Topic: mono SBD feed > R-44

[jibooer]

Hey pholks...might not be the best thread but I have to pick somebody's brain.
It's been decades since I have grabbed a sbd feed, that I seem to have forgotten the fundamentals.
Last night I got a mono feed, and ran it directly into my R-44. The levels were obscenely low, even when I cranked the gain all the way.
The result is a tinny mess almost barren of any low-end.
So, my questions are - what did I do wrong? What can I do to fix it?

I know that most board feeds are mono, but this was shite. Even when I boosted it in Wavelab, the result is crap and I am disappointed that I can't matrix it with my NBob's.


Thx in advance.

[LikeASong]

Did you crack up the gain in the recorder or in the desk? Maybe the output feed was set too low in the desk itself... I can be COMPLETELY WRONG, huh? But I don't think it has to do much with mono/stereo, but with the sbd feed itself. Also, was it a small venue? SBDs use to suffer from a strong lack of guitars and drums in the mix (small venues get enough guitar, bass and drums naturally without needing to feed them on the PA)...

[adrianf74]

I will say that whatever was being fed from the board's output was way too low.  I can't speak to the R-44 as I've only used a 680 but I normally have the 680 levels set where I want them so if I come across this, I'll ask the board op to give me some more juice.

Matrixing a stereo recording with a mono board feed will often sound a little whack (especially if it's a small room) so I'd be more inclined to 'avoid' the board feed altogether (but that's just me).

[F.O.Bean]

I will say that whatever was being fed from the board's output was way too low.  I can't speak to the R-44 as I've only used a 680 but I normally have the 680 levels set where I want them so if I come across this, I'll ask the board op to give me some more juice.

Matrixing a stereo recording with a mono board feed will often sound a little whack (especially if it's a small room) so I'd be more inclined to 'avoid' the board feed altogether (but that's just me).

I agree. The SBD was feeding you way too low level wise. I would forgo using the SBD feed at all, as long as your aud sounds decent enough

[jibooer]

Thx all, you have collectively reaffirmed my suspicions...
It was a small venue and the soundman did say that the guitars were going to be 'thin' , but I didn't think that thin. Now I know why I always avoid the board feeds....
Well, chalk another one to experience. Much appreciated.

[adrianf74]

Thx all, you have collectively reaffirmed my suspicions...
It was a small venue and the soundman did say that the guitars were going to be 'thin' , but I didn't think that thin. Now I know why I always avoid the board feeds....
Well, chalk another one to experience. Much appreciated.

I wouldn't say you should avoid board feeds completely.  They do have their uses.  I recorded a smaller singer/songwriter/guitarist type a year ago at a venue that holds less than 100 people.  The artist hooked me up with a board feed but the sound tech could only give me 1 channel (but the house sound was mono, anyhow) so I just duplicated the channel when I did the matrix.  The mix was maybe 70% ambient, 30% board and it did help give the vocals a bit of an upfront boost in the mix.

Board feeds are not something you can 100% rely on, though.   I've had more than enough crap ones over the years.

[shownomarcy]

I dont know R-44, but I'd ask first if you checked it input level? Was it ok? Like above -12 db, so not too low and was the result bad in spite of that?

[jibooer]

The desk was an Allen & Heath GL2800-32 Mixing Console, not too fancy, and does a great job for that particular size of venue which has performances every night of the week. The fellas that man the station, however, really are hit and miss. This particular evening I got the fella who was not interested in the least if I had a good signal or not, and he basically set the levels on the board and walked away. Such is the game...

-12 dB, I wish. The levels did barely rise past -30 on my level meter on the R-44 after I added all the gain possible. I imagine even if I was to get a hotter signal it would still sound like an .mp3 copied onto a type 1 cassette.

As I said before, chalk it up to experience, and the next time I will bust his balls and tell him to deliver the heat.

[bugg100]

are you sure the inner knob (digital attenuation) was set at 12 noon in its rotation?

if not that, your feed was too low. what was the board output you were plugged into?

and if it really was low levels on that output, have you bought the sound guy a beer or shared a joint? it never hurts to "socially engineer" a little!

better luck next time.
Joe

[jibooer]

Thx Joe. Nope everything was running properly except my attention to the sbd feed he was sending. No worries I just will have fodder to give him the business next time.