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Gear / Technical Help => Recording Gear => Topic started by: SClassical on July 27, 2010, 04:17:55 PM

Title: Using 722 with external preamp
Post by: SClassical on July 27, 2010, 04:17:55 PM
Has anyone tried using the 722 with Millennia HV-3C?

This is the manual for the HV-3C:
http://www.mil-media.com/pdf/ManualWebHV-3C.pdf

What is the best gain setting for my 722 so both recorder and preamp are calibrated. I plan to set my recorder to -5dB (like I would for my V3) is that correct?

Thanks a lot!
Title: Re: Using 722 with external preamp
Post by: dennisrtyler on July 27, 2010, 05:09:48 PM
i would set the 722 to 0db on the gain and push it all from the pre. no reason to be adding or taking away gain via the 722 unless you cant get enough gain from the pre alone.
Title: Re: Using 722 with external preamp
Post by: page on July 27, 2010, 06:35:35 PM
i would set the 722 to 0db on the gain and push it all from the pre. no reason to be adding or taking away gain via the 722 unless you cant get enough gain from the pre alone.

i think he's trying to line up the digital signal from the HV3C with the digital signal the 722 generates. As I understand it, the V3's ADC runs hotter then the 722s, so people typically turn down the line in on the 722 so it hits 0 where the V3 hits 0 and you could look at either set of meters and get an idea of whats going on (or if you had digital patchers, they would get the same levels).

As far as the HV3C, it's max analog out is +32dbu, and the max signal a 722's ADC can accept is (I think) +26 (dbu I think, dunno). So assuming that the HV3C's adc runs at +32dbu, then I'd knock all 6db out of the 722 that you can. Someone needs to check my math and the related figures, but thats how I see it.

Feeding a tone to the HV3C sent to the 722 in digi-mode and then the same tone to the HV3C to the 722 in analog would tell you.
Title: Re: Using 722 with external preamp
Post by: SClassical on July 27, 2010, 06:48:06 PM
I was actually reading this post:

http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=80074.msg1066556#msg1066556

And thought of calibrating the 2 together. So when the HV-3C red LED goes on when the output signal reaches +25dBu the 722 will also reach the top red LED.

So for your situation you usually don't calibrate the external preamp and recorder, but adjust the HV-3C gain while looking at the 722 meters (with the 722 set at "0" gain)? Is there a downside for reducing the 722 gain? I know it will alter the signal path...is it best to keep the 722 gain at 0 all the time whatever the external preamp is and adjust the levels from the preamp while looking at the meters from the recorder?

I don't know...what will be best thing to do...To keep the 722 at 0dB or to set it as -5 or -6dB?
Title: Re: Using 722 with external preamp
Post by: it-goes-to-eleven on July 27, 2010, 08:00:20 PM
I don't know...what will be best thing to do...To keep the 722 at 0dB or to set it as -5 or -6dB?

Easy.. Do whatever sounds best with your specific gear combination.  There is no other answer that matters.