Restoring podcast recording from Qu24

[gilly]

We record our church podcasts from the Alt out on Qu24 using Mp3Cut. It’s usually set at 7 on the Alt knob on front of desk which records fine. But today the podcast came out totally distorted, just hissing noise. I later discovered that the Alt knob was turned up to max 10 level!!
Anyone know if this can be restored by somehow being able to lower the gain on the mp3 recording using a software package as the sermon was quite special and pastor was quite upset. I have Audacity on my laptop but don’t know if it is possible to restore,probably not ?? I think this Alt knob is too close to the headphone knob and i reckon this was mistakenly adjusted by someone thinking it was for the headphones!!

[Andreas]

…always good idea to have a backup recording on QuDrive…
…or to use a matrix out for recording (no exposed volume pot, additional limiter)…
…or being paranoid enough to re-check recording level every few minutes…

Anyway, since you obviously recorded analog using some external audio interface, I’m pretty sure clipping happened there. No chance to eliminate massive clipping afterwards, particularly not from MP3. sorry…

[GCumbee]

What’s done is done. Can’t unring a bell.

[Hawk]

unable to recover in this case

[DoctorG]

I thought I’d add my two cents to assure you that your error can not be undone. Sorry for your loss!

[Anonymous]

The only thing that can be done is to glue that pot In place for next time 🙁

Or put some sort of clip detection in the PC and have it flash the screen red?

[gilly]

Thanks for your inputs guys, I thought as much but just wanted to check as in some cases info can be restored using clever software.

And yes Bob, I already stuck sllotape over the Alt pot, super glue is a tad drastic !! 🙂
I initially tried to record using the 2Trk Out but I couldn’t seem to get much volume from this. Is there a way to increase the gain via settings for this output?

[Anonymous]

Nope, but you expect low levels, because the dynamic range is all there… Turn it up on the PC…

Or, better stll, use QuDrive…

[Dick Rees]

Why are you not using USB to connect to the computer?

[Anonymous]

Same level issue I presume, although the bit depth is still there, so it’s easy to bump the level later…

[Andreas]

Why are you not using USB to connect to the computer?

sadly I can’t find that other thread discussing exactly this. Direct USB Recording with Mp3Cut needs some additional gain within the mixer (i.e. using matrix out with activated compressor) to get some serious level.
I still recommend recording on QuDrive and convert to MP3 afterwards, but that’s an additional step and takes some time.

[gilly]

Last night i carried out 14 different tests on the recording levels to see if i could replicate the distorted hissing sound we got last Sundays podcast from ch21 radio mic.
And even with the levels very high in main FOH speakers where u started to get feedback (LR fader at 0db, ch21 gain at 12db, ch21 fader at 0db) and with the Alt Out recording level at max 10, there was no distortion in the recorded level. The optimum settings that gave no feedback in FOH and gave a decent level podcast recording was: LR fader at -5db, ch21 gain at 12db, ch21 fader at 0db and Alt Out recording level at 8. So beats me as to what could have caused that terrible very loud hissing recording last week where you couldnt even hear anything he said,just a loud hissing noise. Maybe a loose connection in one of the mini-jack cables between Alt out and PC???
Barry

[gilly]

Last night i carried out 14 different tests on the recording levels to see if i could replicate the distorted hissing sound we got last Sundays podcast from ch21 radio mic.
And even with the levels very high in main FOH speakers where u started to get feedback (LR fader at 0db, ch21 gain at 12db, ch21 fader at 0db) and with the Alt Out recording level at max 10, there was no distortion in the recorded level. The optimum settings that gave no feedback in FOH and gave a decent level podcast recording was: LR fader at -5db, ch21 gain at 12db, ch21 fader at 0db and Alt Out recording level at 8. So beats me as to what could have caused that terrible very loud hissing recording last week where you couldnt even hear anything he said, just a loud hissing noise. Maybe a loose connection in one of the mini-jack cables between Alt out and PC???
Barry

[Andreas]

We probabably need to hear it to get a clue. Indeed strange, if its obviously not the level…

[Lou]

You may be able to regain some intelligibility by using Izotope RX4… maybe not, depending. It was operator error, and the lack of a backup that shot you down. ALWAYS make a backup if others are expecting to have a recording! Lesson for the future…

I record to Qu-drive, but if someone pays me to record a gig I use a computer via USB, and a separate recorder on the 2mix from AES out.

I set my recording outs (alt and 2track and AES outs) to LRprefade so changing the master does not affect the recording.

[Author]

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