Topic: Zoom H2 and the Line-In sensitivity of it

[carlito1980]

Hi everybody.

I am pretty new here and just got my Zoom H2 and my church Audio ST-11 with 9000preamp are on their way  Now I read that some of you complained about the high sensitivity of H2´s line-in when they connected a CD-Player with it.
Do you think the Line-in will stand pop/rock concerts with the CA microphone rig?
I mostly want to tape my friends band, but they play loud shows, but not THAT loud, that you gonna need earprotections. 


Do you think my Zoomy will record without problems?

Thanx for all help!

[tailschao]

If I'm right, the CA STC-11s have a -10dB mod on them so I'm pretty sure it'll be fine. Just don't turn the Pre-Amp all the way up to 30dB   

[carlito1980]

Ok thanx. I hope so  But if it´s still too loud, can I use

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/422964-REG/Shure_PA235_PA_235_In_Line_Headphone.html

this to reduce the volume without loosing quality?

[tailschao]

To be honest, I really don't know.

It would probably work, but I don't know if it would cause any quality loss.

Anybody else?

[gforcewarning]

you should be fine with just the church pre - it has knob to control the output level. 

[carlito1980]

Thx, but has the 9000 a control to reduce the outputlevel?

[SmokinJoe]

Just a gut feeling, but I think you will be fine.  The mics will almost surely need some gain to run line in.  I didn't read that other post, but LINE-IN from a cd layer output is much hotter than a set of mics...

I have a some similar gear...  I have CA STC-11 > CA9100 preamp > R-09 line in, and I usually end up turning the gain on the preamp up most of the way.

[carlito1980]

Oh thanx alot!

In a few days, I will exactly know 

[cybergaloot]

I use my CA-11>CA-9000>H2-line in rig as a backup and sometimes as the primary rig for recording mostly blues bands. Some of them can get pretty loud (measured an average 114db SPL at one show) and I haven't run into a real problem yet that wasn't my own fault. Just give it some headroom if the music is very dynamic. From talking to Chris Church on the phone I gather that turning the gain on the CA-9000 to about 80% is fine. I had been running mine at about 50% and he suggested making the adjustments. YMMV

BTW, Chris has come up with a relatively simple mod for the H2 that will add a fair amount of flexibility to the H2. Basically you just put a jack inline for each pair of the internal mics. That way with a battery box you can run external mics, either two external pairs or one pair and one set of the internals. I don't think he has settled on a price yet or even if he is going to get into doing them. I'll definitely be trying it myself one day.

[morst]

Ok thanx. I hope so  But if it´s still too loud, can I use
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/422964-REG/Shure_PA235_PA_235_In_Line_Headphone.html
this to reduce the volume without loosing quality?

Any time you use a pad, you will lose some dynamic range, and the H2 line input already lacks enough dynamic range to take advantage of 24-bit recording. That said, rock music has a lot less dynamic range than you will get with the H2, even with substantial padding, so it will still sound ok.

I have a preamp whose lowest gain setting is +20dB (Beyer MV100) and so I find that I must use the -10dB pads on my microphones, as well as an additional pad at loud shows. I bought the Core Sound -11dB cable, and it works fine.