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Gear / Technical Help => Ask The Tapers => Topic started by: ssickman on May 24, 2013, 02:00:20 AM
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I haven't done much taping recently, however I have committed myself to recording an upcoming Taylor Swift concert for my daughter. I had used the Core-Sound PDAudio system for many years but I began having problems with the iPAQ a while back so a month ago I bought a Sony PCM M10. I have mostly used it for recording some lectures using the onboard mics so far, but would like to use it with my 4061 mics for this show. I always used the 4061's with the Mic2496 in the past, so I pulled out my battery box and replaced the battery since it still had the original battery in it. I should be good to go, but my question is what settings would be appropriate to use on the M10 for a show and large venue like this? I will be directly left of the stage, first section right off of the floor. I have read through several threads and it appears the safest thing to do is to use the line in. Since I can't do much in the way of experimenting beforehand, I was hoping there was someone out there that could basically give me the best settings to use for this combination. Can I use the mic input on low sensitivity or should I go with the line input? I'll be in stealth mode so I'm not sure I'll really be able to adjust the record level easily and would rather not be fumbling around with everything. Is there a stock setting that will work for me this go around? Any other guidance on the system settings for the M10 you could pass along would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Steve
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I have no idea how loud that show might be, but definitely not loud enough to distort the mic input with 4061s (~ 138 dBSPL)...
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I taped a show very loud rock show in a club with dpa/bb/pcm-m10 3 weeks ago...
If you don't want to check levels while recording going line in with 5-6/10 through the battery box should work fine to get peaks around -10 to -15 dB at a really loud concert. Use 48/24 and raise volume in post processing.
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Don't worry about being too stealthy at a Taylor Swift concert. 18,000 girls will be holding up their cellphones taking photos and video.
Another 2000 will be flashing their point-and-shoot cameras--which is what security will think your PCM-M10 is, especially if you stroll in with it in a camera pouch.
It is going to be loud. I would go Line-in as long as you are sure the battery box is still working. (Check it with your stereo cranked up before the show.) Taylor Swift should also have opening acts that your daughter won't care about, so you can do some level-setting with them. Of course, the headliner always gets a few extra decibels, so stay on the conservative side. And make sure the Limiter is on under Menu/Detail Menu. The music shouldn't max out the PCM-M10, but the screams might.
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I always do a dry run through the home system just make make sure everything works. I does not help with concert level volume, but at least you will know if the signal path works
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It is practically impossible to overload the M10 line input with 4061s. The input can handle ~ 24 dBu (per guysonic); 4061s would generate that kind of signal at ~ 160 dBSPL. Considering that the mics themselves clip at around 144 dBSPL, you'll clip the mics long before the recorder. I can't recall exactly what the usable gain on the M10 is, but I seem to remember reading it is about 15 dB. So even at the mics' maximum output level, you'd still be hard-pressed to clip the recorder. Of course, no show reaches that kind of ridiculous, ear-bleeding level...
I would be more worried about getting good levels, going line-in, without a pre-amp (Sony says the minimum line input level is 500 mV).