Here's valuable information about setting the Record Level dial. I
found this on the Fostex USA message board.
http://www.fostexusa.com/mercuryboard/index.php?a=topic&t=3539
--oryoki
Jim Yale wrote:
The Trim knobs of the FR-2LE affect the XLR microphone inputs only.
The Rec Level knob affects both the mic and line input.
Basically this is a question of "gain structure" which is usually
talked about in the subject of mixing consoles. It's just like a mixer
input channel in this order...
XLR mic socket -> Mic pre-amp and Trim (gain) control -> Line input
socket (over-rides XLR when used) -> Rec Level control knob.
Setting up a good gain structure basically (to me) means having as
much gain at the first opportunity in the signal path. With a
microphone this is the Mic Trim. The Rec Level is set to "unity," the
0 mark - neither boosting nor cutting the signal. The point of good
gain structure is that you don't amplify, cut and then re-amplify.
Each stage of amplification will also amplify the noise of the
preceeding circuits - so it's cleaner if you only amplify a signal in
just one stage as close to the source as possible.
I checked my unit with a -12dBFS 1Khz sine tone to line-in. Level "0"
corresponds to 3 o'clock on the Rec Level dials. That's the position
where the meters say -12. The 2LE provides about +4dB of gain above
this with Rec Level dial at max. The Right channel level had to be
tweaked slightly behind the left to get equal reading left and right.
I then sent a full 0dBFS signal and got everything lit up except Clip.
I'd therefore recommend 3o'clock for the Record Level dial. Less than
that is providing cut. If you find during recording the source gets
hotter than expected, don't be afraid to drop the Rec level - you can
do that qucker than the fiddly mic trim controls!
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