Volume issues w/mic.

[rmurdo]

Hi all,

I have problem that is driving me nuts!

I have an xp based PC running Adobe Audtion. I have a usb preamp/audio interface, M-AUDIO MOBLEPRE. It goes to a Electrovoice RE20 mic.

I have all the pc record volumes max'd and the interface audio maxed and I still have to talk very loud to med volume recordings. On the pre amp there is a signal and clip led. I hsve pretty much yell to get a off and on signal led to flash.

Any ideas on troubleshooting this?

Thank!

Rob

[itsplayed]

Is your mic connected to the mic input at the rear of the unit via XLR and not through the 1/4" instr/line port of the front? If so, do you have Phantom power enabled?

[rmurdo]

Yes it is. I also have a phonejack cable that i tried in to the imput on the front of the device, that produced even lower volume.

[itsplayed]

Do you have access to another mic and mic cable to test? So you can at least eliminate this as the cause.

[BTLG]

Phantom power wouldn't affect an RE20 mic.....

[rmurdo]

I was able to get my mic an cable on a buddy's mixer. While ther was a little more control, it was still lower then his. Better though.

Does this mic require more quality pre-amp, or do you think its the mic?

thx,

rob

[itsplayed]

So all volume settings are maxed out? That also includes those setting found in the M-Audio MobilePre USB Control Panel?

[rmurdo]

That is correct.

[itsplayed]

Sounds like it could be a mic issue, take it somewhere to have checked. You could also have a bad cable, try swapping that first.

[GZsound]

Is your mic connected to the mic input at the rear of the unit via XLR and not through the 1/4" instr/line port of the front? If so, do you have Phantom power enabled?

The RE20 is a dynamic mic and does not use Phantom power. And the RE20 requires a ton of gain.

[sabianq]

The RE20 is a dynamic mic and does not use Phantom power. And the RE20 requires a ton of gain.


first,
this is the mic you are using, right?
http://www.electrovoice.com/Electrovoice3/products.nsf/pages/RE20/$file/RE20_stand_wclip_500.JPG

if it is,
this mic is a tank and most likely isnt the issue.

GZsound is correct, this is a dynamic mic and does not use phantom power. you do need a bit of gain to drive the mic.

do you have an analogue mixer you can plug the mic into?
also recheck your cable.
loose or misswired cables can really affect your signal.

[rmurdo]

That is the mic. I did try it on a mixer, not my own with a diffenrt cable. It was a bit better, still had to crank the gain compaired to his mic (diffenr brand).

I am kind of leaning in the direction that the interfaces I am using are on the cheaper side and may be the problem. Trying to find someone with higher quality gear to see if it's better.

[AndyH]

I don't know much about the details but different microphones have different outputs. Some need quite a bit more gain that others. Some preamps provide quite a bit more maximum gain than others.

I don't believe the gain provided is explicitly a quality issue. My microphone preamp, which does 60 dB, is not particularly expensive, and probably not better quality than many that provide only 45dB of gain. I think it is just a matter of matching the two pieces of equipment to each other.

Sometime the length of cable between the microphone and the preamp is an issue. Since the output of many microphones is rather low, there can be more of a problem with cable losses than would ever be noticed when dealing with higher level signals.

[GZsound]

That is the mic. I did try it on a mixer, not my own with a diffenrt cable. It was a bit better, still had to crank the gain compaired to his mic (diffenr brand).

I am kind of leaning in the direction that the interfaces I am using are on the cheaper side and may be the problem. Trying to find someone with higher quality gear to see if it's better.


I doubt it is the quality of your gear. My RE 20 requires a ton more gain than any other mic I own. When I first got it, I thought it had a pad switched in somewhere.

I would try a simple test. Plug another mic into your system and see what kind of gain you get. I will be willing to bet your problem is with the RE20 and not with the gain control on your mixer.

I have tried the RE20 with Mackie, Behringer and Soundcraft mixers and I have to crank the gain nearly all the way up to get it to give me any kind of a decent level on all of them.

You might have good luck getting something like a Studio Projects mic pre..which are cheap, but pretty good, and will provide you with more gain.