Topic: Dropouts in recording

[Andy L]

I taped the Black Crowes in London recently using my SP-CMC-4 > CA-9100 > R-09 rig, but my recording is full of dropouts (sample attached below) - what could be causing these? They're not channel dropouts and there are clicks and pops as it's happening, so I suspect it could be the preamp? This isn't the first time it's happened either, so I'd really like to avoid this happening again in the future...

And is it worth keeping the recording, given that roughly half of it has this problem?

[Belexes]

Sounds to me like a cable issue. Were your cables firmly seated in each device? If so, may be a bad cable.

I'd keep the recording until I saw another source that was being shared.

[Church-Audio]

I taped the Black Crowes in London recently using my SP-CMC-4 > CA-9100 > R-09 rig, but my recording is full of dropouts (sample attached below) - what could be causing these? They're not channel dropouts and there are clicks and pops as it's happening, so I suspect it could be the preamp? This isn't the first time it's happened either, so I'd really like to avoid this happening again in the future...

And is it worth keeping the recording, given that roughly half of it has this problem?

It could also be the dreaded 3.5 mm jack problem. I would try plugging the mics with the preamp into the mic input and doing some testing you want to reduce the level on the preamp to half just to avoid overloading the mic preamp.

If you still have issues also check the HPF switch in the battery compartment is over to the left or right that its not in the middle this switch needs to be hard left or right. If you still have issues send it back to me I will look at it.

Chris

[powermonkey]

Did these dropouts occur whilst moving gear around? I'd guess that if you're looking at a dodgy cable or a loose jack somewhere, that might exacerbate the problem.

[Andy L]

I'm not sure if it's the line-in jack problem, my R-09 is only 2 months old and I had the same problem when using the preamp with my R-1. Also, the HPF switch is set firmly to off...

The gear was being moved around a bit, but I did check the connections and they were tightly in, so I'll have a look at the cables, especially the one that connects the R-09 and the CA-9100. Thanks for the replies everyone!

[Josephine]

Interesting.  I had a drop-out on something I recorded this weekend that sounds very similar to your sample. 
Mine was not quite as pronounced and, unlike yours, it only happened twice during the evening.  But, it's there.
I know all my cabling was tightly seated . . . I'm thinking it may be the in-line jack on the R-09.
How would I determine if mine is going bad?

[boyacrobat]

rig up and press rec and move around just a bit like at a show.
put earphones on and listen for drop outs while moving slightly everything

drop outs are the r09 plague

open deck if can and get to 3.5mm pin and spring the contact out more
for more contact on pin when going in.

disconect all wiring from deck when not in use.
the reason people should ditch the r09.
problem waiting to happen,  logic would not want to rec u2 with r09.
logic would prob have drop outs in the rec.

fuck that

g

[Church-Audio]

rig up and press rec and move around just a bit like at a show.
put earphones on and listen for drop outs while moving slightly everything

drop outs are the r09 plague

open deck if can and get to 3.5mm pin and spring the contact out more
for more contact on pin when going in.

disconect all wiring from deck when not in use.
the reason people should ditch the r09.
problem waiting to happen,  logic would not want to rec u2 with r09.
logic would prob have drop outs in the rec.

fuck that

g

George You cant fix it.. You might be able to retouch the solder pads with a hot iron. And if you do notice a bad joint once you fix it put epoxy around the jack to the PCB board but be careful not to get any inside the jack.

Chris

[boyacrobat]

double drats then

thanks chris and hope you are well

g