VERY strange UA5 Oddity lastnight can anyone explain?

[1st set only]

here is my setup:
Behringer B2 pro (blumelin)>Ua5>Jb3
I taped Club Delf lastnight and i noticed that during a pretty loud part i got some dancing on the little over light on the ua5. so ichecked the levels on the jb3 to se where they were at and i noticed the right channel was a little to hot so i backed it off a bit.  Very little to no response. so for shits and giggles i backed off the left channel... same. the red light stopped flickering so i knew that is was having some reaction. I looked tomy bud and said soething is up... as an acid test I turned both channels completley down to 0, No change.

Im looking at the wav file now and there is no drop off of gain anyware in the recording, Good news is that the recording is perfect.

has this happened to anyone here? I figure that i have a pretty common rig.

Here is a pic of the wav file all the lower portions are at track marks or softer areas

[The Kilted Taper]

Just to clarify, you turned the gain on the UA-5 COMPLETLY to zero, yet you still had levels? And I am assuming you did have the mics going in on the front and not going in through the RCA's on the back? Again, just wanting to make sure we have all the details on this.

[1st set only]

you are correct sir

this is bizzzare.

after closer inspection there is a point where it does get quieter but there should be a good 20 period of NOTHING but nope.

[§†∑∫åµÞ≥¥]

were you patched out of the rca's on the back of the UA-5? the rca output has a seperate level adjustor -- it's the little knob on the back of the unit near the rca plugs. it has nothing to do with the knobs on the front near the xlr-in's.

[1st set only]

was not patching out or in.

I was just going mic in on the front.

I was outputting a opti signal to the JB3

[§†∑∫åµÞ≥¥]

was not patching out or in.

I was just going mic in on the front.

I was outputting a opti signal to the JB3

maybe the dial on the back controls the optical line level too? not sure.

[NJFunk]

was not patching out or in.

I was just going mic in on the front.

I was outputting a opti signal to the JB3

What gain control were you using?  The volume knob next to the headphone input or the line-in SENS knob(s)?  On the optical output, the only knobs that control the gain or volume are the knobs labeled SENS right next to the two XLR inputs on the front of the machine.  If you want to turn levels down, you have to use those knobs to turn it down.  On my UA-5, if you turn the SENS down for a channel, you can DEFINITELY see a drop in level for that channel, and if you turn it all the way down, there is no sound.

[dklein]

1) my guess is this was a loud show, your mic was getting serious SPLs and sending out something close to line level signal
2) the UA-5 front inputs don't offer any attenuation...just gain.  So when set to '0', you're just not adding gain - don't expect zero levels
3) I can see the effect of you adjusting the gain - look at the the top section of the wave illustration (the skinny bar on top where the whole wave file is displayed).  Left channel was higher initially, and the whole thing clipped like mad between 8-13 min.  Looks like both were fully down by the 20 min mark and things are good after that.

p.s.  I wouldn't say the recording is perfect given the amount of clipping I see in the beginning!

[aberg]

1) my guess is this was a loud show, your mic was getting serious SPLs and sending out something close to line level signal
2) the UA-5 front inputs don't offer any attenuation...just gain.  So when set to '0', you're just not adding gain - don't expect zero levels
3) I can see the effect of you adjusting the gain - look at the the top section of the wave illustration (the skinny bar on top where the whole wave file is displayed).  Left channel was higher initially, and the whole thing clipped like mad between 8-13 min.  Looks like both were fully down by the 20 min mark and things are good after that.

p.s.  I wouldn't say the recording is perfect given the amount of clipping I see in the beginning!

What he said 

[1st set only]

so what you are saying if the show is loud enough you can have the levels all the way at 0 and still get signal?
it really wasnt that loud.

3) I can see the effect of you adjusting the gain - look at the the top section of the wave illustration (the skinny bar on top where the whole wave file is displayed).  Left channel was higher initially, and the whole thing clipped like mad between 8-13 min.  Looks like both were fully down by the 20 min mark and things are good after that.

p.s.  I wouldn't say the recording is perfect given the amount of clipping I see in the beginning!

there is no clipping, that images is zoomed all the way out, I can see where you would think that. also i did not ajust the gain at that point the drop off is the band getting quieter. I adjusted gain twards the middle.
here is a sample of that area you think is clipped. sorry its mono

I just think this is bizare

[Brian Skalinder]

Have you tried duplicating the problem at home?  Start there...test your whole set of gear precisely how you had it set up the other night and let us know what happens.

[JasonSobel]

Good news is that the recording is perfect.

your recording can't be perfect, because you're missing all of set 2 


edit to add:  how did you Spooky Ghost tape come out?  you and I were the only ones rolling for that.

[bhtoque]

Sorry I missed you guys last night.
Looks like I won't be making it to Harper's for Rebirth tonight either.

JAson

[drewloo]

there is no clipping, that images is zoomed all the way out, I can see where you would think that. also i did not ajust the gain at that point the drop off is the band getting quieter. I adjusted gain twards the middle.
here is a sample of that area you think is clipped. sorry its mono

I just think this is bizare

That definentely looks like clipping from around the 9 minute mark to the 13 minute minute mark, especially if you say it's zoomed all the way out.  Wish I wasn't at work so I could hear the sound clip.  Bizzare, indeed.

[Brian Skalinder]

there is no clipping, that images is zoomed all the way out

That definentely looks like clipping from around the 9 minute mark to the 13 minute minute mark, especially if you say it's zoomed all the way out. Wish I wasn't at work so I could hear the sound clip. Bizzare, indeed.

FWIW, I believe him if he says it isn't clipped.  In all the editing s/w I've used, a series of peaks in a row approaching - but not hitting - 0dB will look like clipping when zoomed all the way out.  The zoomed-out view doesn't provide enough resolution to show that the big block of seeming clips are actually only a series of peaks in a row approaching, but not hitting, 0dB.