Topic: Sonosax MiniR82 Alert

[WiFiJeff]

For all you two or three maybe Sonosax MiniR82 users, the following might be helpful, since Sonosax was not much help to me in figuring this out.  This really ought to be in their manual.

I have been using my MiniR82s since March to record four channels analog-in, and began to notice that when I turned off the preamp feeding inputs 3 and 4, there was still a signal showing up on channel 4, and it was clearly audible and visible on my recordings.  Sonosax explained to me that the inputs for channels 2 and 4 were close together on the circuit board and there was an induced low voltage when no inputs were present on 4 (though how this crosstalk was supposed to go away when the channel 4 input went live is not clear to me).  I then began to notice that the problem seemed to be getting worse, Sonosax gave me no explanation for this and I began to worry about some sort of degradation of the electronics.  On Tuesday, I happened to turn off the preamp for 3 & 4 just before the recording did an auto-file-split, and when I listened to it I heard a distinct beeping on the right channel (4) every second.  I called Sonosax, who confirmed that my suspicion that this was the file-full alarm was correct.  How did it get on my tape?  Oh, it is sent to the headphone output and it seems that the headphone output is also close to the channel 4 input, and since I wasn't monitoring the open circuit had a voltage that led to a signal on channel 4.  They never mentioned this in the four months I had been trying to get help with the crosstalk issue.

I have since confirmed that almost ALL my crosstalk problem is a headphone monitoring issue.  If you are using the MiniR82 analog-in, and not using a headphone, make sure that the headphone volume is turned ALL the way down or is disabled in the menu.  When it's all the way up the signal on channel 4 can be as large as that on channel 2.  I was lucky that I never had the headphone volume up real high, and that my Strauss Packet technique meant the lower omni signal was never in outright opposition to what the cardioid on 4 was hearing.

I am a much relieved taper, and keener than ever on the MiniR82, which is a super machine, though a bit too DIY on the workarounds for its quirks.

Jeff

[George2]

Hmmm, interesting. Not surprised, as these recorders are getting so small. So you are saying don't use the headphone amp?
Then what to monitor?
Sometimes it takes end users to figure out stuff manufactures haven't tested or are known issues they haven't mentioned.

[WiFiJeff]

For me the advantage of the MiniR82 over the R44 or SD788 is size, fits in a pocket.  I only use the headphone output sometimes to check things after the recording is in the can, hence I never thought about what was happening while I was taping.  I'm reasonably good at setting levels and letting it ride, doing mid-side or four-track mixing later in Wavelab.

Jeff