Rode NTR - A New Bi-directional Active Ribbon Studio Mic

The Rode NTR ($799) is an active, bi-directional ribbon microphone that surpasses vintage designs primarily because of it's sensitivity (-30.5 dB re 1V/Pa (30mV @ 94dB SPL) ± 2dB @ 1kHz) and tone. In side by side comparisons with Rode's NT1 studio condenser mic, the NTR was 3 dB more sensitive. That surprised me!

Your father's or grandfather's ribbon microphone required so much mic preamp gain that increased noise floor was inevitable. How did they manage back then? Really good mic preamps, usually with a special transformer on the input to step up the voltage, and placement of the mic itself. Plus, early "hi-fi" systems didn't have anywhere near as much bandwidth as a 24-bit recording (or even an mp3). 

How much ribbon you are moving also figures into the formula. That can be achieved by the length of the ribbon or how many ribbons were used in one mic. The Beyer M160 and RCA 77 series ribbon mics grabbed some extra sensitivity by having two ribbons. Think about it. You basically have a relatively fragile strip of aluminum floating in a magnetic field. A sound happens, the ribbon moves sympathetically and that movement within the magnetic field generates a small voltage. 

A lot of "magic" was invested in the early ribbon mics. The thickness of the ribbon was and still is important. The Rode NTR ribbon has a thickness of 1.8 microns. 

Each ribbon is run through a crimping mill that imparts a pattern on the aluminum. The crimp is a "special recipe." This is done to provide the ribbon with some structure to strengthen it and allow it to be tensioned properly. 


Longer ribbons generate more voltage, but longer ribbons are more fragile. The ribbon must be stretched to achieve a linear frequency response. As any ribbon mic ages, the ribbon material will sag and change the response. According to Rode Marketing Manager Scott Emerton, "Our engineers spent a lot of time optimising the ‘crimp’ of the ribbon to minimise any slack being introduced. Also there’s a multi-stage tension and relaxing process for each ribbon as it’s placed in its motor which increases that life."

Addendum: Rode covers you with one new ribbon for free. They also warranty the NTR for a year and for ten years if you register the mic at www.rode.com/warranty.

Here's an image of the crimping and tensioning jig with a new ribbon spanning across the gap and held in place by the two brass blocks. For a motion picture of this procedure, here's a YouTube link. 

Zoom Q8 - Like A Q4, But More

 On the face of it, if you thought the Q4 was a good deal at $299, but lacked some features, maybe the Zoom Q8, at $399 is the answer. I like the Q4 for the price and found it easy to use. The picture was good for this kind of small camera. If you missed my review of the Zoom Q4, you can find it here. 

The Q8 came with foam pop filter for the X/Y mics. It's OK for indoors, but you really need a dead squirrel for outside work. The kit also includes a USB charging and file transfer cable, lens hood and lens cap.

The Q4 and Q8 are color balanced only for daylight. The lack of adjustable white balance for both cameras means, if you shoot under incandescent lighting, everything looks too red. If you shoot under fluorescent things look green and yellow and you can not correct that in the camera. You can, of course, in post, if you know how.

The Q8 doesn’t seem to make automatic exposure adjustments as well as the Q4, but perhaps thats because the LCD viewer panel makes most shots look blown out even when they aren’t. 

I don’t recall seeing the 24 Mbps 2304 x 1296, 30 fps video resolution on the 
Q4, but the Q8 offers it. Quicktime will play it, but when I imported some of these files into FCP X, I got this text box: The Video Properties of this clip are not recognized. Click OK to use the settings below or click Cancel to choose another clip to automatically set your properties from. Format 2K, 2048x1152 29.97p. Final Cut X had to re-render them before they played on the timeline.

In addition, while the clips played back in the camera, they dropped frames when played back from a USB card reader and also when played back from my computer's internal HD using Quicktime 10.1 player. Curiously, Quicktime 7 was able to play without dropped frames. I was using a SanDisk Extreme 80 MB/s 10 SD HC I SD card. 

The smaller, 24 MBPS 1920 x 1080 30P files opened right up with no problem. While most of the Q8 video settings are 30 fps, it does have 1280 x 720 and 800 x 480 modes at 60fps for shooting higher action subjects. 

Rode NTG4 and NTG4+ Shotgun Microphones - New Tools

Rode NTG4 & NTG4+

Rode continues it’s pursuit of the audio for video market with a new pair of shotgun mics; the NTG4 ($369) and NTG4+ ($399). They are basically identical except that the NTG4+ has a USB rechargeable Lithium Ion battery. 

