upgrade is in the planning stages already.

FWIW, I ran more sensitive mics (14 mV/Pa) with my UA-5 at last year's fest and had to push the gain to 3-3:30 to get decent levels at a couple of stages.  Seemed to be a lot of background noise, though.  It was at a quasi-outdoor stage, so maybe the mics were just picking up the sounds of people moving around, etc., and it wasn't the preamp at all.

Ragan

[MattD]

Oh, and don't confuse the hum of your refrigerator or HVAC system for preamp noise.  I've done that before - they sound so loud recorded through mics.

Funny related story ... when I first got my ULN-2, I was curious to what 72 dB of gain would do. So I set it up in my living room, cranked it up and put on headphones so I could have "super hearing." I heard stuff outside, the fridge, HVAC, neighbors, etc. all as if they were in the room with me. Then I sneezed and damn near blew my ears off!

Lesson learned.