BEachtek DXA8 or sound devices mixpre at DVinfo.net

Maximo Salaberry · February 5th, 2006, 11:28 PM

The price difference is about $300 more for the mixpre (as well as the weight and size). Now my question. I was badly burned with clipping the first time i used my senheiser G2. People started screaming and audio started to clip. I tried to fix in post with FCP but i only got distortion.

I'm already biased towards the beachtek for price and weight/size. Before I buy though I'd like to ask for opinions as to how much quality I will be missing from not having the mixpre. Obviously my main interest in either is the availability of the limiter.

BTW, this is for documentaries, run and gun, but i'd like to get the best possible sound.

Thank you all. This si a great forum (especially for novices like me)

Maximo

Bob Grant · February 6th, 2006, 06:52 AM

None of this may fix your problem with the G2!
It's very easy to get the transmitter side of the G2 to clip and nothing you do further down the chain will help. Set the input attentuation to at least -10dB on the transmitter, if they're really shouting loud or likely to walk in front of a foldback monitor you might need to go to -20dB.
At the receiver end you can turn the output level down to stop the recording device (I assume a camera) from overloading. Obviously this only helps if that's what's clipped, first you must get the transmitter level right, don't use too much input attentuation or the noise floor will get you.
By the way to fix clipping try Clipped Peak Restoration in Sound Forge, I've fixed many such problems. One tip though, you have to get the clipping to be hard digital clipping for the FX to do its thing, usually that means adding 1 to 3dB of gain first then apply the Clipped Peak Restoration. I've managed to pull back material that was at least 10dB clipped this way, not a pristine result but acceptable for speech.

Zack Birlew · February 6th, 2006, 09:27 AM

Geez, Maximo, what documentaries are you doing? "When Earthquakes Attack"? Why are people screaming? LOL

But seriously, Bob hit the nail on the head with this one. If his solution isn't working for you, there's always the option of a different microphone and yes, a mixer of some sort. The Beachtek DXA8 is a fine mixer and then you have your selection of external mixers if need be, the Tascam HD-P2 recorder seems pretty interesting, but it's $1,200 or something like that.

However, as Bob has said, the problem seems to stem from your microphone, the G2. Sounds like it's a microphone-specific problem so I'd think about that first before anything.

February 5th, 2006, 11:28 PM	#1
Maximo Salaberry Regular Crew Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 66	BEachtek DXA8 or sound devices mixpre The price difference is about $300 more for the mixpre (as well as the weight and size). Now my question. I was badly burned with clipping the first time i used my senheiser G2. People started screaming and audio started to clip. I tried to fix in post with FCP but i only got distortion. I'm already biased towards the beachtek for price and weight/size. Before I buy though I'd like to ask for opinions as to how much quality I will be missing from not having the mixpre. Obviously my main interest in either is the availability of the limiter. BTW, this is for documentaries, run and gun, but i'd like to get the best possible sound. Thank you all. This si a great forum (especially for novices like me) Maximo

February 6th, 2006, 09:27 AM	#3
Zack Birlew Major Player Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Las Vegas, NV Posts: 613	Geez, Maximo, what documentaries are you doing? "When Earthquakes Attack"? Why are people screaming? LOL But seriously, Bob hit the nail on the head with this one. If his solution isn't working for you, there's always the option of a different microphone and yes, a mixer of some sort. The Beachtek DXA8 is a fine mixer and then you have your selection of external mixers if need be, the Tascam HD-P2 recorder seems pretty interesting, but it's $1,200 or something like that. However, as Bob has said, the problem seems to stem from your microphone, the G2. Sounds like it's a microphone-specific problem so I'd think about that first before anything. __________________ "Babs Do or Babs Do not, there is no try." - Zack Birlew www.BabsDoProductions.com

February 6th, 2006, 06:52 AM	#2
Bob Grant Trustee Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Sydney Australia Posts: 1,570	None of this may fix your problem with the G2! It's very easy to get the transmitter side of the G2 to clip and nothing you do further down the chain will help. Set the input attentuation to at least -10dB on the transmitter, if they're really shouting loud or likely to walk in front of a foldback monitor you might need to go to -20dB. At the receiver end you can turn the output level down to stop the recording device (I assume a camera) from overloading. Obviously this only helps if that's what's clipped, first you must get the transmitter level right, don't use too much input attentuation or the noise floor will get you. By the way to fix clipping try Clipped Peak Restoration in Sound Forge, I've fixed many such problems. One tip though, you have to get the clipping to be hard digital clipping for the FX to do its thing, usually that means adding 1 to 3dB of gain first then apply the Clipped Peak Restoration. I've managed to pull back material that was at least 10dB clipped this way, not a pristine result but acceptable for speech.