BR-8 DIgital noise and Amp recording

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katmandude

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Folks.

preparing to use my BR-8 for the first time to do a real band recording. bare bones style. but we will record the drums first mixed to 2 tracks, then add the guits, bass and vox later.

Last night I was experimenting with an SM57 (industry standard) pointed at the center cone of one speaker in my marshall 4x12. this mic ran right into the BR8 mic input. no effects were engaged at all. I set the sensitivity levels so no clipping would occur, and the lkine input level so that the input meter would get to maybe 1/2 way up.

well the sound was good and sounded liek the amp, but I was still getting a bit of digital noise. I playedaround with mic placement a bit, as well as adjusting those BR8 levels. But never got it completely gone. is this just a limitation of the machine? should I use my ART tube pre inline? should I use a diff mixer inline?

The head was a marshall 2204 set to basic riff rock AC/DC -esque crunch.

my experience with the BR8 has been only home direct in demos for a year or so, so this "live" is new to me.
 
The only reason there should be noise is if you are distorting the preamp or mixer somewhere. I would double check your levels and routing.
 
You don't get digital noise, check your levels and check to see if any mic cords are bad.
 
I disagree, I've never heard a Boss recording without digital noise. I think you may jsut have to suffer...they sound like bad mp3s.
 
OK. so far what i have found is using either "mic" input gives me digital noise no matter how low the input level is set or the sensitivity knob is set. I Tried a buynch of cables and quality mics and all the same issue.

so I tried plugging the mic into the Guiotar input and adjusted the levels accordingly. I turned off all COSM effects, and that gave a MUCH MUCH better sound. no noise. I am also going to try plugging the mics into a mixer board, then line that into the BR8 RCA line in, which I think will work just fine.

anyhow, my conclusion is the mic inputs are just crappy .. or perhaps only good for low volume instruments like an acoustic guitar or a voice.

I have never used this machine to do a real demo before, just me straight in idea sort of stuff. i do not expect super preofessional results, just hoping for a clean no added noise recording.

will post followup when I try the mixer method.

thanks.
 
OK. followup. yes. its those built in mic inpouts that blow. i think they are only useful for acoustice instruments only. distort otherwise.

but by plugging my mic into another mixer or my ART tube pre and then line into the lin inputs, i get a nice clean signal. so i am hap[py about that. thanks folks.
 
I got here late but yeah, the built in pres on the BR-8 are crap. I would go line in and bypass all that crap.
 
I used to record on a BR-8. I loved how powerful it was compared to my old cassete four track. Now I record using SONAR and it makes the BR-8 seem like the old four track, but I still use it. I just don't record on it. I use it as a direct box for guitars. I think it sounds pretty good, definitely better than when I recorded to the BR-8.
I recall, though, and I'm not sure what menu this is under, but there is a setting for the record quality on the BR-8, and if you don't use the highest one, you'll know it.
 
katmandude said:

so I tried plugging the mic into the Guiotar input and adjusted the levels accordingly. I turned off all COSM effects, and that gave a MUCH MUCH better sound. no noise. I am also going to try plugging the mics into a mixer board, then line that into the BR8 RCA line in, which I think will work just fine.
Click to expand...

Uhhh. how do you plug a 'high quality' mic into a guitar input? Are you using a mic with an XLR jack or a 1/4"? If it is a 1/4" then its a High impedance mic that sends too hot of a signal for most low impedance XLR preamps.

Generally the preamps on stand alone recorders do suck but I think you are using a high Z mic.
 
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