Help with mixer recorder settings

T

TWeistar

Member
Here is the gear I am using. Tascam DR 100II and DR 40, Sound Devices Mix Pre (not D) AT 875 short shotgun mic.
When I send a tone from the Mix Pre to the recorders to calibrate (I know there are different scales here, dbu vs db) them to -18 + or - on the recorders, 0dbu on the mixer. The DR 100 II needs the gain set to about 7 of 10 or 70%. The DR 40 only needs to be set at 6 of 24 or 25% available gain.
So the questions. Seems like I will get better results from the DR40 if I am using that much less of it’s gain, and not driving its pre amps so hard.
Also I got the AT 875 mic to replace my Rode NTG 2 because it is much more sensitive. When I run the AT 875 directly into the DR 100 II my typical gain is set at three to four, for close mic dialog, when I am using the Mix Pre on the front end I have the DR 100 II up at seven and using about half of the gain on the Mix Pre. Except for the limiters and ability to ride the gain it seems counter productive to use the mixer if I need that much gain on the recorder. Or use the DR 40 with the mixer. When using the AT 875 directly with the DR 40 I need the gain up at 60-70 to get decent levels, and it definitely gets noisy when pushed that much. Obviously there are different mic/line input levels on the recorders, but I thought the DR 100 II would be better at both.



Sorry not very well formulated questions, but if I could get some input I would appreciate it.

Thanks,

Tom
 
Do you have both recorders connected at the same time?

Also, which MixPre outputs are you using, and which cables are you using to connect to the recorder(s)?
 
Thanks for the reply Alex. I tested both ways, both recorders hooked to the mix pre via XLR line out from the mixer and separately (same results). I also hooked up the DR 100 II into the mixer with the XLR line out and the 3.5 trs tape out to 3.5 line in at the same time. When I did that and switched between the two the 3.5 trs tape out signal was about +5db hotter.
 
I have used the MixPre-D with a DR-40 and have gotten great results. The mkII version of the DR-100 added +4dB balanced line in capability like the DR-40 has, so you should be able to get good results with either.

With the DR-40, I use line-level out from the MixPre XLR outputs with XLR>TRS (1/4") cables and feed the DR-40's 1/4" inputs. The DR-100mkII should be able to connect straight through XLR cables. Either way, make sure the recorder is set to line-level input via the external connections. 0dB tone from the mixer should be set to roughly -20dBFS on the recorder. That should calibrate your system properly.

As for how much gain you have to add on either recorder, don't judge just by the number. Judge by the quality of recording you get in the end. On both recorders, the line-level input is simply activating a pad on the pre-amp, minimizing the preamplification that is added on input.
 
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The mixer does more than just lowering the noise - it also gives limiting, HPF, better monitoring, and a good headphone preamp (with a limiter on it - important for ear protection when recording certain things). I would definately use it, and then take the recorder that seems the easiest to work with - I really doubt that you would hear a difference between them with the mixer in front.
 
Surely the question should be which one is quietest? Forget the position of the control, with the same mic connected to each one, at the same subject distance - which device produces the least noisy recordings. Useful features may well be the real 'addition' you have - and the test is simply audio quality. If the 'better' mixer is noisier, then something is wrong.
 
On both recorders, the line-level input is simply activating a pad on the pre-amp, minimizing the pre amplification that is added on input.
- This is true with most budget portables, however I can't find any conclusive evidence either way on the DR-40 or DR-100MkII. OTOH, the DR series 860 block diagram clearly indicates it's not the case on that particular machine, the mic pre is bypassed in line mode.
The DR-100mkII has S/PDIF input option which would be the logical choice with a MixPre-D front end.
 
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