The NTG4 runs off of 12 V, 24 V or 48 V Phantom Power, but the NTG4+ only runs off 48 V Phantom Power or its battery. That battery, when new, takes two hours to charge and runs for about 150 hours. You can charge it with any USB charger or a USB port on a computer.

This means you can use the NTG4+ with standard professional audio gear that supplies Phantom Power, or with cameras and devices that may not have Phantom Power. With 150 hours run time, you could shoot 24/7 for six days without recharging.

Note that not all Phantom Power supplies are the same. If your Phantom Power supply is only 12 V or 24 V and you try to use a mic that needs 48 V, it may work, but there will be some degree of distortion because you’re starving it. 

Rode tweeked the capsule or capsule response in these two new mics, rolling off a bit of the low end that their NTG1 and NTG2 capture. I don’t find it to be a problem. There are shotgun mics like the Shure VP 89 that are obviously designed for run and gun ENG work in very noisy environments. On that series, the low end is markedly rolled off. Not so much on the NTG4 and NTG4+. 

If you can't read the specs to the right, here's a link to the data sheet. 


Triple Treat

There are three buttons on the NTG4 and NTG4+; High Frequency Boost, Low Frequency Cut and -10dB Pad. The HF Boost feature is usually used when the mic is mounted in a blimp/zeppelin wind stopper to offset the high frequency loss caused by the fur and material. You could also operate with it on if you just liked the sound of the peaky response or if the person you’re micing has one of those really soft, dark voices that needs a little help.

Here's a link to the multilingual Quickstart Guide.

And here's my hands-on demo so you can see and hear what the NTG4+ sounds like. Yes they have revoiced the capsule, relative to the NTG1 and NTG2. I like the change; a little tighter low end.

Both the NTG4 and NTG4+ come with the RM5 non-suspension mic clip, ZP2 padded storage pouch and foam windshield. The NTG4+ also includes the micro USB charging cable. 

Rode is big on support. Just register the NTG4 or NTG4+ at their web site and your new mic will be under warranty for ten years. 

Technique, Inc. © 2105 All Rights Reserved

Reach Ty Ford at www.tyford.com

RME ADI-8 DS Mk iii A/D D/A Conversion - Time marches on, and gets more accurate.

Ty Ford

I’m writing this article in February 2015. If you’re still arguing that analog is better than digital, I can’t help you. I’m OK with the idea that drums and other sounds with high transients may be recorded on properly aligned and biased analog tape recorders and that the non-linearities of that system may result in a sound you like better. The rounding off by tape compression is an acknowledged, if not expensive, effect in music production today. I get it.

File that on the shelf next to “Ford’s Theorum” (something I’ve said for years) which states that, “Good analog is better than bad digital and good digital is better than bad analog.” Further, that, “Good solid state is better than bad tubes and good tubes are better than bad solid state.” You can argue the boundaries of those intersections, but you can’t argue that they don’t exist.

The transformer - no transformer debate is sort of a corollary of the above. Yes, iron changes the sound and in some cases can be said to make things sound more pleasing. Yes, the right iron and the right number of windings can help low sensitivity mics do better by providing some “free” gain. 

Once you get tired of arguing any of the above, there’s still A/D conversion to hammer out. Fortunately, we are years and many revisions past the early and ugly attempts at 16-bit, 44.1 kHz. Yes, there was a quantum leap when good 24-bit was achieved. Yes, we can and have taken it farther, but In a world where the largest market segment is happy listening to mp3 files on cell phone earbuds, how far do we really need to go?

Audio is seldom the prime mover in the Technology Circus. More typically, audio is the happy recipient of advances in the video, medical technology and scientific measurement industries. Below those impressive moments is...wait for it...Audio. 

George Massenburg GML 8204

In my own pursuit of “financially limited perfection”, I realized that there are others like myself who can hear things that others can’t. 

Likewise, there are things I’m relatively deaf to that others can hear. We are all in pursuit of satisfaction; our own individual happy place that makes us smile when we hear “the right stuff.” There are many paths.

