Re: Tape Loops vs Echoplex

["Dennis W. Leas" <dennis@mdbs.com>]

Paul J. Dresher wrote:
> 
> One other small complaint, I wish the input were
> not so sensitive to overload, but they built a huge amount of gain into 
>the
> input stage in order to deal with all levels, from mics to hot signals.  
>(I
> put a peak limiter/compressor on my signal going to input in order not to
> overload the unit in the excitment of performance or when experimenting
> with wild new patches.)
> 

Please forgive me if I'm breaking protocol by commenting on a sort of 
private posing, but your use of a 
peak limiter/compressor is very interesting.  I have a lot of trouble with 
overloading the EDP input.  
All my instruments are acoustic and I use a Shure SM-57 with a TASCM 1024 
board as a front-end to the 
EDP.  The worst offender is my tambourine.  It sounds fine through the PA 
but very distorted from the 
EDP unless I take extraordinary measures.  What makes it particularly 
difficult is that the input level 
LED does not help much; according to it, the tambourine input level is 
fine when in fact, it's too hot. 
 In order to get a good, clear signal, I have to play the tambourine 
entirely differently when I loop 
than otherwise.  I've tried various limiter/compressors but none work to 
my satisfaction.  For example, 
when adjusted to eliminate the tambourine distortion, the bass drum sounds 
TERRIBLE (no low end).  What 
kind or limiter/compressor do you use?  How have you adjusted it?  How 
well does it work for you?

- Dennis Leas