Audio Recorder Clipping When Plugged Into Soundboard

[Matt Whittemore]

Awesome, thanks so much!

[Matt Whittemore]

So, I’ve tried using the attenuator 3 times so far. It literally did nothing. Line out via XML to the attenuator, out of the attenuator via XML/3.5mm to the mic in of the recorder, with no resulting change. Could I have gotten a bum attenuator or am I missing something?

[Bill Davis]

What type of Attenuator? They are usually measured in db’s of attenuation. If you bought one with only a very modest level of attenuation, and you’re presenting a strong signal to it, it’s quite possible that the lowered output is still overloading the mic input.

I carried a switchable 15, 20, 30db attenuator for years. In some recording circumstances (I did a shoot with a “jet car” years ago where 30db was nowhere NEAR enough.!!)
There are 20, 30, 50db attenuators. And you can buy a single one at 15db that might just not do the job.

So it might be working and just not strong enough. Or it might have a flaw. If you have a laptop with a sound recording app, you can likely measure the effect and know for sure.

Good luck.

Creator of XinTwo – https://www.xintwo.com
The shortest path to FCP X mastery.

[Brian Reynolds]

Hang on doesn’t the recorder have ‘auto level?’ if so you won’t notice any difference as it will work out its own ‘correct’ level …BUT now with greater head room and isn’t this what the OP was wanting?

[Matt Whittemore]

It’s an xlr attenuator with a 15/20/30 db switch.

[Matt Whittemore]

The problem is that it’s a line out going to a mic in, so the signal out is too strong.

[Brian Reynolds]

Have you adjusted the input level to suit high levels? (P 70 of the manual)
Also just checking that the ‘plug in power’ is turned off? (P 16 of the manual)

[Bill Davis]

Ok. 30db will usually pad a line level to a mic input just fine.

So have you stepped through your overall gain structure?

Is the source signal clean and of the correct amplitude?

Time to isolate signals and swap out gear stages until you locate where the problem is coming from.

Good luck.

Creator of XinTwo – https://www.xintwo.com
The shortest path to FCP X mastery.

[Allen Cavedo]

Wow, a ton of advice here, all of it good but a lot to digest. I think some of the problems you had were not only level matching but also impedance matching, but let’s not get crazy at this point!

I have a pile of Sound Devices pro audio gear and know exactly how to do what you want using that gear. But what would I use if I did not have that SD gear? I would try my TASCAM DR-100 mkII recorder. I bet $10 that recorder could get an excellent recording, why? Because it has real Line inputs on XLR connectors (not fake Line in’s like on a Zoom H4n), it also has a stereo 3.5mm Line input, take your pick. It also has a real limiter (not an Automatic Gain Control but it also has that if you want although not recommended for use on your application but maybe, depending. I know that is vague so you will have to experiment as I would). The limiter sounds pretty good if you set the input level correctly. Most board mixers I’ve seen have RCA Tape Outputs which should work into a Line input although you will need a lot of gain, or try Mic level with gain set low (there are 3 Mic gain settings in addition to the gain knobs).

So I would connect the Mixer RCA Tape outs to the DR-100 Line input using either the XLR (switched to Line) or 3.5mm Line input depending on what cable you get (get both). Turn on the Limiter to prevent unexpectedly loud stuff from clipping, and set the gain so the loudest sounds, be they music or the intros and toasts, peak before the limiter starts limiting (around -6 dB). The DR-100 has huge semi-pro flexibility and that is why I ditched the old H4n a couple years ago.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/832911-REG/Tascam_DR100MKII_DR_100mkII_Portable_Linear.html