Question about a field recorder works.

[Richard Crowley]

The Mic Trim (or any other user control) is only a (small) part of the total picture. It is not valid to make conclusions like this with a single experiment. It is also not useful to report this kind of finding without revealing the WHOLE picture. The CONDITIONS of your experiment are a critical part of any findings.

If you got no distortion with the trim adjusted for maximum gain then clearly you were dealing with a relatively weak signal. If you were dealing with a louder source and/or a more sensitive microphone, you would certainly see distortion (likely clipping) when you increase the trim gain control.

It is good practice to experiment with all the controls, connections, operation of your gear. Good for you, working on becoming familiar with your equipment. But don’t jump to conclusions without conducting tests under a variety of conditions.

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Recording audio without metering and monitoring is exactly like framing and focusing without looking at the viewfinder.

[Ryan Elder]

Okay thanks, sorry I should have been more specific. When recording dialogue I with a boom mic about 1-2 feet away, that is powered through the field recorder, even if I turn the trim up to max, and the actor is speaking normal dialogue at normal voice volume, even at max trim, there is no distortion.

Is this normal then?

[Richard Crowley]

We don’t know what mic you were using?
We don’t know what “normal voice volume” means in your particular test.

Unless something is wrong with the gear, then it is “normal”.
Why do you ask this question? Do you think something is broken?

There could be a hundred different combinations of “normal”.
Dependent on literally dozens of variables in your experiment.

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Recording audio without metering and monitoring is exactly like framing and focusing without looking at the viewfinder.

[Ryan Elder]

No I don’t think something is broken but I feel that maybe my settings are wrong that I have been using. The mic I usually use is the AT4053b if I am indoors, and I use the Rode NTG-3 if I am outdoors.

For example, I read that you should turn the trim half way up, and then from there, turn the gain up to until it reaches -12 db on a normal voice volume.

But normal voice volume I mean just normal tone of speaking when the actors are not raising their voices.

I did some tests on my own voice, and according to the tests, it seems in order to get to 12 db, I have to turn the gain up to about 90%, and the trim up to about 75%.

But does this sound right, or does that seem like it’s too high for recording normal speaking voice volume?

[Ryan Elder]

Oh sorry I meant to add, that that is with the mic placed on a boompole about 1-2 feet away on average. So with the gain at 90% and the volume at 75%, does that sound about right, for that type of mic, placed that far away for recording dialogue?

[Richard Crowley]

Beware of generic advice like “turn the trim half way up, and then from there, turn the gain up to until it reaches -12 db on a normal voice volume.” There are too many variations in different combinations of gear for such a rule to apply in all (or even most) situations.

In fact, my practice is almost the opposite of that. I typically set the record level (or mixer level slider) at the “optimal” level (which is around 3/4 of the full range setting). And then adjust the (front panel) channel gain for “good” recording levels. That gain setting gives you optimal control of levels during recording. You can pull the level down to respond to higher peaks, and you have some amount of additional level to compensate for lower sound levels.

This is all part of “gain staging” which you must learn how to do properly for you whole production chain. There is no “one rule fits all”.

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Recording audio without metering and monitoring is exactly like framing and focusing without looking at the viewfinder.