ChrisCoaster wrote:
This is confusing, since I always trim stuff on my board to 0db and
set my rec. levels on the cassette deck to match the board's meters.
BTW I run CTRL RM out to the tape deck, and neither that knob nor the
Rec. Level knob on the deck are in extreme positions - both at about
1'oclock in a range from 7am-5pm.

That's fine, if your cassette deck is calibrated properly.

This produce clear, distortion and noise-free but noticeably lower
volume levels than, say, a commercial Christian or popular music
recording, so I really have to crank it in the car or home stereo.
Should I over meter on the tape deck - +3dB, or reset my mixer input
gains to +3 instead of zero??

No matter what you do it is going to sound quieter than a commercial
recording because it's not insanely compressed. It is worth it to
make sure your cassette deck is in calibration. But what is wrong
with having to crank the levels up a bit in playback?
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

In article writes:

This is confusing, since I always trim stuff on my board to 0db and
set my rec. levels on the cassette deck to match the board's meters.

That's the digital gotcha. Your cassette deck has input level controls
so you can make its meters match your console's meters. Most sound
cards have no equivalent of those controls.

BTW I run CTRL RM out to the tape deck

What do you do with the Master (or Main) outputs? The Control Room
output is normally what goes to the monitor speakers. But it's OK to
do whatever works for you.

This produce clear, distortion and noise-free but noticeably lower
volume levels than, say, a commercial Christian or popular music
recording, so I really have to crank it in the car or home stereo.
Should I over meter on the tape deck - +3dB, or reset my mixer input
gains to +3 instead of zero??

Neither. Contemporarly recordings are processed to increase the
density of the audio without raising the peak volume. Read this
newsgroup for a while and you'll see threads about "making it louder"
which involve compression, peak limiting, bandwidth limiting, and
voodoo, all generally lumped under "mastering."

By increasing the cassette's record level, you're inviting distortion.
Of course a certain amount of distortion will make your recording
appear to be louder (this is a principle that's applied cautiously
sometimes) but you really have to listen to what you're doing, and you
run the risk of making a lousy sounding mix.

Just get up off the couch or reach across the dashboard and turn up
the playback volume control. That's why they put it where you could
reach it.



--
I'm really Mike Rivers - )

"ChrisCoaster" skrev i en meddelelse
m...
This is confusing, since I always trim stuff on my board to 0db and
set my rec. levels on the cassette deck to match the board's meters.
BTW I run CTRL RM out to the tape deck, and neither that knob nor the
Rec. Level knob on the deck are in extreme positions - both at about
1'oclock in a range from 7am-5pm.

4 + dBu is for ballanced equipment and .10 dBv is for unballanced.
Synthesisers are alle unballanced and when recording a synth it's 10dBv you
use.
If your other equipment has unballanced ( +4 dBu ) then use the ballanced
outputs

This produce clear, distortion and noise-free but noticeably lower
volume levels than, say, a commercial Christian or popular music
recording, so I really have to crank it in the car or home stereo.
Should I over meter on the tape deck - +3dB, or reset my mixer input
gains to +3 instead of zero??

-ChrisCoaster

Mix Compression and mastering is what you need.

ChrisCoaster wrote:

Rec. Level knob on the deck are in extreme positions - both at about
1'oclock in a range from 7am-5pm.

Don't forget to allow them 15 minutes to put their tools away and another
15 minutes to get their tools out... 1 o'clock is a it late for a lunch
break... but I guess it'll have to do. You should check with the union
shop steward to make sure 1 o'clock is OK... I reckon you're into over
time over 8 hours anyway so this sounds like an expensive proposition no
matter what you do.
--
Fletcher
Mercenary Audio
TEL: 508-543-0069
FAX: 508-543-9670
http://www.mercenary.com
"this is not a problem"

In article writes:

4 + dBu is for ballanced equipment and .10 dBv is for unballanced.
Synthesisers are alle unballanced and when recording a synth it's 10dBv you
use.
If your other equipment has unballanced ( +4 dBu ) then use the ballanced
outputs

Please study up on this before you type. (and learn to spell
"balanced")

You're very wrong.


--
I'm really Mike Rivers - )