I improved the audio on my first Pro Tools rig almost 15 years ago by carefully selecting some good preamps - GML 8204 and Millennia Media STT-1. After settling in with them, I took aim at the A/D conversion. The hardware I was using had an ADAT optical port, and because of my budget, I tried the RME ADI-8 DS shortly after it came out in 2000. This was back before AES standards had evolved and Tascam’s TASCAM Digital Interface (TDIF) and Alesis’ ADAT ruled the swamp.

Millennia Media STT-1

Almost 15 years later, my ADI-8 DS is still in the rack and apart from requiring a recent power supply replacement, has been powered up and quietly doing its job all along. I did the power supply swap out with a little help from RME US rep Jeff Petersen at the Synthax in Ft. Lauderdale office, distributors for RME/Alva Cableware and Ferrofish in the USA.

Synthax's Jeff Petersen

The thing is, A/D converters often don’t get the respect they deserve. Petersen puts it nicely, “Converters aren’t sexy, they’re just clean and effective.” He’s right. 

The RME ADI-8 DS Mk iii that's the object of this review, and an upgrade from the piece I've ben using is just a one rack-space box with a few lights and switches on the front and holes in the back. 

It’s supposed to be inaudible, invisible. If you’re an electric guitar player with a pedal board, you want each pedal to change the sound. Fine, but the job here is to allow as much original detail though as possible.

Back then, combined with the better preamps, the first RME ADI-8 DS made a noticeable improvement in my audio at 44.1kHz and 48 kHz. The Lavry and DB Technologies I tried had more detail, but were too expensive and I was satisfied by the improvement brought by the ADI-8 DS. I could go ADAT light pipe right in to the Digidesign hardware. That was a big plus.

By replacing Digi preamps and A/D conversion, I had bypassed the entire front end of the Digidesign hardware. I don’t use the D/A conversion, just the A/D. No disrespect to Digidesign. They had a piece at a price. I just built out from that with gear that I could hear made a difference and that (Including five preamps and eight channels of A/D conversion) cost nine times my original investment in Digidesign hardware and software. I expected that would pay off for my host-based system as computers got faster and storage got cheaper. It did.

I think I started with Pro Tools V 5 and am now at V 10. I use it every day and make a living with it. Pro Tools 11 is current and, for the first time, offers faster than real time Bounce To Disk, but I’ll need to upgrade my entire Mac platform and all the good and bad can be expected to go along with that. I’m just not ready to do that at the moment.

RME ADI-8 DS Mk iii

RME ADI-8 DS Mk iii

The most notable operational difference between my ADI-8 DS and the newer ADI-8 DS Mk iii is that the D-subs connections now go to AES/EBU I/Os instead of TDIF. As the AES/EBU spec has evolved, more AES enabled gear has been created; including this upgrade for the ADI-8 DS Mk iii. About how the line of RME converters plays out, Petersen says, “The ADI-8 Pro (48k max) was the original, the ADI-8 DS (96k max) would be the Mk ii essentially, and the ADI-8 DS Mk iii (192k max) is the 3rd generation of this venerable 8 channel converter. The QS is a different animal.” I took the opportunity to give it a test run during the time my “original recipe” unit was out of the rack for its power supply exchange.

The Mk iii benefits from the 14 years of advancing technology since the first ADI-8 DS was released. The most noticeable spec difference is the lower latency of the Mk iii. It’s at 12 samples, the old one was at 40 samples. I am not bothered by the old unit’s 40 samples, but if that was a deal killer for you, see how you like 12. 

Like the earlier model, The ADI-8 DS Mk iii is an 8-channel AD and DA converter in a standard 19", 1U box. This includes ICC Intelligent Clock Control (ICC), SyncCheck ™, four hardware reference levels up to +24 dBu (instead of just three), AES/EBU and ADAT I/O, with up to a 192 kHz sample rate. 

According to RME, “Our unique SyncCheck and AutoSync technology has evolved into the new Intelligent Clock Control of the Hammerfall DSP system. HDSP is the only digital I/O-system worldwide capable of measuring and displaying the frequency of all clock sources. Even word clock! Based on validity and current sample rate the system then decides which clock source should be used - fully automated and performed in hardware. With this the HDSP system offers the easiest handling of the present clocks.”

Word Clock Implementation

The signal present at the Mk iii BNC Word Clock input can be single, double or quad speed and when lock is achieved the WCK LED stops blinking and glows steadily. RME uses what they call a “Signal Adaptation Circuit” and “Automatic Signal Centering” to reshape the Word Clock signal. This reshaping addresses several possible fault problems, including poorly shaped, low or high signal at the input and sends the new signal to the Mk iii WCK BNC output. The WCK BNC output also has built-in 75 Ohm termination, should you need to slave the Mk iii at the end of a chain of digital devices.  

