Have you considered running SBD to the RCA's on the back and running your own mics to the XLR's on the front then using UA5 Digi out to feed your recorder then serving as a bit bucket? This allows for a nice mix of audience/venue ambience along with the stale SBD and could make the recording more like the actual venue experience.
I had been considering this but I'm not keen on commiting myself to a mix that would basically be done blind (or, indeed, deaf). I've got a couple of spare recorders so will probably do a separate mics-only recording and will then mix them together in post. I've done similar things in past so I'm prepared for the syncing issues. If I'm there early enough and can get permission, I might try to do the support act as an all-UA5 mics+SBD mix.
Busman mod does not disable the front 1/4' inputs. bm2p+ mod: "phantom power caps, input caps and op amps are replaced for detail and speed from a transparent like pre. UA-5 mods are made to send a good signal on the analog outputs just like you would get with the inputs." You didn't state what you are recording to.
Thanks for that - I'd been trawling the Team UA-5 threads for a definitive description of the Busman mods but the original thread with this info seems to have been deleted. I'm intending to go digi out to a Rockboxed Iriver h120 so the analogue>digital>analogue signal path shouldn't be an issue.
The front inputs may not offer you enough control over the input. The RCA inputs offer you the ability to turn the signal down as low as you want or even off. The XLR inputs will not.
This is exactly what I'm worried about. I've taped from this board several times in the past and always had to use an attenuator when going into my old Microtrack (not the best benchmark, I know). You don't happen to know if there are any specs available to show what levels the various inputs can take, post-mod?
And thank you to everyone who has chimed in - much appreciated.