condensor vs dynamic / mic preamps & gains
Home > Home Recording Forum > Gear Gab > condensor vs dynamic / mic preamps & gains
Posted on Jun 16, 2005 10:10 am
little guy
just a good guesser
Member Since: Oct 04, 2004
as of right now i've got a behringer UB802 and a Shure PG48 (not exactly the best mic around). when i'm recording vocals i pick up the gain a bit and the outcome is a butt-load of white noise. i'm curious if a condensor mic would help reduce the white noise problem. my mixer also has phantom power so using a condensor IS an option. if anyone has any suggestions on ways to reduce the white noise issues that would be great.
p.s.
i've already checked my cables and set up just to be sure that it wasn't that causing the white noise.
[ Back to Top ]
TadpuiI am not a crook's headMember
Since: Mar 14, 2003
Jun 16, 2005 10:33 am I think that the entire signal chain you're using is responsible for the noise. Each piece of equipment will introduce its own noise, so it'll be a matter of dealing with it a bit at a time.
First, that Shure PG mic probably has a good deal of self-noise. Then there are the preamps on your Behri mixer...they seem to be hit-and-miss as far as noise. dB says his are quiet as a mouse, and others say they're the noisiest things they've heard. Then there's the integrated sound card on your computer. Those little 1/8" inputs are some noisy suckers, and the card itself will probably generate some noise.
So it's going to take some experimentation to find which component is generating the most noise and maybe replace that component. Since you're in the market for a new sound card, I think that'll make a pretty good difference. It definitely will not hurt.
As far as using a condensor, it'll be a huge leap in clarity over your PG series mic, but it's also a much more sensitive microphone design that'll pick up room noise and acoustics, so make sure that your room is nice and quiet and acoustically sound.
little guyjust a good guesserMember
Since: Oct 04, 2004
Jun 16, 2005 10:40 am hey thanks for the advice.
Jun 16, 2005 11:16 am yeah you can lower your noize floor with proper gain staging....place all faders of your mixer at unity gain (0db) and adjust only your preamp's gain knob to set levels.
Jul 20, 2005 04:11 pm someone can correct me if I'm off the mark, but you could also be gettin RF interference...
check to make sure your cables aren't picking up unwanted hiss/hum by lying against or near other electronic signals.
this heartily applies if your running unbalanced between your board and your soundcard input.
Cables running parallel over longer distance = bad
just my 2 cents
RigsbyUltra MagnusMember
Since: Nov 13, 2004
Jul 20, 2005 06:45 pm Gain staging has changed my life the last year or so, makes a huge difference.
Also, the worse your pres, the less you get from your mics, and the difference is more obvious with dynamics as they inheriently have less juice.
