Topic: Gain Stages

[iriewsp]

Im going to be running Hamptone HJFP2>AD500e   and was wondering about gain stages.  Ive had the AD500e for years and was thinking about how to set the gain stage of it compared to the HJFP2.  Maybe my thinking is off cause Im thinking about recording in a studio, but Ive always set the first gain stage(that being the channel fader going to tape at unity) then adjusting my mic pre to get the proper levels.  If I set the AD500e at Unity being 0. I dont get much room for my pre.  So Im wondering if I should back up on the ad500e, but if I do that will I be adding some sort of gain stage compression?   I'll be using an assortment of mics (basically whatever I can grab from the mic locker at work)   What do you guys do?  Do you have a set gain on your Pre's and then adjust with your A/Ds?  Or do you set gain on your A/Ds and adjust with your pre's?  Or both?

Thanks
Mike

[Kyle]

From what I understand, you will get the best s/n ratio if you run the AD500 wide open and control your levels from the pre. Please correct me if I am off base......

edit:  Generally, with pre's, it is best to use as little gain as needed.

[F.O.Bean]

From what I understand, you will get the best s/n ratio if you run the AD500 wide open and control your levels from the pre. Please correct me if I am off base......

edit:  Generally, with pre's, it is best to use as little gain as needed.

I kinda feel ya Kyle, I have been running about 20db of pre all summer long with the v3/sax since i nabbed the 722, i think 20db is a good gain stage, anything over it i dont like, and at about 20db of pre stage i have a nice amount of room on the 722 end to get everything just right

[OOK]

Im going to be running Hamptone HJFP2>AD500e   and was wondering about gain stages.  Ive had the AD500e for years and was thinking about how to set the gain stage of it compared to the HJFP2.  Maybe my thinking is off cause Im thinking about recording in a studio, but Ive always set the first gain stage(that being the channel fader going to tape at unity) then adjusting my mic pre to get the proper levels.  If I set the AD500e at Unity being 0. I dont get much room for my pre.  So Im wondering if I should back up on the ad500e, but if I do that will I be adding some sort of gain stage compression?   I'll be using an assortment of mics (basically whatever I can grab from the mic locker at work)   What do you guys do?  Do you have a set gain on your Pre's and then adjust with your A/Ds?  Or do you set gain on your A/Ds and adjust with your pre's?  Or both?

Thanks
Mike

I  take it you will be using AC or did hamptone develop a DC version of their preamp?  If they developed a DC version I just might have to check that out...

[iriewsp]

Im going to be running Hamptone HJFP2>AD500e   and was wondering about gain stages.  Ive had the AD500e for years and was thinking about how to set the gain stage of it compared to the HJFP2.  Maybe my thinking is off cause Im thinking about recording in a studio, but Ive always set the first gain stage(that being the channel fader going to tape at unity) then adjusting my mic pre to get the proper levels.  If I set the AD500e at Unity being 0. I dont get much room for my pre.  So Im wondering if I should back up on the ad500e, but if I do that will I be adding some sort of gain stage compression?   I'll be using an assortment of mics (basically whatever I can grab from the mic locker at work)   What do you guys do?  Do you have a set gain on your Pre's and then adjust with your A/Ds?  Or do you set gain on your A/Ds and adjust with your pre's?  Or both?

Thanks
Mike

I  take it you will be using AC or did hamptone develop a DC version of their preamp?  If they developed a DC version I just might have to check that out...

Yea AC.   No DC version yet.  Someone should do a mod.


Thanks for the input guys.  I thought that would be the proper way to go about it, but was just a little amazed at the low gain set on the Pre.