Topic: attenuation - where/how is the best way..?

[macdaddy]

i use the akg c422, and alot of times i find myself needing to attenuate the signal, and i have been using the pad on the mic. then i read this:

Thus any built-in pads of that type (which, as I said, are the most common type) should never be used unless they are needed to prevent the microphone itself  from overloading.

oops. well i understand the logic, that you are adding noise, and so that leaves me with two options: using the -20db pad on the tmod-p2 (the recorder i use), or using those shure a15as inline attenuators i have. specifically, will the use of one provide better sonic results, or are they the same..? obviously, i would rather run the pad on the p2 'cos it is less gear, but if there are sonic advantages to using the shures, i would use those instead...

thanks, in advance, for any advice, information and insight.

[Roger Gustavsson]

You need to find out where the overloading apear. If your microphones are overloading, you need to use the built-in pad (-10 or -20dB). The output of the microphone is 5mV/Pa (94dB) and that is on the low side. What kind of gain is provided by your mic preamp? Maybe you what input level it can take?

Roger