First Recordings Made..need Some Assistance!

[deadwing]

Just a final report back on this thread - recorded almost all of a 6 hour festival I was at last night-I used HiSP mode to make sure I could get it all, then changed the disc and went to PCM for the headline set.

Using the attenuator and setting the level at 15 seemed to really do the trick- though when I switched discs, i must have inadertently knocked it down to 13 as the main set came out a little quiet, though it boosted up just fine in Sound Forge.

So, thanks to all for your tips and help since this thread started. Ay other Brits who need to get the volume down on mic input recordings can safely be directed to Maplins and their £2.99 attenuator

[nulldogmas]

Using the attenuator and setting the level at 15 seemed to really do the trick- though when I switched discs, i must have  inadertently knocked it down to 13 as the main set came out a little quiet, though it boosted up just fine in Sound Forge.

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That wasn't you, it was Sony - Hi-MDs all reset to 13/30 whenever you shut them down. (Just like the "feature" that resets them from manual levels to AGC.) You'll need to reset the levels each time you switch discs.

Anyway, this thread has been fascinating, thanks. I consider myself somewhat of an experienced taper, and I still learned a lot.

One other suggestion, for fiddling with a non-backlit control in the dark: I bring a mini-Maglite with me:

http://www.maglite.com/product.asp?psc=1AAACELL&pt=R

The light's a bit bright, so I cut out a circle of red construction paper to stick over the light to dim it. The result is plenty bright enough to read numbers by, but dim enough so it just looks like I'm wielding a lit cigarette. (Not that that helps much in NYC, where there's a no smoking law, but it makes me feel less conspicuous anyway...)

[deadwing]

That wasn't you, it was Sony - Hi-MDs all reset to 13/30 whenever you shut them down. (Just like the "feature" that resets them from manual levels to AGC.) You'll need to reset the levels each time you switch discs.

Really? That's a surprise. I know it reverts back to 'auto' on every recording, but I thought that as soon as you entered the manual setting,it reverted to the previous manual setting.

Or does it only reset to 13/30 when you swap a disc?

I know this has probably been asked a ton of times before, but anyone know how come Sony have never introduced a toggle switch to enable you to start in either manual or auto? Surely, it's not beyond the wit of the people who create the operating system/firmware? They offer a toggle for simple and advanced modes, so how hard would it be?

[nulldogmas]

Really? That's a surprise. I know it reverts back to 'auto' on every recording, but I thought that as soon as you entered the manual setting,it reverted to the previous manual setting.

Or does it only reset to 13/30 when you swap a disc?

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Actually, you're right and I was wrong here. I just re-read A440's faq and ran some tests, and it appears that it remembers levels *above* 13/30, but defaults to 13/30 if you've previously set it *below* that.

Presumably on Planet Crackpipe where the Sony engineers live, this makes perfect sense.

I know this has probably been asked a ton of times before, but anyone know how come Sony have never introduced a toggle switch to enable you to start in either manual or auto? Surely, it's not beyond the wit of the people who create the operating system/firmware? They offer a toggle for simple and advanced modes, so how hard would it be?

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Personally, I blame Dick Cheney.