Topic: Anyone else using the tascam dr-1?

[toaster]

After my much beloved M1 started chomping tapes last month i finally made the plunge to the future. I taped my first show this week using my new DR-1 and CSBs. I had the csbs plugged into a -20db attenuator cable and then into the mic input on the dr-1. With the dr-1 set at low gain i was peaking at probably -40 to -30db so i switched it to mid gain and was peaking at -10 or so and thats where i left it for the show.  I have taped at this venue a few times before and i know the show was loud enough (metal show) to get some decent levels. The recording i did get sounds like there is some distortion on louder parts (kind of like brickwalling but not as bad as ive heard my DAT do.) and it definitely didnt sound like that in the room.

I know with my M1 i always had to use the attenuator cable  at risk of brickwalling the M1's mediocre preamp. Im going to be taping a couple sets this weekend with it with my CSBs, so i can experiment a little but im not sure how loud that venue is going to be as ive never been to it. Next week im going to give my MBHO603/ka200n > beyerdynamic mv100 rig a run into the dr-1 so im curious how thats going to end up..


Should i run without the attenuator and set the gain to low with the csbs? Im guessing this is the only way im going to get decent levels out of it, but im scared of the brickwalling that my DAT always left me with in that case...

[brownm84]

I don't own a DR-1 but to avoid distortion I always run at 24/44.1 and set it so my levels are peaking between -20 to -12db.  I can always add more gain in post but I can't take away distortion once its there, plus the extra bits gives some leeway when converting down to 16/44.1 afterward.  If it keeps displaying that tendency maybe try that.

[toaster]

Yea i guess i was just hoping not to have a recorder where i could run the levels the full way up to -2db or so like i could on my m1. I am not one to care about the occasional peak if it makes the master sound that much cleaner IMO (another debate completely :-).

Anywho i have since taped a few more shows with this recorder. I ran it this weekend with the internal mic  set at low gain at an outdoor festival....my CSBs are on the way out so i figured what the heck ill give it a shot. This is the result:

http://www.dimeadozen.org/torrents-details.php?id=216268

A little flat dynamically(that could just be how the mic sounds or a result of the recorder being in my hoodie pocket. but all in all for being a built in mic on a $200 not too shabby. Ive also been able to try out my MBHOs into the line in on the recorder. I used one of the radio shack volume control cables to set the levels since you cant control the line-in recording level on the recorder (major fail tascam!).

http://www.radioshack.com/sm-gold-plated-volume-control-cable-for-stereo-headphones--pi-2102975.html

I was very impressed with how that tape came out. No complaints on that one. I guess my only major battle now is the one with running my core sounds into the recorder... At the moment it looked like leaving them peaking at -20db or so does the trick, but i wish the preamp was a little bit better so i didnt have to do that :-/