Pad for A12 with drums?

[Tone Laborer]

Do you all have to use a pad when using your A12, or any SCA pres, when recording sharp loud sources like drums and loud guitar amps?

Just wondering if the lack of a pad is a problem, even at lowest settings, like api, and my apogee mini me, where a pad is mandatory.

Thanks, I 'm a newb looking into building some of these.

[craigmorris74]

I never have. I've used SM 57's and an AT 4047 as mics and they've never been too hot. I hit the heck out of the drums too! You don't have to use a lot of gain though, so if you have a real hot mic, like a Neumann TLM 103, it could.

[JustMike]

Well, I'm a little late to the party, but my A12's and N72'a are HOT. I can't turn them down enough. Isn't there a simple resistive network pad thingie that can be built for about $2.00?

[tpryan]

Here's one of many calculators: http://www.icycolors.com/nu9n/tpad-calculator.html A search for "H pad" or "balanced pad" or "balanced attenuator" will find lots more.

To attenuate the mic signal, you want an input impedance of 1500 ohms and and output impedance of 150 ohms. To attenuate the preamp output, use an input impedance of 10000 ohms and an output impedance of 600 ohms.

[DrywOwens]

as anyone found an ideal line level attenuation value (db)? I would like to build this pad... where is the best location on the A12 to install the pad?