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Author Topic: A couple of newb questions  (Read 7374 times)

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Offline nulldogmas

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Re: A couple of newb questions
« Reply #15 on: May 17, 2017, 09:42:36 PM »
So "you can't restore bass once you roll it off" isn't quite right — you might as well argue that rolling off bass is necessary because you can't restore treble that isn't recorded.

Maybe I am misinterpreting this, but I don't think it is really accurate.  Bass roll-off doesn't have any effect on higher frequencies, at least not in absolute terms, whereas it definitely reduces the low frequency content (both absolutely and relatively).  Depending on the corner and slope, you could lose some low frequency content to an extent that EQ'ing it back in would be difficult/impossible (particularly when coupled with proximity effects from directional microphones or with microphones that don't have good low frequency response to begin with).

You're misinterpreting this. If you roll off the bass, you have less overall signal, and therefore can turn up the gain more without clipping. More gain, more higher-frequency signal.

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For the OP, given the sensitivity of those mics, you can probably go either mic-in (on low) or line-in for most shows.  According to the specs, there is an 8 dBu difference at the "default input level" (whatever that may be), so there is probably a pretty big overlap between the two.  If it is really loud, go line, and if it is really quiet, go mic...

Agreed. With the CA14 cards and an M10 (different mic and recorder, I know), my rule of thumb is "if I feel like I need earplugs, go line in, otherwise go mic in."

Online aaronji

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Re: A couple of newb questions
« Reply #16 on: May 18, 2017, 06:28:27 AM »
You're misinterpreting this. If you roll off the bass, you have less overall signal, and therefore can turn up the gain more without clipping. More gain, more higher-frequency signal.

That's not the same thing as, "you might as well argue that rolling off bass is necessary because you can't restore treble that isn't recorded."  With the HPF, you are recording less information in total but the same amount of treble.  I don't see why you would opt for the blunt object of the roll-off, losing information at the recorder, when you can easily, and much more precisely, EQ away low frequency content you don't want (and/or add gain in higher frequencies where you think it is needed) on the computer...

Online aaronji

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Re: A couple of newb questions
« Reply #17 on: May 18, 2017, 09:48:55 AM »
^ I guess it depends a lot on the specifics of the filter and what is being recorded.  On the small recorders I have owned, the filtering has been WAY too aggressive.  The low-cut on the Sony PCM-M10, for example, "starts at 200Hz, 24dB/Octave filter, effects both Mic and Line input".  Even with mics with good low frequency response (such as DPA 4060), that's quite a lot.  Dynamic range isn't a big concern, so it is better (for what I tape) to record it all and EQ the crud at the bottom that I don't want... 

Offline nulldogmas

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Re: A couple of newb questions
« Reply #18 on: May 18, 2017, 11:40:49 PM »
Oh, yeah, the only times I've used a bass filter has been on a battery box that allowed a steady rolloff. And that was before I had a 24-bit recorder like an M10, where I can record lots of bits all over the place and EQ out what I don't need.

Just saying that bass rolloff isn't totally useless under all situations. If you use it in tandem with gain, it's a quick and dirty way to do some EQ before the signal gets recorded, if that's useful to you.

 

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