Microphone Attenuation

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Zacharia Matilda
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Microphone Attenuation

Post by Zacharia Matilda » Tue Oct 19, 2021 7:51 am

I’m looking for suggestions for taming a mic with a ton of output (AT5047). My mic pre only has an output knob. What is the best solution? Just dropping one of those Whirlwind or Shure barrels between my mic and the preamp?

There was a company called Gas Audio making a rack unit called the GA10 that would be right up my alley but the product and company seemed to vanish awhile ago.
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Re: Microphone Attenuation

Post by digitaldrummer » Tue Oct 19, 2021 11:31 am

honestly I would try a different preamp first (assuming you have something). One that has a pad, or one that has a lower starting gain. or one that has an output attenuation. If that doesn't work, then you could try one of the inline barrels but YMMV. You may find it will change the sound a bit. Another option would be to attenuate after the preamp (assuming it is not blowing it out) with something like the A-designs ATTY. between the preamp and your interface (or tape).

btw, what kind is the preamp?
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Re: Microphone Attenuation

Post by Recycled_Brains » Tue Oct 19, 2021 11:38 am

Zacharia Matilda wrote:
Tue Oct 19, 2021 7:51 am
I’m looking for suggestions for taming a mic with a ton of output (AT5047). My mic pre only has an output knob. What is the best solution? Just dropping one of those Whirlwind or Shure barrels between my mic and the preamp?

There was a company called Gas Audio making a rack unit called the GA10 that would be right up my alley but the product and company seemed to vanish awhile ago.
If the mic is overloading the input of the preamp.... I had a couple of those barrel pads to use with my old Sytek preamps (no pad). Turned out I only needed it exactly one time, but it worked fine for me on a mic I had inside a bass drum that was causing the input of the preamp to distort. I don't recall the brand. Maybe Shure. I can't imagine there are big differences between the ones that are offered.

Do they carry phantom power? That'd be the thing to look out for.
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Re: Microphone Attenuation

Post by Zacharia Matilda » Tue Oct 19, 2021 5:12 pm

digitaldrummer wrote:
Tue Oct 19, 2021 11:31 am


btw, what kind is the preamp?
It’s an old racked RCA BA71. It has a built in pad but it doesn’t sound that great when it’s engaged. It also has switchable impedance. If I switch it from 150 ohms to 600 ohms it knocks the signal down and seems to preserve the signal much better. Is that accomplishing the same thing?
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Re: Microphone Attenuation

Post by Scodiddly » Tue Oct 19, 2021 7:09 pm

I use the Shure inline barrel type with the switch for different amounts. Works just fine.

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Re: Microphone Attenuation

Post by winky dinglehoffer » Tue Oct 19, 2021 8:37 pm

Zacharia Matilda wrote:
Tue Oct 19, 2021 5:12 pm
It’s an old racked RCA BA71. It has a built in pad but it doesn’t sound that great when it’s engaged. It also has switchable impedance. If I switch it from 150 ohms to 600 ohms it knocks the signal down and seems to preserve the signal much better. Is that accomplishing the same thing?
Switching to 600 ohms will attenuate the signal the amplifier itself sees, but it may not be enough for all your needs. It's probably worthwhile to pick up something like the Shure inline attenuator mentioned above & mess around to see what configuration works best for you.

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Re: Microphone Attenuation

Post by emrr » Wed Oct 20, 2021 9:11 am

Zacharia Matilda wrote:
Tue Oct 19, 2021 5:12 pm
digitaldrummer wrote:
Tue Oct 19, 2021 11:31 am


btw, what kind is the preamp?
It’s an old racked RCA BA71. It has a built in pad but it doesn’t sound that great when it’s engaged. It also has switchable impedance. If I switch it from 150 ohms to 600 ohms it knocks the signal down and seems to preserve the signal much better. Is that accomplishing the same thing?
If it has a pad it's pretty much the same result you'll get with an inline barrel pad. They are all resistor attenuators of basically the same recipe. I have an 8 pack of BA-71's and 90% of the time I have a 20dB input pad in use.

There is the circuit board strap for +6dB, if that's strapped high gain you might want to cut it so it's lower. It can also be put on a switch.

I don't find output attenuation useful on these at all unless you want to drive them into audible crunch. They clip obviously at about +19, lower than most converters.
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Re: Microphone Attenuation

Post by drumsound » Wed Oct 20, 2021 10:23 am

It's kind of shocking that a $3500 mic doesn't have a pad or HPF.

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Re: Microphone Attenuation

Post by vernier » Wed Oct 20, 2021 11:55 am

I had same problem with M149 and ended up bypassing preamp and went directly into compressor. Worked perfectly that way.

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Re: Microphone Attenuation

Post by losthighway » Thu Oct 21, 2021 8:29 pm

Quick side note.....

Is that mic awesome, or what? I'm curious.

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Re: Microphone Attenuation

Post by Zacharia Matilda » Thu Oct 28, 2021 12:34 pm

It’s a great mic. Caveat; I’m not a professional. I’m a home recorder. I don’t have many LDC mics to compare it to.

It’s not hyped at all. It has massive output and is incredibly detailed. That said it is more forgiving than I thought it might be. I’ve not used it on vocals yet but on congas, drum overhead and electric guitar it rules. I’m tracking to tape so that helps to tame it a bit.
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Re: Microphone Attenuation

Post by trodden » Sat Oct 30, 2021 12:01 pm

I have a dozen of these XLR Barrel in-line attenuators in both mic level and line level for using either before a pre (condensers) on toms for instance when there's no pad on the pre or the pad on the pre doesn't sound good, or after the pre (line level pad) for driving pre's that don't have a separate output knob.

https://naiant.com/mpd-specification/

Doesn't look like they're sold on the website anymore, but through a Reverb shop.

https://naiantstudio.files.wordpress.co ... r-2021.pdf

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Re: Microphone Attenuation

Post by hagstrom71 » Mon Nov 01, 2021 5:58 pm

trodden wrote:
Sat Oct 30, 2021 12:01 pm
I have a dozen of these XLR Barrel in-line attenuators in both mic level and line level for using either before a pre (condensers) on toms for instance when there's no pad on the pre or the pad on the pre doesn't sound good, or after the pre (line level pad) for driving pre's that don't have a separate output knob.

https://naiant.com/mpd-specification/

Doesn't look like they're sold on the website anymore, but through a Reverb shop.

https://naiantstudio.files.wordpress.co ... r-2021.pdf
The naiant inline attenuators are very useful. I have several of the line level pads.
Didn't realize they only sell on Reverb now.

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