MR8: Why level so low if I hear clipping?

[Datoyminaytah]

I recorded a bass part into my MR8, with the input switch set to guitar. I adjusted the trim so it was not distorting, or at least not except occasionally. I thought the signal level sounded awfully low.

I transferred the WAV to my PC and looked at it in an editor. Whoa! The signal level is REALLY low! And yet, I can still hear it clipping when I played a note loudly. (In the WAV, that is, even when I play the WAV softly, so it isn't my speakers.)

What's wrong? There's got to be a way to get a decent signal level!

[bdbdbuck]

If you're going by what you hear instead of the LED's and meters, I dunno...maybe equipment prob, cable, pot, wiring? I have the opposite problem with basically the same setup....with a couple of differences. Everything I record runs through a mixer, and the switch on the MR8 is always left on "mic/line". Seriously, I would check for a wire that jars loose when a loud note is played.


bd

[MiXit-G]

Try using a D.I and/or some kind of compression.

[Datoyminaytah]

OK, I think I figured it out.

It's VERY easy to overdrive the audio outputs, while the recorded signal is fine. (At least the headphone outputs, but I suspect the "stereo out" jacks will do the same.)

The key is to NOT set your master level too high, and maybe the individual track levels. Try to keep the master at or below that set of fine lines at about 75% of max. The headphone volume can be set to a reasonable level.

I know this because I recorded some guitar chords, setting the trim so the peak LED hardly ever flashed. While it sounded totally distorted as I recorded and played it back on the MR8, the WAV file was fine (unclipped) when I viewed it in an editor on my PC. By backing off the levels as I described it sounded fine on the MR8, too.

[dave in toledo]

sometimes the headphones jacks get weird and distort very easily, usually turning unit on and off will correct it. Line outs on my unit anyway have never had this problem . really watch the input meters and cliping light, i prefer to mike my bass amp, send the signal through my pa, compressor and eq, then into the mr8. for bass anyway.

hope to be of some help

[TNO]

I'm running my MR-8 into a pair of powered Yorkville monitors and the sound is horribly distorted. The wav files are fine. Seems like a few of us are having problems with this.

[turntablist]

Are you running those monitors from one of your "Headphone Out" jacks? Because sometimes when you turn on your MR8 the integrated headphone amp will nastily distort the signal until you turn it off and then back on. it's just the output though. the recording stays in tact.

[tomleblanc]

I had the same problem the other day turntablist! It freaked me out when I heard that awfully distorted sound through my headphones, kicking myself for buying a "scratch and dent" model from MF. But when I turned the unit off for a few seconds and then on again, the problem went away. Whew!

Most of you probably already know this, but just in case I wanted to point out that those sliders on the MR-8 generally don't control the recording volume (according to the manual), unless you're doing some mixing/bouncing of tracks. So if you're just recording a vocal or guitar track or something, they'll essentially only affect what you hear through your headphones! So the above suggestion about pulling the master level back a bit is a great one!

I've also heard lots of people say that the headphone pre/output on the MR-8 isn't especially great in that it's kinda noisy, but this noise isn't reflected in the recording. But it's important to focus more on the levels on the LCD, because THAT will determine your recorded volume, NOT what you hear through the phones.

[turntablist]

I have experienced noises in my headphones only while adjusting certain knobs (slight trim adjustments or effects) during recording. Static-y noises. But only through the headphones output though. It did not effect the recording (thank god). It still pisses me off though.

It seems like they cut a corner on that headphone amp. They should issue a recall and repair any effected units for free. But I doubt that will happen.