ISO's using Direct outs

[Michael P Clark]

What are you guys doing to protect from the ocassional burst from your "meat puppets" that would overload the output when recording ISO's through your Direct Outs? Do you set your ISO's a few dB lower than you would your main mix out that has the limiters to protect you? Do some mixers have limiters on their direct outs? Or do you use Aux sends for your ISO's that might have a limiter capability? Do you use some outboard gear limiter before you send it to the recorder? Perhaps a signal flow explaination would be helpful.

Thanks!

Mike

[Philip Perkins]

The direct outs on my mixer are post trim prefader, so they almost always are fine if I've set the trim up conservatively.  If an actor is going to blow me out, usually turning down the channel fader isn't going to help--the mic pre farther upsteam is distorting.  So I have to stay on to of the trim settings in any case.

Philip Perkins

[Jeff Wexler]

Philip is exactly right here, the direct outs are almost always post input trim. There are still people who don't understand that if the trim is wrong, the signal being brought down by a fader sending to a mix bus only sends a bad signal at a lower level to the mix --- it really isn't any different with the direct outs: if the gain trim for the mic is off the mic preamp is going to distort anyway --- to the direct outs or on the way to the mix bus.

-  JW

[Guest tourtelot]

You will find that the "old farts" on this list mix using the preamp trims far more often than you would expect.  That's not to say on an eight RF mix to mono, but to adjust levels.  If I know a big old shout is coming, I will play the scream on the trims and then up again and no one listening will ever know that a drastic gain change was made. My hand are alway on the trims when I am doing a scene with a lot of dynamics.

D.

[Bartek]

Michael,

I think that we all are in on the same page on this one.

I always have my eye on the trim. I find that with dramatic scenes my right hand handles the faders and the left works the trim knobs. And I always keep my iso levels relative to the mono mix.

Bartek

[Guest Mick]

Bartek, same here.

[Guest Eric Lamontagne]

Michael,

Other than using the built in limiter setup within my wireless systems I have nothing controlling the direct outs other than my trim adjustments. This generally is fine as my wireless system will gererally peak out if not correctly adjusted. I would be nervous about a compressor/limiter setup between my board and recorder as this would give me another margin of error. "Pumping" tracks would be dissasterous!

I am considering the MM1 by sound devices for my boom line (replacing my boom guys current duplex box) as the ideas of dynamics control/line level boom audio over electrics cables and headphone volume control for the operator apeal to me. This would ease the level onto the boom track.

My DV824 seems to be setup VERY well in my system. My AD147 has been modified with a direct out. I have NEVER been able to peak out the inputs of the DV824! No matter what I do! Maybe its luck or just magic. I wonder if the DV824 has limiting on the inputs, though not officially in the manual?! Doug any thoughts on this?

Good Luck,

Eric

[curleysound]

I've found that one really nice thing about the Yamaha 01V96 is the ability to change direct out control from pre EQ to pre fader to POST fader. I use pre fader in some situations, and post in others, but it's nice to have the option!

[Philip Perkins]

I've found that one really nice thing about the Yamaha 01V96 is the ability to change direct out control from pre EQ to pre fader to POST fader. I use pre fader in some situations, and post in others, but it's nice to have the option!

Yes, for dialog I like prefade, for music, post fade.

Philip Perkins