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Gear / Technical Help => Battery Boxes, Preamps, Mixers, ADCs, and Processors => Topic started by: satiricalwonder on January 15, 2008, 03:43:24 PM

Title: is my minime defective?!
Post by: satiricalwonder on January 15, 2008, 03:43:24 PM
I did some recordings of relatively quiet sound sources (piano, guitar) with the Apogee mini-me, which was fine, and then eventually I tried it with 184s in xy as drum overheads and even 10 feet away at minimum gain the pre's were overloading! WAY TOO HOT!! Is this normal? I could actually hear the pre's overloading when the converters were not. Would you recommend using the shure inline pads (http://www.shure.com/ProAudio/Products/Accessories/us_pro_A15AS_content)?

Please help! I am uncomfortable using this unit in a paid gig now that I saw it overload with 0 gain, drums or no drums.

I don't know what do to and don't have money to invest in good pre's to use with this box. I thought it would be all in one (as far as good pre's and good conversion). :-[
Title: Re: is my minime defective?!
Post by: Tim on January 15, 2008, 03:51:16 PM
there are internal jumpers that will shift the pres from high-gain to low-gain. It's been a few years since I sold mine but I believe it shipped in "high-gain"

it's very simple to do
Title: Re: is my minime defective?!
Post by: easy jim on January 15, 2008, 03:55:46 PM
there are internal jumpers that will shift the pres from high-gain to low-gain. It's been a few years since I sold mine but I believe it shipped in "high-gain"

it's very simple to do

Good call.  It's probably the jumpers being set to high gain.  You may also want to check the mini-trim screws for each channel recessed under the gain knobs.  For them, you'll need a jeweler's screwdriver to make adjustments.
Title: Re: is my minime defective?!
Post by: satiricalwonder on January 15, 2008, 04:00:16 PM
thank you so much for your comments. i was quite weary of using anything in the signal chain before the preamp.

as soon as i get off work i'm gonna check out the jumper situation. my fingers are crossed that you are right!
Title: Re: is my minime defective?!
Post by: stirinthesauce on January 15, 2008, 05:31:24 PM
thank you so much for your comments. i was quite weary of using anything in the signal chain before the preamp.

as soon as i get off work i'm gonna check out the jumper situation. my fingers are crossed that you are right!

yup, most likely the jumpers.  they are an easy swap, takes 10 minutes to pop the top, switch them back and pop the top back on.
Title: Re: is my minime defective?!
Post by: danlynch on January 15, 2008, 06:23:38 PM
Anyone have a jpg of the top-popped mini-me to point out the jumpers?

My unit is pretty damned hot, which wasn't a problem until the Neumann's went to get serviced and the 4021s went directly into the Mini-me.  I had used the -10dB pads on the 150s and never peaked.  Without the pad, any loud show has the potential to be a problem.
Title: Re: is my minime defective?!
Post by: JasonSobel on January 15, 2008, 06:32:57 PM
Anyone have a jpg of the top-popped mini-me to point out the jumpers?

My unit is pretty damned hot, which wasn't a problem until the Neumann's went to get serviced and the 4021s went directly into the Mini-me.  I had used the -10dB pads on the 150s and never peaked.  Without the pad, any loud show has the potential to be a problem.


look on page 23-24 of the manual:
http://taperssection.com/index.php/topic,37962.0.html (http://taperssection.com/index.php/topic,37962.0.html)
Title: Re: is my minime defective?!
Post by: danlynch on January 15, 2008, 07:34:28 PM
Thanks Jason.
Title: Re: is my minime defective?!
Post by: kbergend on January 15, 2008, 11:43:51 PM

My unit is pretty damned hot, which wasn't a problem until the Neumann's went to get serviced and the 4021s went directly into the Mini-me.  I had used the -10dB pads on the 150s and never peaked.  Without the pad, any loud show has the potential to be a problem.

You can say that again!  ;)
Title: Re: is my minime defective?!
Post by: satiricalwonder on January 16, 2008, 07:18:14 AM
I wasn't able to deal with the issue last night because unfortunately I didn't have a hex driver. Could anybody tell me the size I need to have to open the Mini-me? If it comes down to it I'll just pick up a few different ones at home depot later.

Thanks again!
Title: Re: is my minime defective?!
Post by: silentmark on January 16, 2008, 07:53:44 AM
there are internal jumpers that will shift the pres from high-gain to low-gain. It's been a few years since I sold mine but I believe it shipped in "high-gain"

it's very simple to do

Good call.  It's probably the jumpers being set to high gain.  You may also want to check the mini-trim screws for each channel recessed under the gain knobs.  For them, you'll need a jeweler's screwdriver to make adjustments.

Sounds like the jumpers set to high gain and Tim is correct it is shipped with them set to "high." Once you crack the minime open you might need a pair of tweezers to remove and replace them as they are tiny from what I recall.

You shouldn't have to touch the screw pots under the gain knobs unless you are running another preamp in front and bypassing the pre's of the minime. Easyjim is right that you will need a jewler's screwdriver or something similar to adjust these pots if that is indeed your setup, good luck !
Title: Re: is my minime defective?!
Post by: jlykos on January 16, 2008, 09:38:02 AM
I wasn't able to deal with the issue last night because unfortunately I didn't have a hex driver. Could anybody tell me the size I need to have to open the Mini-me? If it comes down to it I'll just pick up a few different ones at home depot later.

Thanks again!

You can get a pack of like 8 Allen wrenches at Home Depot for about $4.  While you are there, you may also want to get some rubber-tipped tweezers to remove the jumpers because they are tiny, as I recall.  Really easy to do, however.  Good luck!
Title: Re: is my minime defective?!
Post by: Charlie Miller on January 17, 2008, 12:51:02 PM
I remember opening up my minime and finding the jumpers without too much effort.
Title: Re: is my minime defective?!
Post by: Tim on January 17, 2008, 01:00:45 PM
yeah I think they are fairly obvious. 2 white jumpers if I recall...