Topic: Plugging it in

[ChristiaanW]

Hi,

I asked a band if they would be cool with me recording the show and they told me it was fine, I was planning on using just my Zoom but they actually allowed me to plug in to the soundboard. The only problem is: I don't know what equipment to use. Who's got any experiences with this? I was planning on plugging it in to my laptop, but what software should I use and what kind of converter plug do i need from the soundboard to my macbook?

[bryonsos]

Stickies are your friend. This one is at the top of the cable forum:

http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=14253.0

[F.O.Bean]

Good job Byron

[SmokinJoe]

All the Zoom boxes I'm familiar with (H2,H4,H4N) don't like a really hot signal from the soundboard.  They need something like 50db attenuation.  Experience has shown if you turn the gain way down on the Zoom, looking at the meters will think you are getting a nice feed which isn't clipping, but when you listen to it, it's terribly distorted.  It's called "brickwalling" internally.

The other thing is that most SBD feeds from small clubs are terrible to listen to alone.  It's mostly just vocals and kick drum mixed up the middle.  The days of the fantastic board feeds from GD and The Radiators, mixed just for the purpose of taping, those are a thing of the past.  If I have a choice of AUD or SBD, I'll take AUD.  if I can get both, I'll take both into a 4 track recorder and use some of the SBD to make the vocals sound crispy, and that's what I do at 90% of the shows I go to.  But it's pretty rare that any of my tapes have more than 50% SBD.  That only happens if the place is so chatty the AUD really sucks.

[acidjack]

All the Zoom boxes I'm familiar with (H2,H4,H4N) don't like a really hot signal from the soundboard.  They need something like 50db attenuation.  Experience has shown if you turn the gain way down on the Zoom, looking at the meters will think you are getting a nice feed which isn't clipping, but when you listen to it, it's terribly distorted.  It's called "brickwalling" internally.

The other thing is that most SBD feeds from small clubs are terrible to listen to alone.  It's mostly just vocals and kick drum mixed up the middle.  The days of the fantastic board feeds from GD and The Radiators, mixed just for the purpose of taping, those are a thing of the past.  If I have a choice of AUD or SBD, I'll take AUD.  if I can get both, I'll take both into a 4 track recorder and use some of the SBD to make the vocals sound crispy, and that's what I do at 90% of the shows I go to.  But it's pretty rare that any of my tapes have more than 50% SBD.  That only happens if the place is so chatty the AUD really sucks.

This. 

[adrianf74]

All the Zoom boxes I'm familiar with (H2,H4,H4N) don't like a really hot signal from the soundboard.  They need something like 50db attenuation.  Experience has shown if you turn the gain way down on the Zoom, looking at the meters will think you are getting a nice feed which isn't clipping, but when you listen to it, it's terribly distorted.  It's called "brickwalling" internally.

The other thing is that most SBD feeds from small clubs are terrible to listen to alone.  It's mostly just vocals and kick drum mixed up the middle.  The days of the fantastic board feeds from GD and The Radiators, mixed just for the purpose of taping, those are a thing of the past.  If I have a choice of AUD or SBD, I'll take AUD.  if I can get both, I'll take both into a 4 track recorder and use some of the SBD to make the vocals sound crispy, and that's what I do at 90% of the shows I go to.  But it's pretty rare that any of my tapes have more than 50% SBD.  That only happens if the place is so chatty the AUD really sucks.

This.

+2.

My last few matrices that I've done have varied in audience/board mix levels but that always gives you the best of both worlds.  If you can only have one, I generally prefer the audience pull 9 times out of 10.

[earmonger]

After all, the AUD is hearing the actual show. The SBD is only hearing the PA.

[F.O.Bean]

I agree. I will ALWAYS take a good DAUD over a SBD