Topic: using a UA-5 in front of an R-4?

[Teen Wolf Blitzer]

I'm gonna wanna do some comparisons of the pre's in the R-4 with the W mod.  What connection would be best?

1/4" out of UA-5> 1/4" in on R-4 or

rca  out of UA-5> 1/4" in on R-4

I'm assuming you don't wanna go

1/4" or RCA > XLR in on R-4 (wouldn't it go through 2 pre's?) or
coax out of UA-5>coax in on R-4 (because of the resampling?)

Any guidence appreciated.

[Nick Graham]

FWIW, you can run line in on the R4's XLR inputs, just adjust the settings....

[Brian Skalinder]

Keep in mind that since the UA5 doesn't have analog pass-through, you're including the UA5s ADC and DAC in the test.  Signal path will be:

UA5 analog-in > ADC > DAC > UA5 analog-out > R4 analog-in > ADC

If it were me (and I'm getting an R4 one of these months), I'd just compare the pre/ADCs as all-in-one v. all-in-one:

analog signal split to both UA5 and R4

[Teen Wolf Blitzer]

Keep in mind that since the UA5 doesn't have analog pass-through, you're including the UA5s ADC and DAC in the test.  Signal path will be:

UA5 analog-in > ADC > DAC > UA5 analog-out > R4 analog-in > ADC

If it were me (and I'm getting an R4 one of these months), I'd just compare the pre/ADCs as all-in-one v. all-in-one:

analog signal split to both UA5 and R4

Uhhh.  Well that was over my head.  So you're saying not to run the UA-5 in front?  Just plug the mics in to the R4?

[Brian Skalinder]

Uhhh.  Well that was over my head.  So you're saying not to run the UA-5 in front?  Just plug the mics in to the R4?

There's no good way to test the preamps against one another.  So just plug the mics into the R4, then do the same for the UA5.  Or better yet, get a pair of XLR splitters and run the mics into both the UA5 and R4 at the same time.  This way you're testing the UA5 pre/ADC v. the R4 pre/ADC.

At least, that's what I plan on doing since what I really care about is how the preamp/ADC combo in each unit compares.  I don't run a preamp in front of my T+ UA5, and I don't plan on running a preamp in front of the R4, so I want to know how they compare as all-in-one preamps/ADCs.

[Teen Wolf Blitzer]

"So just plug the mics into the R4, then do the same for the UA5"

and the UA-5 plugs into?  do you mean just into my laptop?

I see what you're saying.  I would assume the pre's in the R4 are better than the stock UA5.  I would hope they are anyway.  i guess I just thought having a Wmod in front would be better than that. 

I guess I don't get the no pass through thing you mentioned.  In my dat days I ran 460's>V2>RCA out>rca in on DAP1.  I assumed doing the same with the UA-5 would be the same.  Apparently not? 

Thanks for your help.  +t 

I've been taping for 16 years..... not to up to speed on my technical jargon.  Also any power recomendations?  I want a battery that will power the R4 for like 10 hours 4 channels.  Is that even possible?  Thanks again.

[Brian Skalinder]

"So just plug the mics into the R4, then do the same for the UA5"

and the UA-5 plugs into?  do you mean just into my laptop?

Sorry, I made an assumption here - that you have two recorders available:  one for the UA5, and of course the one built-into the R 4 for the, well...R4.  Maybe the R4 will accept two analog inputs (from the mics) at the same time as a stereo digital input from your UA5?  I don't know.  If so, there's your two recorders right there.  If not, you'll need a separate recorder for the UA5.

I guess I don't get the no pass through thing you mentioned.  In my dat days I ran 460's>V2>RCA out>rca in on DAP1.  I assumed doing the same with the UA-5 would be the same.  Apparently not? 

No, not the same.  The UA5 does not behave the same way as the V2 when set up in a similar configuration as the one you used with your old gear.  You can make the same physical connections, and to the outside world it appears the same.  But inside, the UA5 is doing something fundamentally different from the V2.  If you didn't know that the processes inside the UA5 are different, you wouldn't know it's happening and would think it's behaving the same way as the V2.  But now you know it isn't. 

Your old gear basically did this:

• 460s output an analog signal, the V2 amplified the signal, the DAP1 converted the analog signal to digital for storing on DAT.

The 460s > UA5 > analog-out > R4 does this:

• 460s output an analog signal, the UA5 amplifies the signal, the UA5 converts the analog signal to digital, the UA5 converts the digital signal back to analog, the R4 converts the analog signal back to digital.

It's those two steps in blue that are the fundamental difference between the UA5 and V2.  Dunno if that helps, or just makes it more confusing.   

I've been taping for 16 years..... not to up to speed on my technical jargon.  Also any power recomendations?  I want a battery that will power the R4 for like 10 hours 4 channels.  Is that even possible?  Thanks again.

Dunno about R4 power, but I'm pretty sure there's a thread or two on R4 power in the Remote Power forum.

[Teen Wolf Blitzer]

Well technically I do have 2 recorders.  I have the lappy.  Only problem is I need another pair of 414's to really compare.  Or do a 2 night run....

All makes sense on the UA-5 now.  Learn something new everyday.  Why oh why did I sell my v2?  Still tinkering with the idea of letting Busman loose on the R4.  But I think I'll wait for him to do his first. 

Thanks Brian!  +t

[Brian Skalinder]

Well technically I do have 2 recorders.  I have the lappy.  Only problem is I need another pair of 414's to really compare.  Or do a 2 night run....

Just pick up an inexpensive pair of XLR splitters and you can run both the UA5 and R4 simultaneously with a single pair of 414s for a better comparison than different nights.