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Gear / Technical Help => TS Knowledge Base / Archive => Recording Gear => Topic started by: jadedphan on June 02, 2017, 12:03:42 AM

Title: 744t question
Post by: jadedphan on June 02, 2017, 12:03:42 AM
Hey now,

So I've read up on the poly wav vs. mono wav settings, and I still have a few questions I was hoping to clear up. First off, I am running channels 1&2 (xlr inputs) routed to A & B respectively, and using inputs 3 & 4 SPDIF inputs to C & D. Rather than 4 mono channels that I then have to pair, and if I'm runnning hot levels slamming close to or at zero, that I then have to back off in post software before summing to two stereo pairs, I'd really like to have the recorder record channels 1 & 2 (a & b) as one stereo pair, and the digi ins 3 & 4 (c & d) as a second stereo pair.

First off, is there an easy setting change to do this? I have the analog ins linked, so that the top knob is gain and the bottom is panning. However, I'm still not understanding the poly vs mono wav settings. I haven't done a lot of home experimenting yet, but from reading I'm concerned that if I choose poly, it is going to sum the inputs into a single wav (i.e. Channels 1&2 get summed to a, and also summed to b, rather than staying discrete left and right channels). I'm guessing I'm misunderstanding this point, but would really appreciate some tips, so that I'm recording 2 stereo pairs, rather than the 4 mono sources that require post panning and gain reduction before summing to stereo.

Worse case I figured I'd set up my two pairs of mics/with the whole rig running, and try each setting poly/mono, and then lightly scratch on each left capsule and then each right capsule to see how the recorder is handling the mono/poly settings.

Also, I wasn't sure if there was something I should do differently in the routing to force the deck to record the 4 inputs as 2 stereo sources. I'll only be using the rig to record concert audio, and not film/tv production work, so it'd be super helpful for me to be able to set it to record 2 stereo sources as two stereo files, so that once I get slamming levels like I want, I don't have to then back them off in post software to keep the summed stereo file from clipping out.

I hope that all made sense. Please feel free to post here, but I'd really appreciate a cc to my email addy, durhambrian@hotmail.com.

Thanks in advance - I tried to read up on this prior to asking, but wasn't able to ascertain the exact answers I was looking for, and appreciate the knowledge base of you folks here!

-bry
Title: Re: 744t question
Post by: Teen Wolf Blitzer on June 02, 2017, 07:26:27 AM
far as I know it's one stereo pair and 2 mono channels or 4 mono channels only.  Never been able to record 2 stereo pairs with the 744.
Title: Re: 744t question
Post by: dactylus on June 02, 2017, 09:23:12 AM

What editing software are you using?

Title: Re: 744t question
Post by: jadedphan on June 02, 2017, 08:02:45 PM
   Vegas 12. Super easy to convert mono files to stereo, but when you run levels very close to zero, as I like to do, then pan mono channels left and right, if you don't reduce the gain of each channel that is almost hitting zero, then sum to stereo, the stereo file is   distorted. When using the 744 to record a stereo file, which I gather is only on channels one and two, is that when I would set the device to poly wav? Do I need to change anything in the routing, or still let channel one to go to a & channel two go to b, etc?
Title: Re: 744t question
Post by: dactylus on June 03, 2017, 08:43:15 AM
   Vegas 12. Super easy to convert mono files to stereo, but when you run levels very close to zero, as I like to do, then pan mono channels left and right, if you don't reduce the gain of each channel that is almost hitting zero, then sum to stereo, the stereo file is   distorted. When using the 744 to record a stereo file, which I gather is only on channels one and two, is that when I would set the device to poly wav? Do I need to change anything in the routing, or still let channel one to go to a & channel two go to b, etc?

Hi,

We met at a Phish show several years back and I think that you clamped to me that night (possibly North Carolina). 

There is absolutely no reason for you to run your levels HOT to the point of clipping.  That is definitely NOT what I would think that you would want to do!  Eventually you will clip and there is no reason for you to set yourself up for that.  You can always raise your levels in post very easily!  Most everyone here would probably give you that same advice.

You'll want to download SD's Wave Agent, and get familiar with polyphonic wave files:

https://www.sounddevices.com/support/downloads/wave-agent

David