anthonyb

I've used my Sony R37 for years to record live performances. We all know automatic level control sucks, but the dynamics of live recording either mean low levels to preserve transients or something that I am stunned I haven't seen in reading posts on here back into 2003: Use a compressor/limiter. Are there any consumer MiniDisk recorders (not pro models) that offer a built in limiter? I mean, I manually set the level but the recorder realizes when a sound would clip into digital distortion and stops the incoming signal from getting any louder. So it never distorts. But the noise floor never gets raised either. So piano and voice could be recorded without worrying about the surprise "big operatic finish" that the levels weren't set for? Is there any consumer recorder that has a compressor/limiter? I was surprised to see the Reactive Sounds Boost Box (which seems like a good product) recommended for recent noise problems. It would let the user increase the volume, but it only offers a little LED to let you know you're clipping. It doesn't have a limiter. So if you're not watching it all the time and manually riding the levels, it could either be too low, or clipped. For the most part, couldn't you do that with a recorder with manual level control? Instead of paying $200 for that, why not spend $100 for a set of tube preamps that include dynamic limiting? http://www.behringer.com/MIC100/index.cfm?lang=ENG Yes, the Boost Box has got the power supply built in. But it seems people are having the most trouble with distortion, clipping and maintaining a good level. All we need is a compressor/limiter in one of these consumer units. Anthony