Topic: hiss with preamp

[cberryh2o]

Hi,

Another newb question...I recorded with a church audio 9100 preamp into a sony pcm m10 with ca11 mics last night and got TONS of hiss on the recording.  I had the volume on the m10 maxed, with the "low sensitivity" switch on in manual and was tweaking the input signal with the preamp...Seemed like a reasonable approach (I've never used the preamp in a loud concert setting) but the sound came out good...but with overwhelming hiss all over it.  2 questions: any ideas on better settings to avoid that hiss next time (lower the input on the m10 and mostly use the preamp?) and...how do I edit out that hiss without screwing up the sound? I've been struggling with edits, but the files always come out warbly/metalic sounding.  Help!

[runonce]

If you had the gain on the recorder maxed - you were likely running the levels too low on the preamp giving you a bad signal to noise ratio from the get go.

[newplanet7]

A lot of people here leave the M10 at unity gain, which neither adds gain or attentuates the signal.
I believe that is from 4-5.
Use that and get most of your gain from the church pre.

[Belexes]

Get your gain structure from the pre (max it out if need be), that is why you have it.  As another has noted, setting the M10 at around 4-5 is sound advice.

[cberryh2o]

Thanks all!  wish I'd checked in before the show.  Any tips on how to edit out that awful hiss or am I sol?

[F.O.Bean]

And I ran CA14>SP BB/9100>M10s and ALWAYS ran MIC-IN, so maybe try that over line-in. Or were you using mic-in

[Belexes]

Bean, I guess I don't understand having the 9100 if one runs it mic in.  Then you are better off just using a standard battery box.  Not a cut on what you did, just trying to understand is all.

[runonce]

And I ran CA14>SP BB/9100>M10s and ALWAYS ran MIC-IN, so maybe try that over line-in. Or were you using mic-in

How long ago? - perhaps some of the early iterations of the 9000s did output mic level?

They have an output knob now...I always thought they output line level...otherwise why would they call it a preamp?

[Church-Audio]

Bean, I guess I don't understand having the 9100 if one runs it mic in.  Then you are better off just using a standard battery box.  Not a cut on what you did, just trying to understand is all.

You can actually run my preamp into the mic input thats how quiet it is. There are times when 20 db of gain is not enough when thats the case you can always use mic input provided you are not trying to record Metalica it should be fine. This is something I would do for acoustic shows. Or outdoors when you are far away.

[F.O.Bean]

And I ran CA14>SP BB/9100>M10s and ALWAYS ran MIC-IN, so maybe try that over line-in. Or were you using mic-in

How long ago? - perhaps some of the early iterations of the 9000s did output mic level?

They have an output knob now...I always thought they output line level...otherwise why would they call it a preamp?

Just a few weeks ago. I ran LINE-IN for the 1st set, and levels were so low I had to crack my M10. So I switched to MIC-IN for my 2nd and 3rd sets and I'm SUPER GLAD I did!

And FWIW, I was recording FOB/DFC in the "sweet spot" and it still wasnt loud enough. There is a good comp from mk41>Sonosax>M10 & CA14 Cards>9100>M10 for the Papadosio show in the kickdown central

[Belexes]

Got it. The need for more gain from the Mic input. Makes sense!

[it-goes-to-eleven]

There is another possibility.  Check your battery compartment.

[cberryh2o]

And I ran CA14>SP BB/9100>M10s and ALWAYS ran MIC-IN, so maybe try that over line-in. Or were you using mic-in

I was using mic in and my 9100 has one nob for gain adjustment, though there's a switch inside which I have no idea of the function.  At this point all my recordings have come out better without the 9100 (mostly loud rock shows and some as loud or louder than Metallica), but I think I need to give it another try with a bit more thought put into the settings, since Church said the mics were specd to work better with that 9v power.

[Javier Cinakowski]

There is another possibility.  Check your battery compartment.

I second that^

The scenario that Bean described above seems crazy to me.  Papadosio is a "techno jamband" that gets good spl's in the sweet spot.  When I was running electret gear, I wouldn't need much gain from the 9100 in a situation like that, at all.  I never needed to run the mic-input... 

Does Chris publish specs for the CA14?  I'd be curious to compare sensitivity to 853's

[F.O.Bean]

There is another possibility.  Check your battery compartment.

I second that^

The scenario that Bean described above seems crazy to me.  Papadosio is a "techno jamband" that gets good spl's in the sweet spot.  When I was running electret gear, I wouldn't need much gain from the 9100 in a situation like that, at all.  I never needed to run the mic-input... 

Does Chris publish specs for the CA14?  I'd be curious to compare sensitivity to 853's

I know, especially after reading that EVERYONE ELSE was running 9100>LINE-IN on the M10[while the M10 was set at unity] But I surely wouldnt lie to ya