SteadyClock is RME’s answer to the problematic Superclock and has been added since the earlier ADI-8 DS. It uses a 22 MHz clock signal that RME believe better answers the stability problems raised by Superclock. The Dither feature of the earlier model is also absent from the Mk iii.

Analog-Land

Analog inputs are via eight 1/4” TRS jacks or one 24-pin D-sub connector. The TRS input jacks are servo-balanced to accept either balanced TRS audio or TS unbalanced audio. You may see the term “double balanced” in the marketing information. I had no idea what that term meant, so I inquired. Turns out it means that both the TRS and D-Sub connections are each balanced, hence “double balanced.” I would hope so, but you never know these days. Another term, Full Symmetrical, caught my eye and I was told that meant that all stages are fully balanced instead of single ended. 

While you may use only one of the inputs, 1/4” or D-sub, the Mk iii outputs have separate drivers enabling both 1/4” (TS or TRS) and D-Sub outputs to be used simultaneously. The TRS/TS output is servo-balanced, but the D-sub is not. When connecting with unbalanced audio gear, pin 3 must be lifted.

As with the analog input, the analog output also has four selections for level; +24 dBu, +19 dBu, +13 dBu and +4 dBu (-10 dBv).

A/D Input

If you have analog gear with different output levels, the DS Mk iii is even more obliging than the original DS. There’s a fourth analog sensitivity setting from which to choose. So now you have +4.2 dB (-10dBv, +13 dBu, +19 dBu and +24 dBu. These changes are all made before the A/D converter. 

The analog LED input level lights on the original DS flashed at 2 dB below FS, which I initially found disturbing, but learned to ignore. The Mk iii partially lights at -2dB FS and goes to full brightness at 0 dBFS. In the heat of the moment I don’t know if I’ll notice the difference. I’m still in ignore/denial mode. I’m not always looking at the rack, so LED hold lights may be helpful if you’re the type that likes pushing input levels as high as you can get them.

Digital Patch Bay

After A/D conversion, the audio is available at both AES and ADAT outputs simultaneously, except when in Patch Mode. The Patch Mode lights indicate the choice you’ve made and which output is active. 

Maybe the key differentiation feature for is the Digital Patch Bay. If you have a variety of digital audio boxes in your studio and they need to talk to each other, you may have had to stop, get behind your racks and swap cables and/or connections to do certain things from time to time. 

The RME web site explains this simple, push-button feature quite well, “A digital patchbay with free choice of source and destination setup can be used to convert ADAT to AES, AES to ADAT, cross-convert them at the same time, pass ADAT on to ADAT while monitored analog, and many more. The ADAT outputs also feature copy mode for connection of two different ADAT devices. These powerful and easy to use modes add significant value to the already outstanding conversion quality.

During single speed A/D conversion (up to 48 kHz), both ADAT and ADAT AUX outputs carry the same audio. A/D conversion is not available during AES input to ADAT and AES output

ADAT input to ADAT and AES output

AES input to ADAT output and ADAT input to AES output

AES input to AES output and AES input to AES output. 

In normal studio operations, the DS Mk iii will be the master and any digital devices connected to it will be slaves. That’s how it is with my setup. The Digidesign 003R is the slave and that is a choice in the Pro Tools software. Within Pro Tools, the ADAT protocol and optical source (because ADAT is optical) are the way to go. the When devices are locked correctly, the Mk ii Sync Light is on and steady. A blinking light means there’s a problem.

In Conclusion

As mentioned before, decidedly unsexy, but very important to the integrity of the signal chain. I recorded voice, acoustic guitar and drums separately on both my original ADI-8 DS and the Mk iii at 24-bit, 44.12 kHz. Try as I could, I could not detect any real difference in the sound. 

So it’s primarily about AES/EBU implementation, the lower latency, the added flexibility of the patch bay, SteadyCLock and an added input sensitivity and output level increment. My ADI-8 DS has been in the rack and powered up 24/7 for about 15 years before the power supply checked out. That’s got to count for something, too.

Technique Inc. © 2015 All Rights Reserved 

www.tyford.com

Here’s the bullet list from the RME web site.

