tascam dr-40
- Thread starter joey46
- Start date
This is probably not what you want to hear, but I find the best way to learn any new piece of gear is to simply practice with it. Try every setting and record with it, then listen with your own ears to see what differences you can find.
I own a DR-40 recorder and my default recording settings are always 48 Khz at 24-bit WAV format. The NTG-2 mic will put out a stronger signal if run from 48-volt phantom power from your DR-40, but it will eat your DR-40 batteries, so you need several sets of spare batteries when running phantom power from the DR-40. Try not to set your recording level higher than 70 percent of the maximum gain, or you will have to deal with self-noise from the DR-40 itself. ( you can always boost quiet recordings in post )
Mics with low signal output ( like dynamic mics and some condenser mics ) will be a problem with the DR-40 because they require a lot of gain and the DR-40 gets quite noisy once you've passed the 70 percent of maximum gain threshold. You will need to use a high quality mic preamp before feeding signal to your DR-40 to use these types of mics. The NTG-2 mic run from phantom power shouldn't be a problem.
I own a DR-40 recorder and my default recording settings are always 48 Khz at 24-bit WAV format. The NTG-2 mic will put out a stronger signal if run from 48-volt phantom power from your DR-40, but it will eat your DR-40 batteries, so you need several sets of spare batteries when running phantom power from the DR-40. Try not to set your recording level higher than 70 percent of the maximum gain, or you will have to deal with self-noise from the DR-40 itself. ( you can always boost quiet recordings in post )
Mics with low signal output ( like dynamic mics and some condenser mics ) will be a problem with the DR-40 because they require a lot of gain and the DR-40 gets quite noisy once you've passed the 70 percent of maximum gain threshold. You will need to use a high quality mic preamp before feeding signal to your DR-40 to use these types of mics. The NTG-2 mic run from phantom power shouldn't be a problem.
Well, like any audio recorder:
Dialog for TV/film/video should record at 16-bit, 48kHz WAV. (Do not use MP3.). You can also use 24-bit instead of 16-bit.
Inputs should be set to mic-level if connecting a mic directly to the device.
Activate +48v phantom power if the mic requires it.
Bring up the input level until normal dialog with the mic properly-placed averages around -10dB. Sudden peaks (shouts, coughs, etc.) can peak as high as -6dB.
Other than that, the DR-40 has a setting that makes a secondary recording at a lower level as a safety in case sudden peaks hit digital clipping (try to go past 0dB) on huge primary record tracks.
Dialog for TV/film/video should record at 16-bit, 48kHz WAV. (Do not use MP3.). You can also use 24-bit instead of 16-bit.
Inputs should be set to mic-level if connecting a mic directly to the device.
Activate +48v phantom power if the mic requires it.
Bring up the input level until normal dialog with the mic properly-placed averages around -10dB. Sudden peaks (shouts, coughs, etc.) can peak as high as -6dB.
Other than that, the DR-40 has a setting that makes a secondary recording at a lower level as a safety in case sudden peaks hit digital clipping (try to go past 0dB) on huge primary record tracks.
