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Gear / Technical Help => Battery Boxes, Preamps, Mixers, ADCs, and Processors => Topic started by: tbger on May 11, 2013, 10:27:33 AM

Title: Overloaded recording -- what should I have used ? a battery box / preamp ?
Post by: tbger on May 11, 2013, 10:27:33 AM

http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=162351.0

As described here I used CAFS straight into PCM-M10's MIC IN (rec. level 7) on a bassy show and got an overloaded recording whenever there's a load of bass or lots of claps.

Sadly I didn't look at my levels while recording so I couldn't check if lowering them would give normal results (i.e no distortion).

Could it be just the recording level set too high, or would it be this way at any recording level, implying the real problem was the microphones -- which means the only way to get a good sounding recording is to use a preamp or a batterybox with them next time ?


Thanks for any help.

Title: Re: Overloaded recording -- what should I have used ? a battery box / preamp ?
Post by: taper666 on May 12, 2013, 12:17:10 AM

I would not use this mic on a bassy concert anyway as it's omni pattern... you should have received a better result using your CA14 with preamp which also have a very nice bass response... I'm using my omni DPA mics only at acoustic/quiet shows, don't think they sound well at loud and bassy concerts even when using filters or post-equalizinig, but that's a question of personal taste...

Title: Re: Overloaded recording -- what should I have used ? a battery box / preamp ?
Post by: fmaderjr on May 12, 2013, 10:27:31 AM

Quote from: simplemind on May 11, 2013, 10:27:33 AM

As described here I used CAFS straight into PCM-M10's MIC IN (rec. level 7) on a bassy show and got an overloaded recording whenever there's a load of bass or lots of claps.
Sadly I didn't look at my levels while recording so I couldn't check if lowering them would give normal results (i.e no distortion).
You can tell by looking at the files in an editing program. If the peaks go over 0 dB turning down the levels would probably have helped.

Could it be just the recording level set too high, or would it be this way at any recording level, implying the real problem was the microphones -- which means the only way to get a good sounding recording is to use a preamp or a batterybox with them next time ?
Chris does not recommend using any of his mics without a battery box or preamp, although a number of us have reported that CA11's > M10 work out fine. I don't know about CAFS omnis though.