Topic: my virgin taping / SP-CMC-2 > SP-SPSB-8 > iRiver h120 (w/ rockbox) questions

[CStap]

after some lengthy research, I have finally selected (and ordered) all the equipment i need for my first audio rig  i will be performing my  first stealth taping in 21 days  and I have a quick question (or four) :

 I have installed the rockbox firmware successfully on my iRiver h120, and i just ordered the SP CMC-2 mics (http://www.soundprofessionals.com/cgi-bin/gold/item/SP-CMC-2)  and the SPSB-8 b-box with bass rolloff...

I have four questions :

1) In the recording settings on the iRiver, I was wondering about the AGC ...I have no idea what to set it to, and I would like to avoid fumbling with the settings as much as possible when at the venue.  I assume that should put it on "Live (slow)", but I'm not 100% sure.
The show i will be recording will be in a small, indoor venue, and the artists I will be recording is a band called Devotchka...they are a rock/synth band, if that helps....also, what about the AGC clip time?

2)should i set the bass rolloff to 95 or 107?

3) has anyone else used this rig ( SP-CMC-2 > SP-SPSB-8 > iRiver h120 ) ?  if so, are there any tips /tricks i need to know?

and 4) i'm not a very tall dude...in fact, i'm pretty short (5'7). My original intent was to place the mics on my collar, but after some consideration, i'm thinking about putting them on the inside bill of a baseball hat...Are there any other suggestions for us vertically challenged cats?

Thank you in advance for any help...This site rocks face

[willyjbrown]

That is actually the exact rig I bought in July. For my first taping rig, it's been great. I don't know how serious I'll get since the majority of my work is stealth, but it's definitely a great package for the price in my opinion. In answer to your questions:

1) AGC? I'm fairly new at this stuff as well, so maybe I'm just missing the lingo.....
2) I've been told by people on here and a sales rep at Sound Professionals that you really don't need the bass rolloff unless the bass is overwhelmingly loud. With that being said, I got the bass rolloff anyways just in case I needed it down the road. I've taped every show at 69hz and each have had perfect amounts of bass. Off the top of my head, I think 70 hz is the frequency of bass that your body responds to or something? Anyways, I've got amphitheater, bar, club, and theater tapes that all sound fine with 69 hz set on the bass rolloff.
3) One thing I learned the hard way: I was open-taping a friend's band at a local bar when the h120 continuously red-lined every few minutes. When it did that, the red light would stay on for 5 seconds or so, no levels would be showing, and the recording timer would freeze. I thought something was going wrong so I was constantly checking connections, then unplugging and plugging stuff. I listened to the recording that night and everything sounded fine, except for when I unplugged something and then plugged it back in. Don't ask me why it sometimes does this, but unless it goes minutes (rather than 5 seconds) doing this, don't freak out.
4) We don't like to discuss stealth tactics on here since it's an open board. Send me a PM and we'll talk about this and any other questions/comments you have. I'll do my best to help since I have the same rig, but I think others may be better at answering your more technical questions.

[beefstew]

AGC = Automatic Gain Control

[CStap]

So,

What should i set my AGC to?

[hyperplane]

1) I would set the AGC option to 'OFF' (or whatever equivalent wording). I believe petur (the rockbox developer who is also here) described that it's like a "safety net" so one doesn't encounter clipping in a recording. But regardless, it's not a bad idea to turn that option off.

2) As for bass rolloff, the 69 Hz setting is fine for most events. I often have used the 95 Hz, or the 107 Hz settings... but usually, at either of those settings, I end up boosting the bass a little bit in post production using Adobe Audtion or whatever.

3) The anomoly that willyjbrown mentions--with the recording level meters "disappearing" for 5 to 15 seconds, while the red light on the iriver turns on--is normal. During this time period, the iriver is writing the information from the 'RAM' to the hard disk drive. Don't fall to tempation... leave the iriver alone if you don't see level meters and wait for 30 seconds before doing something (like stopping the recording, or unplugging the mics)!

4)  PMs are your friend.

[CStap]

thanks for all your help

i apologize for question 4 in the original post...i promise never to do it again