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Avoiding Audio Distortion
Do your recordings distort? Professional equipment uses balanced connections, and a higher audio line level (+4dBu). Semi-professional equipment uses unbalanced connections at a lower line level (-10dBv). Connecting the two often causes buzzes, and can cause distortion in recordings made to the unbalanced device.
VHS recorders, DVD recorders, unbalanced monitor speakers, and Avid mojo breakout boxes are all effected. The problem can be particularly noticeable if your equipment must deal with the full range of digital audio (for example if you are digitising sound from a DVCAM tape that was recorded using automatic level control in the field, it's possible that on peaks you'll have to cope with an enormous 20dB of volume above normal reference level).
There are a lot of level matching devices on the market that balance and boost the output of semi-pro equipment, as well as attenuating and unbalancing the input signal. We've come up with a pad design of our own that works very well in many situations. The unit's purpose in life is to take a pro-level balanced signal, and attenuate it to accurately feed an unbalanced device. The unit is passive, it uses a transformer and multi-turn resistor per channel within a diecast box for hum rejection.
If you'd like us to install one for you we can use our Neutrix test equipment to tune your system to handle maximum peaks without distortion, without sacrificing noise floor unnecessarily. (We've set up several Avid mojo systems to accurately accept any professional equipment at full professional level, and tuned within a 1dB tolerance to keep noise levels as low as possible). Alternatively we can sell attenuator pads on their own. Price is $135+gst each (effectively $122 via our prompt payment discount).