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Gear / Technical Help => Battery Boxes, Preamps, Mixers, ADCs, and Processors => Topic started by: if_then_else on May 31, 2015, 05:23:28 AM
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Hi,
I'm looking into upgrading my current preamp to some Sound Devices mixpre-d. (My current rig is: Line Audio CM3 cardioids -> JuicedLink RM-222 -> Sony M10.)
Just a quick question about the sensitivity of the xlr-inputs on the mixpre-d: When recording moderately loud to excessively loud / bassy stuff (post-rock, post-hardcore, noise rock), would you just need to flip the switch to "line" (instead of "mic")? Or would it be necessary to add an attenuator / pad to the input chain (in order to let phantom power pass through while reducing the input signal by a few dB).
In the latter case: I heard good things about the Triton Audio AirHead (http://tritonaudio.com/index.php?option=com_simpleshop&Itemid=30&cmd=product&product=16&catName=Pro%20Audio). Anybody here got any experience with them?
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I have a MixPre (not D) and use mic attenuators to step it down. I use 20db ones that Naiant built for me, and the dials are pointed at 10 or 11 o'clock at moderately loud/most shows. I use the miniplug out, not the XLRs. Not sure if it makes a difference. The MixPres were designed to be optimally used for spoken word/reporter use, so they make tons of good clean/colorless gain.
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I have a MixPre (not D) and use mic attenuators to step it down. I use 20db ones that Naiant built for me, and the dials are pointed at 10 or 11 o'clock at moderately loud/most shows. I use the miniplug out, not the XLRs. Not sure if it makes a difference. The MixPres were designed to be optimally used for spoken word/reporter use, so they make tons of good clean/colorless gain.
Actually, I was talking about the XLR INs - not about the OUT(s). Apologies, if i didn't make it clear in my first post.
The thing is that I once ruined a recording by using the wrong settings on my JuicedLink pre-amp*. There are three switches/pots on the device that you could vary depending on your subject of recording - and, yes, they were optimized for spoken language / acoustic stuff, too. That's why I'm asking: I just wanted to rule out that sort of "learning curve" with my new mixpre-d.
Would "line in" be enough in order not to oversaturate the pre with bass and sub-bass frequencies or do I have to use attenuators with the mixpre-d?
* For amplified rock show, I have to use (in: MIC, gain: Low) on the RM-222. For super-loud stuff / super sensitive mics it's (in: MIC, gain: High) and I need to adjust the pots accordingly. For spoken-word / acoustic stuff (in: MIC, gain: High) is fine.
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I have a MixPre (not D) and use mic attenuators to step it down. I use 20db ones that Naiant built for me, and the dials are pointed at 10 or 11 o'clock at moderately loud/most shows. I use the miniplug out, not the XLRs. Not sure if it makes a difference. The MixPres were designed to be optimally used for spoken word/reporter use, so they make tons of good clean/colorless gain.
Actually, I was talking about the XLR INs - not about the OUT(s). Apologies, if i didn't make it clear in my first post.
The thing is that I once ruined a recording by using the wrong settings on my JuicedLink pre-amp*. There are three switches/pots on the device that you could vary depending on your subject of recording - and, yes, they were optimized for spoken language / acoustic stuff, too. That's why I'm asking: I just wanted to rule out that sort of "learning curve" with my new mixpre-d.
Would "line in" be enough in order not to oversaturate the pre with bass and sub-bass frequencies or do I have to use attenuators with the mixpre-d?
* For amplified rock show, I have to use (in: MIC, gain: Low) on the RM-222. For super-loud stuff / super sensitive mics it's (in: MIC, gain: High) and I need to adjust the pots accordingly. For spoken-word / acoustic stuff (in: MIC, gain: High) is fine.
Yes, you'll probably need to use the attenuators as mentioned above on the XLR inputs. The MixPre much like my Shure FP24 can overload on the input based on your mic sensitivity. Using an attenuator on the line out would be only necessary if you were overloading the recorders inputs.