In-line attenuators vs. Little Labs Redcloud, to tame drums?

[mhschmieder]

Now that I am starting to record metal bands, I am being challenged by input levels on my RME Fireface 800. Even when setting the input to Lo-Gain, I am on rare occasion clipping the top snare mic, and am too uncomfortably beyond my 12 dB "safety zone" of headroom for the rest of the kit.

Thus, I have had to return to a question that I first pondered a few months ago, of buying individual in-line attenuators, either in XLR form for the input stage or TRS male-to-female for the output stage, or an octal rack-mount attenuator such as Little Labs Redcloud.

My nervousness about Redcloud is that it requires DB25 connectors, which I have heard from many sources is an unreliable way to connect gear due to dropouts, sensitivity to cable angle and crimps, etc. But maybe that only pertains to its use for digital data vs. analog signals?

As far as in-line attenuators are concerned, that can put extra weight and strain on jacks. Quality-wise, output attenuators are preferred -- especially as the True Precision 8 is nowhere near clipping and is way below its initial warning lights anyway. So gain staging principles indicate the attenuation should occur between pre-amp and A/D interface.

Has anyone else encountered this problem and dealt with it? I have never had problems with recording levels using my current setup, until I started working with metal acts.

[screws]

Sorry, I edited this post after seeing you're using the RME with built in preamps.

I was originally suggesting a passive output attenuator, but it has to be inserted between the preamps and the convertors.

[burn em]

Just get the inline attenuators and use short (like 30 cm) xlr cables after them to plug into your' pre's. They are all bits of kit that will get you out of trouble in the future. Having separate attenuators means you can use them in different places at once. Win, win if you ask me!

[mhschmieder]

I ended up ordering three attenuators for the output stage of my True Precision 8. I prefer attenuating after the pre-amp stage vs. before, for S/N reasons.