3 Making your first recording  

3) Play the tape for about 10 seconds and then stop the tape.

4) Press the counter reset button.

3.3

Setting the level

The aim of this section is to teach you to set the input level so that

the average signals coming from the microphone will light the 

0

meter indicator, and the loudest will light the 

+6

 indicator.

1) Make sure all 

OUTPUT LEVEL

 controls are set to 

0

. Put on 

the headphones and set the 

PHONES LEVEL

 to the 

0

 position.

If you do not do turn down the speaker volume, you will probably get 

feedback ( howlround ) when you start using the microphone.

2) Set both 

TRIM

 controls to the 

LINE

 position.

Although you will probably end up with this control at the 

MIC

 posi 

tion, or close to it, for now, set it to 

LINE

.

3) Take the 

INPUT 2

 fader to the

 0

 mark. Bring the 

INPUT 1

fader up to between the 

7

 and

 8

 marks.

This is called the  nominal  position, and is the position where the 

electronics controlled by the fader will not have to amplify the signal 

too much (causing noise) or have too much signal going into them 

(causing distortion). 

4) Switch the microphone on if necessary. Speak into the 

microphone at the volume you will be recording.

It is important than when you perform these level checks that you 

speak, sing or play at the level at which you will actually be recording. 

Most people, when they first start recording, tend to be a little louder 

than when they are simply checking the levels. 

5) While talking into the microphone, turn the 

INPUT 1 TRIM

control clockwise until the left 

0

 indicator is lit most of the 

time, and the 

+6

 indicator is lit on the loudest parts.

If the 

0

 indicator hardly lights at all, you may be too far from the 

microphone, or you are speaking too softly. If the microphone uses 

batteries, you may need to replace them.

You can also bring the fader up from the

 7 8

 position to increase the 

level, but you should do this only after the 

TRIM

 control has been 

turned fully clockwise.

6) Adjust the 

PHONES LEVEL

 until you are comfortable with 

what you hear in the headphones.

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