207d
instruction Manual
Aphex Systems Ltd. Model 207D
Page 14
207d
2-ch tube mic preamp with adc
Page 15
Aphex Systems Ltd. Model 207D
studio desks.
4.7 BYPASSING THE CONSOLE ALTOGETHER
When you are laying down tracks, why even involve
your mixing console? Maybe you had to do that to
be able to use console’s the mic preamps, but with
the 207D you can go direct to tape or disk or DAW
and eliminate an entire layer of electronics. Usually,
effects and equalization are best added later during
mixing.
Simply driving your recording electronics directly from
the 207D gives you the best initial sound tracks pos-
sible. Most studio recording sessions lay down 1 to 4
tracks at a time, session by session, until the needed
tracks have all been created. If you have one or two
Model 207D’s, you would have enough outboard
preamps to handle most recording sessions.
The main trick is to set the preamp gains low enough
to prevent overload, then record straight through
without riding gain. This gives you natural levels to
work with later. In mixdown you can compress tracks
and ride gain all you want. With MicLim™, you can
run all of the recording levels higher, using higher mic
gains, and not worry about overload. When MicLim™
acts, it is fast and smooth. Most of the time you
won’t notice it work. You will truly appreciate having
hot, clean and quiet tracks at mixdown. You will be
amazed at the quality you can achieve and how easily
it comes to you with great initial tracks. You will find
yourself messing around with EQ and compression
far less because the sound won’t need all that fixing.
Whatever artistic or production effects you want to
use will work better and be easier to accomplish.
4.8 USING THE 207D FOR STEREO RECORDINGS
Stereo recordists will find the Model 207D perfect for
Console
REPLACING THE CONSOLE’S MIC PREAMPS
2
0
7
Ch1
Output
Ch2
Output
Line
Input
Line
Input
humanly possible, even to the extent of compromis-
ing sound quality. Even the inordinately expensive
world class studio desks place a compromise on the
mic preamps they build in. Good preamps require
a lot of circuitry that just won’t fit inside. Let’s not
forget, too, that a really great mic preamp requires its
own ingenious circuitry and design. It is not surpris-
ing that of all the parts of a mixing desk, it is mainly
the mic preamps that ever get replaced.
No matter how noble the intent, there is one dilemma
that can thwart you in successfully bypassing the mic
pre of some consoles. You must become aware of
this problem in order to deal with it. We have been
instructing you to connect the Model 207D to the
LINE inputs of your console or other equipment, and
NEVER connect it to a mic input.
The problem is that
when connecting your 207D to your console’s line
inputs, you may actually be connecting to mic
inputs and not knowing it
. That is because many
consoles simply put a heavy pad in front of the mic
pre input to make a line input out of it. The whole
microphone preamplifier circuit is still in line and car-
rying your signal! You have to suffer the sonic limi-
tations of the console’s mic preamps and that may
mask out the benefits of using the 207D.
There is a solution if your console has pre-fader
inserts.
You can plug the output of your 207D into
the console’s insert jack, bypassing the channel’s
whole front end. That may eliminate the equalizer
and any other processing provided there, but it may
nevertheless be an excellent solution. You will be
able to have tracks that sound incredibly alive and
dimensional not needing much additional processing
anyway.
When driving a console’s insert jack, you may need
to build or obtain a special insert cable, usually in the
form of a “Y” cable. That is because the insert jacks
of low cost consoles are usually 1/4” stereo phone
jacks that carry send and return as unbalanced lines
using tip and ring, similar to the Model 207D’s insert
jack. You should consult your console’s manual for
instructions on connecting outboard equipment to
the insert jack. The 207D’s output can easily adapt to
driving an unbalanced insert. You simply set the oper-
ating level switch to whichever setting is closer to the
insert’s operating level. It will usually be -10dBV for
home studio mixers and +4dBu for fully professional
Using the 207D1