Hi there. I recently got an Ampex 600. I am interested to use the preamp in my home studio to record acoustic instruments into my Tascam 2488 multitracker. I think it may need some work to restore it to its full glory, as the audio signal seems to clip and distort at what seems to be quite low volume (with the volume at about 2 or 3). 
An additional detail is that the vu meter needle doesn't seem to go below -5/-7 dB when the mic is on and the vu meter needle shoots out with any kind of light room noise 
. I am trying to use it unmodified, using the headphones output straight into my multitracker, which I realise might need changing to match impedances, etc.
Has anyone got any idea what should be done to optimise this potentially very interesting pre to make it fully compatible with my digital multitracker? Thanks in advance,
Rasputana
An additional detail is that the vu meter needle doesn't seem to go below -5/-7 dB when the mic is on and the vu meter needle shoots out with any kind of light room noise . I am trying to use it unmodified, using the headphones output straight into my multitracker, which I realise might need changing to match impedances, etc. Has anyone got any idea what should be done to optimise this potentially very interesting pre to make it fully compatible with my digital multitracker? Thanks in advance,
Rasputana