Topic: ua-5 jb3 svu-2

[Brian Skalinder]

FWIW, here's what I did:

• created a white noise playback file; didn't care about the specific dB level, but it was somewhere between -6 and 0 dBFS
• played back (looped) the white noise file from my PC to my stereo (one could also burn to CD for playback on the stereo)
• set up my recording gear as I would in the field, with both mics directly in front of one of my speakers, so they occupy as close to a single point as possible
• connected the digital output of the UA5 to my PC's soundcard
• started recording on my PC (probably using Adobe Audition at the time, but Audacity or Wavelab or any other recording s/w that allows you to monitor levels will work)
• while monitoring the levels in my PC recording s/w, adjusted the L channel levels on the UA5 until they were just a hair below 0 dBFS
• adjusted the SVU-x L channel accordingly;  FWIW, I ignored the level #s on the SVU-x and set the "highest" LED so that it triggered just a hair below 0 dBFS on my PC recording software
• while monitoring the levels in my PC recording s/w, adjusted the R channel levels on the UA5 until they were just a hair below 0 dBFS
• adjusted the SVU-x R channel accordingly;  FWIW, I ignored the level #s on the SVU-x and set the "highest" LED so that it triggered at just a hair below 0 dBFS on my PC recording software

[willndmb]

FWIW, here's what I did:

• created a white noise playback file; didn't care about the specific dB level, but it was somewhere between -6 and 0 dBFS
• played back (looped) the white noise file from my PC to my stereo (one could also burn to CD for playback on the stereo)
• set up my recording gear as I would in the field, with both mics directly in front of one of my speakers, so they occupy as close to a single point as possible
• connected the digital output of the UA5 to my PC's soundcard
• started recording on my PC (probably using Adobe Audition at the time, but Audacity or Wavelab or any other recording s/w that allows you to monitor levels will work)
• while monitoring the levels in my PC recording s/w, adjusted the L channel levels on the UA5 until they were just a hair below 0 dBFS
• adjusted the SVU-x L channel accordingly;  FWIW, I ignored the level #s on the SVU-x and set the "highest" LED so that it triggered just a hair below 0 dBFS on my PC recording software
• while monitoring the levels in my PC recording s/w, adjusted the R channel levels on the UA5 until they were just a hair below 0 dBFS
• adjusted the SVU-x R channel accordingly;  FWIW, I ignored the level #s on the SVU-x and set the "highest" LED so that it triggered at just a hair below 0 dBFS on my PC recording software

thats basically what i did too
good breakdown explanation

[Javit]

^^ So my question is..... was the source I used for my white noise, at 0db?  It appears to be but I need to be sure.  Here's what I did...

Created that .wav file at about 1:30 and burned it to a CD.  Put the CD in my DVD player.  Used the RCA outs of the DVD player and put it into the SVU... hit play... calibrated levels to 0.   

Now I assume that's all good IF my white noise file was at 0db....

[Brian Skalinder]

^^ So my question is..... was the source I used for my white noise, at 0db?  It appears to be but I need to be sure.

Yes, the white noise file you created looks to me like it's at 0 dBFS.  But it doesn't matter.  More below...

Here's what I did...

Created that .wav file at about 1:30 and burned it to a CD.  Put the CD in my DVD player.  Used the RCA outs of the DVD player and put it into the SVU... hit play... calibrated levels to 0.   

Now I assume that's all good IF my white noise file was at 0db....

Definitely not all good.  What you've done above is calibrate your SVU-x to the output levels of your DVD player.  You need to calibrate your SVU-x to the UA5 while it's recording.  If you have a soundcard with digital input, try the steps I outlined above.  If not...well, you need to have some way of monitoring the UA5's record levels while recording, -aside- from the SVU-x, so you then may calibrate the SVU-x meters to the UA5's record levels.  Instead of a computer with a digital input soundcard, you could use a DAT recorder's meters to monitor the UA5 levels and calibrate the SVU-x.

[Javit]

^^ Thanks.  This is getting hairy now as I don't have all the equip to do that.

I don't have a good stereo system.  Nor do I have a DAT Deck handy to monitor my levels.  I'm screwed.   AND I have a concert this Sunday in Ohio.  Sweet.

[Brian Skalinder]

^^ Thanks.  This is getting hairy now as I don't have all the equip to do that.

I don't have a good stereo system.  Nor do I have a DAT Deck handy to monitor my levels.  I'm screwed.   AND I have a concert this Sunday in Ohio.  Sweet.

You don't need a good stereo system to it.  Any old stereo, even a POS boombox, will do.  Burn the white noise WAV to CD as you did before.  Set up everything as I describe in my previous post.  And if you don't have a soundcard with digital-input or a DAT recorder, you could hook up the UA5 to your PC via USB to monitor the levels while you calibrate.

[willndmb]

worse comes to worse, get it close for now
you can do that by watching the peak light on your ua5, it comes on around -3, -2 db
so if you see the light flickering and you svu light is set at -3 you will be close enough not to ruin your recording

[china_rider]

I've got to say I'm lucky... my SVU1 out of the box was dead nuts on for my UA5/JB3 and close enough it does not need adjusting for the R-4 espically since I run lower levels at 24bit.  Went through all of the callibrating but never needed to change anything.

[rowjimmytour]

^^ Thanks.  This is getting hairy now as I don't have all the equip to do that.

I don't have a good stereo system.  Nor do I have a DAT Deck handy to monitor my levels.  I'm screwed.   AND I have a concert this Sunday in Ohio.  Sweet.

I did this once and when I was at the 1/st show after I calibrated my SVU-1 this way I found my levels brickwalling big time. I had to adjust my levels on the fly w/ the UA5 light but luckily this was the during the open act. Hope never to do this again.
Peace