Re: OT: portable audio recorders

[andy butler <akbutler@tiscali.co.uk>]

d.nix wrote:
> Hey Andy,
> 
> I'd be happy to send you a file if you'd like to look at the peaks and 
>what
> not. I doubt my recordings are pristine by any measure; I'm not doing any
> critical recording for sure, these are just rehearsal and jam recordings,
> and I'm using the 192k MP3 settings to keep file sizes portable, and 
>using
> the 90 deg angle front stereo pair. 


ahh, I reckon that explains it.

I bet it's down to the fact that mp3 handles clipped signal quite badly
(the reconstituted signal very likely to be a digital "over" even tho'
the original before encoding was within limits)
and that the 75 volume setting helps with that.
( I've had slightly clipped recordings in .wav, and they don't
 sound bad at all as long as it's only the drum transients,
but I never used mp3).

I'll add that to my list of useful stuff to know about the H2.

:-) thanx


Usually I put the H2 over the drums, but pointing across them at the 
amps...(the drummer I play with has a very light touch).
It gives quite a good balance...and makes the kit sound good. 



> 
> I am however really dissapointed with the line in level on the H2, it's
> complete rubbish. We wasted a whole day close miking everyone only to
> discover we couldnt pad the signal down enough to not clip the input...

Yep, the first desk recording I made was badly distorted, while the
H2 meters showed "all good", disappointing.
Anything over -10dB will be clipped, which is stupid, a -10dB input
is not only a standard that no-one uses any more, but should have
*some* headroom.

I made myself a special lead with a couple of resistors in each channel.

In>--- 100k --+-------<  Out
              |
              |
             10k

(view with fixed width font)
If you or a band member is happy with a soldering iron
I'd recommend giving it a go.

It works fine, though I don't think the H2 line input is great
quality wise.
 
andy

> 
> Regards-
> 
> Dave
>