simple level control device?

[gravitychapters]

This is a simple question but maybe hard to explain...

In Andy Hong's 2014 review of the Audient id22 (Issue 104), he mentions inserting a "level control" into a channel strip so that you can overdrive the preamp without clipping your DAW. (See, that was a weird explanation. Did it even make sense?) Basically, overdrive the input but then attenuate the output so you don't clip everything that comes after.

I have the next gen version of that interface, and I do indeed like its overdriven sound on certain things. But I have no idea what device I can insert to attenuate the output level. Is a "level control" an actual device? If so, it's not something I've come across.

You all are way more knowledgeable than I am; can someone please enlighten me?

Thank you as always!

[Scodiddly]

Passive monitor volume controller.

[Scodiddly]

Here's the fancy TC Electronics version of such a device:
https://www.tcelectronic.com/product.ht ... Code=P0C32

Naturally you could also make your own for a couple of bucks. It's basically a guitar volume pot.

[gravitychapters]

Make my own you say? How would I go about that?

Here's the fancy TC Electronics version of such a device:
https://www.tcelectronic.com/product.ht ... Code=P0C32

Naturally you could also make your own for a couple of bucks. It's basically a guitar volume pot.

[jacksaturn]

It looks like your Audient interface is a self-contained preamp / audio interface, am I correct? In that case, I'm not sure how you'd put an attenuator in the signal path. If you were running signal through an analog preamp and then into the Audient, you could put an attenuator between them, something like the Little Labs Redcloud.

-Jack

[Recycled_Brains]

Does it need to be variable?

I built one of these (stupidly easy) and it serves 2 functions... to pad the output so you can push your preamps or other outboard harder on the way in, and it acts as a step down gain thing so you can run anything through your preamps at line level when you're mixing. -10 & -30 settings (the latter aiming more at the mixing part). Works great. I use it on every mix.

https://www.diyrecordingequipment.com/products/l2p

Tones of line-level attenuators out there. Barrel pads, etc...

[digitaldrummer]

I once built some attenuators into the XLR jacks on a pair of cables - cheap and fairly easy to fit in there if you use 1/8w resistors. of course its a fixed value so you get only one option that way...

http://www.nu9n.com/tpad-calculator.html

[The Scum]

he mentions inserting a "level control" into a channel strip

Reading between the lines, that sounds like a plugin in a DAW. If he's using the iD22, there's probably no hardware "channel strip" in the path.

[digitaldrummer]

in the the article he says he is using the hardware insert to go to outboard equipment and then using that to control the level. My assumption is that the insert is post preamp - so he's driving the preamp, but the outboard gear (via the insert) is doing the attenuation.

https://tapeop.com/reviews/gear/104/id2 ... interface/

[The Scum]

Ahhh...shoulda done my research there.

It also says they're balanced insert points, so a balanced attenuator might be called for (the H-pad in that calculator DD posted).

[shedshrine]

(deleted because the topic had evolved and what I just posted was no longer relevant so I didn't want to be contributing drivel and noise to the conversation but couldn't delete the post entirely because "you cannot delete posts in this forum" message.)

[ashcat_lt]

Quick and dirty: A typical passive DI box is a voltage step-down, and if that's not enough, they very often will have switches for additional padding.

[A.David.MacKinnon]

I built myself a half dozen 20db inline pads a few years ago. It took about an hour. The first few took a bit of time but the rest went quite fast once I sorted out a system and got rolling. I think the cost was about $2-3 a pad and 99% of the cost is the barrel adapter.
Google is your friend. There are some good tutorials and instructions out there.

[gravitychapters]

You know what I hate? When someone posts a question and then a bunch of folks are nice enough to answer and then the jerk who asked the question never follows up.

That jerk would be me.

Anyway, thanks for all the intel! Yeah, the interface has balanced insert points, so I'm hoping for a hardware thing that simply lets me adjust (probably just attenuate) volume. There's a pad on each "channel strip" on the interface, but I believe the pad is before the gain stage. Hence, not helpful here.

Sounds like google will indeed be my friend. Thank you all!