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Gear / Technical Help => Ask The Tapers => Topic started by: waltmon on March 24, 2014, 03:49:21 PM

Title: R-4 LEVELS
Post by: waltmon on March 24, 2014, 03:49:21 PM
The R-4 levels aren't especially precise.    How hot can you run without overload...Ive got the Busman Transparency mod...
Title: Re: R-4 LEVELS
Post by: bombdiggity on March 26, 2014, 03:40:14 PM
If the R-4 is like the R-44 you have to keep your eyes on both sets of meters...  It is critical not to bake the pre-amp stage since you can look fine on the big meters but toast the signal before it got there...  You don't want any clipping in the pre-amp (small meter) stage, which is really sort of an idiot light reading, so I set it at the level I can run the larger fine dial all the way up and not be clipping the big meter.  By default that means the pre-amp stage is not clipping.  Ultimately I aim to wind up no higher than -3 on the big meters (though usually it's -6 or lower since the pre-amp moves in 6 db increments).  If you have to turn the fine adjustment down below 3/4 of the max you're likely to be clipping in the pre-amp. 

0 is really 0.  I'm OK with the peak anywhere between -12 and 0 (though hope for -6).  Most of what I record is very quiet and very dynamic so there's always an adjustment in post.