8-channel AD converter, full symmetrical design, 119 dBA

8-channel DA converter, double balanced output, 120 dBA

Low latency conversion: less than 12 samples delay

4 x AES/EBU I/O per D-sub, 8 channels @ 192 kHz

2 x ADAT I/O, 8 channels @ 96 kHz, 4 channels at 192 kHz

Word clock input and output

2 x 8-channel level metering

Comprehensive digital patch mode for full interconnectivity

RME ADI-8DS SPECS

• Input AD: 1/4” TRS jack and 25 pin D-sub, servo balanced, all symmetrical audio path

• Output AD: 4 x AES/EBU, 2 x ADAT optical

• Input DA: 4 x AES/EBU, 2 x ADAT optical

• Output DA: 1/4” TRS jack servo balanced, to +21 dBu. 25 pin D-sub, balanced, to +24 dBu.

• Dynamic Range AD: 119 dBA

• THD AD: < -110 dB (< 0.00032 %)

• THD+N AD: < -104 dB (< 0.00063 %)

• Crosstalk AD: > 110 dB

• Dynamic Range DA: 120 dBA unmuted

• THD DA: < -104 dB (< 0.00063 %)

• THD+N DA: < -102 dB (< 0.0008 %)

• Crosstalk DA: > 110 dB

• Input level for 0 dBFS: +24 dBu, +19 dBu, +13 dBu, +4.2 dBu

• Output level for 0 dBFS: +24 dBu, +19 dBu, +13 dBu, +4.2 dBu

• Input/Output level at 0 dBFS @ -10 dBV: +2 dBV

• Sample rates: 44.1, 48, 88.2 , 96, 176.4, 192 kHz, variable (sync/word)

• Frequency response AD/DA -0.1 dB: 10 Hz - 23.2 kHz (sf 48 kHz)

• Frequency response AD/DA -0.5 dB: < 5 Hz - 43.0 kHz (sf 96 kHz)

• Frequency response AD/DA -1 dB: < 5 Hz - 85.0 kHz (sf 192 kHz)

• Power supply: Internal switching mode ps, 100 V-240 V AC

Audio-Technica System 10 - Now With Battery-powered Receiver & More

System 10 with AC-powered Receiver

I was very interested in Audio-Technica’s System 10 roll out a year ago. The first System 10 only offered an AC-powered receiver. That kept it from camera or bag use for location audio. It appeared that Audio-Technica was looking first at the Church, PA and Musician markets and coming in with some nice pricing. $300 for a handheld mic and receiver is head turning. The audio is compressed, using an APTX codec.

BTW, here's my previous review with sound samples.

Now there's a new battery-powered receiver designed to fit on a camera and a stomp box for guitar players. That certainly changes the game, but let's backtrack.

System 10 is more than just a new, remarkably affordable wireless system, it's a technology shift. Not VHF. Not UHF, but up in 2.4 GHz with Wi-Fi. I need to make a point here; System 10 does not require Wi-Fi to operate. In fact, a thick Wi-Fi environment may make it operate closer to Audio-Technica published specs. In addition to passing 24-bit, 48 kHz, 3.8 mSec low latency audio, the System 10 transmitter and receiver are in constant communication with each other and they shift automatically as needed and without dropout or frequency coordination. Read on…!

5/2015 Addendum: While the System 10 works quite well with the Audio Technica 830 Lav, I found digital RF problems and noise when using Audio Technica's BP892 and BP896 mini lav and headworn mics. It's apparently a shielding problem. More on that as it develops.

11/6/15 Addendum: The BP892 heqdworn lav has now been altered to reject the 2.4 GHz noise. They are still working on the BP896.

AT8691 Double Receiver Mount

11/6/15 Here's some solid good news for existing System 10 owners. Audio-Technica has released a new bracket, the AT8691 that allows you to stack two System 10 receivers on top of each other. The AT8691 comes with a shoe terminal for camera or stand mounting. The bracket also ships with the AT8351 Y-connector that allows both receivers to be connected to one piece of gear via its 1/8" mini TRS jack for split track audio.

3/17/16 The Countryman B6 works well with the Audio-Technica System 10 transmitter. 

Maximum Performance?

OK, the manual for this receiver makes me a little concerned. "Place the receiver at least three feet above the ground and three feet from any wall or metal surface. In bold letters; Keep System 10 receiver 30 feet from any wireless access points. In multi-channel systems, keep receivers at least three feet apart." Well that means you can't mount two of them on top of a camera or in a location audio bag. But what about the AC-powered receivers? Those you can stack eight high? That doesn't make sense.

