2 main questions regarding the 002R and Universal Audio LA 610...

[drbluezz]

......How do I set the gain level for inputs 5-8 on my 002R? I just bought a Universal Audio LA 610 channel strip/mic preamp and I want to plug it into input 7 since mic/line inputs 1-4 are already preamped . I'm using a Royer R-122 ribbon mic that needs a 48mV power source which the LA 610 has...and, yes it's turned on. But the mic is barely registering on the meter. Is there a way to turn the gain up or is there something else I'm overlooking? I switched input 7 over to -10dBu for added gain but the mic is still registering very weak. Is there something in my Protools 7.4 software that I'm overlooking? So, main question #1 is, what could I be doing wrong here?
Main question #2 is...why can't I just plug into any of the mic/line inputs 1-4 of the 002R as long as I leave the "mic/line button" on the front of the 002R in the "out" (line) position? Would the mic preamp in the 002R be activated with the button on the front of the unit in the "out" or "line" position? Thank you for straightening me out on these issues.


Tom

 

[madmax25]

#1...I don't believe there's anything in protools that sounds related to your problem...Have you tried to pinpoint where the problem is (i.e. test a different mic, ...)? Sounds like either the mic isn't getting enough power or something's not getting boosted properly. If it's barely registering on the meter (i'm assuming the one on the 610) the problem sounds like it's before it even hits the 002r. Inputs 5-8 on my 002r are set to +4 and they pick up my crap pre's just great. And aside from the +4/-10 switch, there are no gain settings on 5-8.

#2: The preamps on ch's 1-4 are always on, regardless of the mic/line switch. I suppose you could plug 'er in to 1-4 if you really needed the boost and can't figure out what's wrong, but it seems like the whole point of hooking up a badass preamp is to bypass the suckage of the 002 pre's...

Good luck...

 

[drbluezz]

Hey madmax,


Thanks for responding. Hang with me on this as I'm still a relative novice at it, but...if you look on the back of the 002R you'll see four XLR mic inputs and four 1/4" line inputs. I have the LA 610 plugged into "line" input 1 and the button on the front of the 002R set to "line" for that input. Are the mic preamps still active even though I'm plugged into the 1/4" "line" input and not the XLR mic input? If that is indeed the case I've solved part of my problem. And, if that is the case I need to figure out how to get a signal out of line level inputs 5-8 when I plug my LA 610 into one of them. Once I do that, I'm in business!


Tom

 

[madmax25]

Yeah, on 1-4 the "line" inputs still run through the preamps. I just did a little test to double check...I've got a cheapo external mic pre and plugged it into input 5 (switched to +4), then thru "line" input 1 with the gain all the way down and got the same levels showing in protools. The preamps in 1-4 blow compared to the 610, so I wouldn't go thru those for the extra gain. So ideally I think you want to be running a nice strong signal into 5-8. So I would be looking at a way to boost the signal at the 610.
Is the signal really low on the VU meter on the 610? My guess is there's a mismatched impedance somewhere in the 610. Not sure what all the settings do, so you might want to study the literature that came with it and get familiar with all the settings and knobbies. Once you're moving the VU needle good, you should just be able to pop it into 5-8 and start the rocking and rolling...

 

[drbluezz]

madmax25,


Everything's working great now. I didn't realize (since it's brand new) the LA 610 has THREE stages of gain vs two and the third stage is on the compressor side. I didn't think you used the "Gain" pot on the compressor unless the compressor was to be used. Silly me.
And a BIG thank you for informing me about the 002R mic preamps also being active in the line inputs. I have the LA 610 now plugged into line input 7 and it works just fine. As a matter of fact it sounds gorgeous! Anyway, thanks again for your help.


Tom

 

[NL5]

I didn't think you used the "Gain" pot on the compressor unless the compressor was to be used.

I'm pretty sure that the gain on the compressor side only works if the compressor is engaged. The 121 requires quite a bit of gain - probably not the best match with a 610.

 

[drbluezz]

I'm pretty sure that the gain on the compressor side only works if the compressor is engaged. The 121 requires quite a bit of gain - probably not the best match with a 610.

NL5,


The "Gain" pot on the compressor side of the LA 610 does indeed work with the compressor bypassed. Since the LA 610 has 3 stages of gain I assume it's the third stage. It controls the output gain to the 002R as seen on the 002R mix view meters. The "Level" pot controls the "internal" (input gain?) level of the LA 610 as seen on the VU meter. Although this is still a new piece of equipment for me and I'm certainly no expert on it. So it might be better to have all this confirmed by someone more experienced with this wonderful sounding preamp. And I'm using a Royer R-122. It's an active mic. The R-121 is not and requires much more gain. Thanks for your response.


Tom

 

[NL5]

NL5,


The "Gain" pot on the compressor side of the LA 610 does indeed work with the compressor bypassed. Since the LA 610 has 3 stages of gain I assume it's the third stage. It controls the output gain to the 002R as seen on the 002R mix view meters. The "Level" pot controls the "internal" (input gain?) level of the LA 610 as seen on the VU meter. Although this is still a new piece of equipment for me and I'm certainly no expert on it. So it might be better to have all this confirmed by someone more experienced with this wonderful sounding preamp. And I'm using a Royer R-122. It's an active mic. The R-121 is not and requires much more gain. Thanks for your response.


Tom

Ah, I read 121 - my bad.

However, I haven't used that piece of gear in a long while, but it would make no sense that if you separate the sides that you would still be able to use the "gain" on the comp side for gain on the Preamp side. You can use both sides independently at the same time. You are going into the "mic" input, right? and have the switch set to "split", right?

 

[drbluezz]

NL5,


There is a selector ("MODE") knob that allows you to select "BYP", "COMP", or "LIMIT". In the "BYP" mode the "GAIN" pot acts as a third stage of gain. And, if you select "COMP" or LIMIT", the "GAIN" pot will affect those ("PEAK REDUCTION") accordingly. The "METER" pot allows you to view the output of the preamp to the compressor, the total gain (or Peak) reduction with the compressor activated, or, total output. Does that make a little more sense?


Tom

 

[NL5]

NL5,


There is a selector ("MODE") knob that allows you to select "BYP", "COMP", or "LIMIT". In the "BYP" mode the "GAIN" pot acts as a third stage of gain. And, if you select "COMP" or LIMIT", the "GAIN" pot will affect those ("PEAK REDUCTION") accordingly. The "METER" pot allows you to view the output of the preamp to the compressor, the total gain (or Peak) reduction with the compressor activated, or, total output. Does that make a little more sense?


Tom

Nevermind, I am completely retarded - I was thinking of the 6176. There was another thread about that unit, and I was thinking this was that thread. Sorry.

 

[drbluezz]

Nevermind, I am completely retarded - I was thinking of the 6176. There was another thread about that unit, and I was thinking this was that thread. Sorry.

No biggie. These kinds of discussions help me get things straight. Wish I could afford a 6176. Although I think I'm going to like the LA 610 just fine. It sure sounds rich compared to the Focusrite Platinum VoiceMaster Pro I was using. Although I think that unit sometimes gets a bad rap. It can sound pretty good if you take some time to learn how to use it. Certainly sounded better than the stock pres in my 002R.


Tom