SD302 Meter Ballistics

G

ggrantly

Veteran
Hello Listers

I am curious what meter ballistics you use on your 302 and why. The choices are peak, vu, peak + vu, peak hold + vu. I have been using peak hold + vu because it seems to offer the most info, but sometimes I wonder if I am understanding all that the meter is telling me or if there is a more effective scheme.

Also curious if anyone is combining a mixpre + 302 and how well that works out.

Any insight on this or general comments would be appreciated. Every time I review the manual for the 302, I am amazed at all the stuff they packed into the little box.

Grant
 
Started with VU staying with VU. (Can't stand the needles flicking on Peak, they like to fall off :)

Mostly on a busy set when you record 302 voices with the limiter for picture, you get a level before you start you don't need to see the Peaks,
and there are Peak warning LEDS anyway.

For newbies, being worried about overloading Peak levels, can lead to low level recordings. I've seen that happen.

Cheers.
 
I use the VU/peak hold combo, that way when an expected spike comes alone I can look down and see the max deviation and if it overshoots the limiter, which most of the time is set @ +17dB. Not to get OT but I calibrate the recorder using the full scale tone method.
 
Rick,

For adjusting levels, do you mean using tone to make the meters read unity between the 302 and the recorder at line level?

Grant
 
The 'full-scale' calibration on the 302 (see the manual) outputs +20dBu, it's theoretical maximum output. The meter on the 'recorder' is then set to read at or slightly below 0dBFS, the recorder's theoretical max input before clipping. I set the limiter on the 302 @+18dB , so the recorder should never clip except for a occasional limiter overshoot which is usually not serious anyway. A little more accurate (and anal retentive) then the '0VU= -20dBFS' prerequisite.
 
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