Audio-Technica's
Gary Boss

I called Gary Boss at Audio-Technica US for some background. "We've been working with digital wireless for more than a dozen years, if you count when we began research. Our current upscale product, SpectraPulse Ultra Wide Band, has been out for seven years. When we submitted it to the FCC for approval, we had to send one of our engineers because the FCC couldn't find the signal. The nature of the system has the signal buried in the noise floor."

Zoom Q4: 1080p with LCD viewer and 24/96 kHz audio

For $299, I am amazed by this little "toy." I have locked my wallet and credit card in the trunk of my car for the last year to keep the "impulse buy" demons at bay from this sort of technology. The GoPros are also very hard to resist. When I had the chance to get one here to play with, without nicking my credit card, I did. After looking at both GoPro and Zoom, I chose the Zoom for a test ride because of the audio and because of the detachable LCD screen.

This review will be an editorial departure for me in that I'm letting the video do most of the talking. This first "show and tell" video is a tour of the Zoom Q4 features. Blogger doesn't seem to allow text beside videos, so there's more white space than usual.

Neumann TLM 107 - Medium Diaphragm, 5 Patterns, Quiet

Neumann TLM 107

With the U 87 ai, U 89 i and TLM 170 cresting past $3,000 USD, what’s an average guy or gal to do to get a multi-pattern Neumann in the studio? My ears told me that the TLM 107 has more in common with the U 89i than the U 87ai. I've always enjoyed the more natural response of the U 89 i, TLM 170 and TLM 67 mics in Neumann line. Here's my TLM 67 review. 

The TLM 107 is a pin two high, transformerless, five-patterned, medium diameter, studio mic with, high-pass and pad features. The three main patterns are augmented by a wide cardioid and a hypercardioid.

Christopher Currier

According to Sennheiser's Product Specialist, Christopher Currier, "The U-89i and the D-01 are the mics we compare the TLM 107 to in terms of frequency response. It’s not as bright as the U 87 ai or the TLM 103."  

"It’s designed to be a little more linear. The navigation switch is a cool feature. The new grille has been designed to reduce sibilance and popping. The headgrille mesh is new and it's breaking up the high frequencies more than with the TLM 103." 

ZOOM H5 - Somewhere Between H4 and H6

This may be the longest review I’ve written in some time. No magazine I‘ve ever written for would allow me to put this much information in a review. There's just not enough space available. I felt obliged to cover the many features offered by the Zoom H5. If you begin to lose traction, swim to the edge of the pool and hold on until you get your breath. Then dive back in.

Don’t need six tracks that the Zoom H6 offers? (I know, who doesn’t need more tracks?) Like the idea of real level knobs instead of menu buttons? 

EXH-6 XLR/TRS Input Module

For $269, the Zoom H5 sits between the $229 H4n and $399 H6 and strikes me as a nifty little hand held 4-track recorder that’s capable of doing a number of odd jobs. Let’s see what it can do, and what it can’t. First off, no surprise - no SMPTE.

I was also sent the EXH-6 Dual XLR/TRS input module and SGH-6 Shotgun with furry, but not the MSH-6 Mid/Side mic or any other accessories. The H5 also takes the H6 modules. 

Handy Phone Recording Rig Improves Webinar Audio

Sometimes high fidelity takes a back seat to content. In this case, a company that does a webinar series asked for my help in cleaning up and streamlining their audio. I heard their previous webcast and, wow was it bad! Way too much data compression. Intelligibility was suffering. Surely I could do better.

I was asked to record the panelists in different cities in advance of the event, sequence their audio with other voice recordings and create a master .wav file that would be the bulk of the presentation. There would be a live Q&A and a pre-recorded good bye. The webinar would run a little less than an hour. I was also hired to be on site for the show to help the producer.

There are lots of ways to get audio off a phone line. Perhaps the easiest is a phone hybrid and I just happened to have a JK AutoHybrid in my bag of tricks. The phone line plugs into the hybrid and although it has XLR in and out, it has no level adjustments.

Between the hybrid and Pro Tools, I put a Sound Devices MixPre-D so that I could adjust levels as needed. I could have used the MixPre-D's USB out to get into the computer, but chose my RME ADI-8 DS A/D converter. It uses ADAT optical to get into my Digidesign DIGI003R.