Topic: Microtrack 24/96 Soundboard Recording

[raindv]

I primarily tape from the Board and have had problems with the Microtrack running too hot.

At some venues, its not a problem as I run 1/4inch outs of a seperate bus, where I can control the volume of the output. At others they only have RCA outs, OR they have a 1/4 inch out thats runnig the headphone mix - the last two shows Ive taped (at different venues) have been from the board - the prolem is that occasionally the sound guy would check a particular instrument. Every time this happened I would get a signal, where the instrument being checked was very loud in the mix, and everything else was muted.

So! I need a way to take the RCA outs from these boards and knock it down the signal down a few deciblels before it hits my 1/4inch ins on the Microtrack. The cheaper the solution is, the better

I know this has been discussed before - I remember seeing a thread over a year ago on it, but I cant find the answer using the Search function.

Any help would be appreciated!

[cleantone]

RCA outs are normally "tape out" or "record out" and normally have thier own trim pot. Any monitor output with have that issue with the soloing of instruments if they use headphones, a wedge, or use the meters for input gain on a given channel. If you have proper adapters and permission, most non small consoles have a second output you could use. Matrix outputs, a second mix bus, or a unused group output.

[raindv]

Unfortunately there are two venues in town with RCA but no unique trim pot.

[willndmb]

well depending on what you have for cables you mightr be able to do this
SBD (RCA) > attenuator cable > MT (1/4)
i did this froma board into a video camera and got good results, the attenuator cable was $25

[JayinKC]

You need this:
http://www.core-sound.com/attenuator-cables/1.php

I had the same problem running RCA out (tape out) that was too hot for my D8 until I got this cable.

Jay

[willndmb]

thats basically the cable i got
i got it from cascade, its a micmadness cable

[Church-Audio]

I primarily tape from the Board and have had problems with the Microtrack running too hot.

At some venues, its not a problem as I run 1/4inch outs of a seperate bus, where I can control the volume of the output. At others they only have RCA outs, OR they have a 1/4 inch out thats runnig the headphone mix - the last two shows Ive taped (at different venues) have been from the board - the prolem is that occasionally the sound guy would check a particular instrument. Every time this happened I would get a signal, where the instrument being checked was very loud in the mix, and everything else was muted.

So! I need a way to take the RCA outs from these boards and knock it down the signal down a few deciblels before it hits my 1/4inch ins on the Microtrack. The cheaper the solution is, the better

I know this has been discussed before - I remember seeing a thread over a year ago on it, but I cant find the answer using the Search function.

Any help would be appreciated!

The reason why you were getting a signal with just bass or just guitar was well... The soundman was a knob and he gave you a headphone output or control room out, instead of a aux out or left right out. So when he hit the solo button or the PFL button on his mixer when he was monitoring thru headphones he you heard what ever channel he soloed louder. Next time if you can make sure you get a left right mix from a matrix output or an Aux output if he has two that he can do a left right on, or a tape out but never go control room out or you will end up with this. Good sound engineers mix with headphones just to listen to a problem then they go back to the P.A and listen to the room.

PFL stands for pre fade listen.

In the heat of the battle its often very hard to know where to go out of on a console, but the most important question to ask a front of house guy besides getting his permission to record is. Will this feed be coming right from the left and right house mix? You do not want to get your mix from a PFL buss you want left and right directly pre house eq.That way he can do what he wants to, and you can get a mix that is more like the real deal.

It is always a fine line your getting a feed from the mixer that's a big deal as it is, so sometimes you need to just take what you can get.
Remember to buy him a beer or pat him on the back, and tell him how great it sounds that always goes along way to getting what you need that night with out any hassles. As a front of house sound engineer I am going to be nice to the guy that treats me with respect, and I will be a dick to the one that does not.

Ps.... Good luck if there is anything about my long winded explanation you need me to elaborate on let me know.

Chris Church