Topic: Why did my recording fail ?

[Datfly]

Last night I tested my new set up.
I recorded Stained at the Hard Rock.
I was in line with the stack and sound was clear.
I was near the back of the Hard Rock on the second level.

According to my levels I was not peaking at all.
I kept the levels just below the peak range ( beteween 12 & 6 )

My problem was distortion.
Any bass at all is just simply distorted.
Even the louder parts have a brickwalled sound to them.
The edirol was on my lap and I checked it several times
and ( again ) it did not peak at all !?
I made SURE I was line in.

Ideas ? Sugestions ? Thoughts ?

Set up

DPA-4021 > Aerco MP-2 > Edirol R-09HR

R-09HR Line In to Aerco > Input Level on R-09 set at 70 to get to 12 & 6 on front screen

Aerco +20 on the dials

R-09 Limiter OFF
Plug in Power OFF
Low Cut OFF

Mic Gain HIGH

My only thought is becuase I did not see that Mic Gain was switched to high
it caused the distortion?

[Belexes]

My guess would be that the mic gain switch should have been on low.

[T.J.]

My guess would be that the mic gain switch should have been on low.

yup

[Belexes]

Especially with +20 dB on the Aerco.

[Dede2002]

Last night I tested my new set up.
I recorded Stained at the Hard Rock.
I was in line with the stack and sound was clear.
I was near the back of the Hard Rock on the second level.

According to my levels I was not peaking at all.
I kept the levels just below the peak range ( beteween 12 & 6 )

My problem was distortion.
Any bass at all is just simply distorted.
Even the louder parts have a brickwalled sound to them.
The edirol was on my lap and I checked it several times
and ( again ) it did not peak at all !?
I made SURE I was line in.

Ideas ? Sugestions ? Thoughts ?

Set up

DPA-4021 > Aerco MP-2 > Edirol R-09HR

R-09HR Line In to Aerco > Input Level on R-09 set at 70 to get to 12 & 6 on front screen

Aerco +20 on the dials

R-09 Limiter OFF
Plug in Power OFF
Low Cut OFF

Mic Gain HIGH

My only thought is becuase I did not see that Mic Gain was switched to high
it caused the distortion?

Hi there,

The Mic Gain switch has no effect at all when you run Line In. It only works with the Mic input.
Anyway, I find it really strange that you set your R-09HR at 70. Specially when you run a preamp before it. I assume the Aerco is a pre. Well, I´ve never went that high with my R-09HR. If I remember correctly, once I set my unit at 65 when that was a 100% acoustic gig and no preamp. When I run my 9100 preamp,  I have to stay in the 40's region on my R-09HR otherwise the recording will clip. And I always set my levels peaking between -20db and -12db. With 24 bit, there's no reason to tape hotter than that.
My 0.00000002 cents.
There got be another thing going wrong with your rig.

[Datfly]

I needed this to get the levels up in the first place....... ?

If My mic gain was set to low ( I thought it was )
I might have needed more ifrom the Aerco if the gain on the R-09 was on low as I had the levels button
set to 70 to get the levels up.

Especially with +20 dB on the Aerco.

[Dede2002]

I needed this to get the levels up in the first place....... ?

If My mic gain was set to low ( I thought it was )
I might have needed more ifrom the Aerco if the gain on the R-09 was on low as I had the levels button
set to 70 to get the levels up.

Especially with +20 dB on the Aerco.

+20db from your preamp? That´s a lot. I´m not familiar with the band you taped, if it´s loud or not. Anyway, if you were feeding your Line input with a +20db load, the R-09HR should be set up at much, much, much lower rec levels to avoid clipping. The strange thing is that you say your levels were OK. Just to give you an idea, whith my preamp at +10db, I have to set my R-09HR's rec levels at 40 maximum ( for medium loud concerts).
Odd 

[Belexes]

I had a similar sitatuation at a loud TOOL concert. Had the ST-9100 at +20 dB and levels on my M1 were at -6 dB and it clipped like crazy. It was overload from the mics > pre and the recorder was fine.  I should have set the gain on my pre much lower.

Does the Aerco have an LED or any indicator to show clipping?

[edtyre]

I run this same rig with the older R-09.
For a loud show i have the Aerco set on +20db
and the R-09 set between 6-9 out of 30

70 out of 80 on the R-09HR doesn't seem right.

Some tapers have been reporting distortion problems recording
at 24/96 on bass heavy loud shows with the R-09HR with good levels.

[Datfly]

I taped at 24 & 88

Looks like I need to do some test on a local band
where I can play around & do some testing.

Any other thoughts!

Datfly

I run this same rig with the older R-09.
For a loud show i have the Aerco set on +20db
and the R-09 set between 6-9 out of 30

70 out of 80 on the R-09HR doesn't seem right.

Some tapers have been reporting distortion problems recording
at 24/96 on bass heavy loud shows with the R-09HR with good levels.

[Dede2002]

IMO the safest thing to do is set your R-09HR at Unity gain: around 50.
Then use your preamp to achieve the desired levels.

[easy jim]

IMO the safest thing to do is set your R-09HR at Unity gain: around 50.
Then use your preamp to achieve the desired levels.

QFT.

Also, are you 100% sure you were not accidentaly plugged into the mic input on the R-09HR instead of the line input?  Running a line level feed into the mic input would also cause that kind of brickwalling, though it wouldn't explain why you needed to increase the gain so much on the R-09HR to get a good level...

[nameloc01]

That would be due to god punishing you for taping Staind.

[Josephine]

I think 70 is an awfully high setting for the R-09HR.
I would expect to use that type of setting at a softer acoustical gig.

[Dede2002]

IMO the safest thing to do is set your R-09HR at Unity gain: around 50.
Then use your preamp to achieve the desired levels.

QFT.

Also, are you 100% sure you were not accidentaly plugged into the mic input on the R-09HR instead of the line input?  Running a line level feed into the mic input would also cause that kind of brickwalling, though it wouldn't explain why you needed to increase the gain so much on the R-09HR to get a good level...

What I don't understand is why the levels were not showing the overload.