Dr40 line input from a mixer issues

Tony ienco

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Tascam dr05, dr40, Mackie
Hello all I am in Australia and just joined the forum. I don't video production of live dance conerts. I have a dr40 and 2 dr05.

My issue is, I am trying to work out if it is me or the venue at fault. At one of the theatres I regularly shoot, I am give 2 clear outputs from their MIXER. I feed both of these directly into the dr40 and make sure it is set to line. During their sound level checks I adjust my levels accordingly and even do a 2 min test recording. All good.

As soon as the concert starts, the audio almost blows the headphones off my head. The levels are maximum all the time. I quickly bring the levels down but even at 0 all I get is distortion. I even tried setting the levels to auto for the hell of it. Nothing helps. I end up with 2 hours of useless distortion.

Am I missing something on the dr40 or is the audio guy feeding me an overmodulated signal that the Dr40 can't handle.?

I feel I know enough about audio to at least get this right and I have done so at other theatres.

Before I abuse the theatre staff, I want to make sure I am not at fault.

Any guidance would be very welcome. Thanks Tony
 
Sorry the auto correct feature has selected incorrect words. The word clear should be XLR. Don't should be DO. I do video production. Sorry.
 
I wonder if the sends from the mains board to your recorder are set to post-fader...they should be pre-fader sends. All things being equal, if they are pre-fader sends, the only thing that could cause this is if the sound guy is inadvertently cranking up your send signal.

Make sure the aux sends (I'm assuming that's what he has on his board) are set to pre-fader.
 
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Thank you for your reply. I was not familiar with the Sends on the mixer and at least now I can ask the questions about pre or post fader, if i get to talk to someone there that knows what they are doing. Much appreciated.
 
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Yes, do ask them if they are sending you a signal from their board post or pre fader.

I would hope they would know...each channel should have a pre/post switch if it's an analog board, or a menu setting if it's a digital board.

The signal to your recording equipment shouldn't change (once set) if they are sending it to you pre fader.
 
I don't hold much faith in them knowing. I asked the guy on the night, and he wasn't even aware they had two xlr feeds for the video people. I had to actually show him, where the cables were?? I have asked to speak to someone technical there, if such a person exists, so hopefully they will put me onto someone with some knowledge of the mixer.
 
Find out what the make and model number of their mixer is. Someone here, if not myself, can help you educate the person running the board.

I have some knowledge of analog boards...digital boards, not so much (though I am learning).
 
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Great idea. Thank you. Its Sunday afternoon here now, but Monday morning I will try getting in touch with them and post back. Thanks heaps.
 
Hi Tony,

Were you able to contact the sound guy?
 
I have left 3 messages for him and he hasn't returned my calls. I have another concert to shoot there Friday evening so I am going to go there around 1 pm and see if I can track him down. If I don't hear from him sooner.
 
Hi Tony,

Were you able to contact the sound guy?

Hi Tim, FYI Did the concert Friday evening. Not a great night here in Melbourne 38 Degrees Celcuis and the air con in the theatre was broken.. (Beginning to wonder about this place??) Any way I spoke to the audio guy. He claims they had major issues the week prior. Just prior to the concert starting he claimed something started feeding back through the mixer?? I don't know that I buy that because couldn't elaborate and he was very vague.
Anyway this concert was ok expect for one particular part for around 30 seconds where it blew out. So I am beginning to think they either need new audio people or new audio equipment. Any way most of the concert was great and I was able to monitor the levels and adjust all the way through with out issues.

I'de really like to thank you for your input. Also enlightened me a little. No more concerts till March now so a bit of a break. Just lots of editing. Thank you again.
 
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Tony, glad I could help...I've been doing sound reinforcement for over 30 years though not with digital mixers...only analog mixers. I don't do sound any longer except for friend's bands and even then not very often. My hearing takes a severe nosedive past 2500 Hz which makes it difficult to mix sound effectively any longer. Headphones help but I just don't trust myself to do a good job behind the board.

I wish I'd known (or listened to those warning me) when I first started what I know now about how sound can ruin hearing. Playing for 40 years in multiple (loud) bands, doing sound for other (loud) bands, shooting sports (loud) and a 5 year stint working on aircraft carrier flight decks (LOUD!) has done a number on my hearing.

Wear ear protection!

Oh, and maybe your problems were/are a combination of inexperienced sound people and bad or poorly run audio equipment. If one is inexperienced running sound, they won't know what it's supposed to do or sound like...

Anyway, glad it worked out for you for the most part...here's to hoping that they get someone in there next season that knows what they are doing.
 
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