May 23, 2004 02:53 pm My bad about the misspellings...also, I can't get a wave signal from into Acid. Only barely and thats when I yell into the mic.
Aight, hope I provided enough info...
Desperate 4 HELP!!
Posted on May 23, 2004 02:50 pm
JusAuser
Member Since: May 23, 2004
Equipment:
Audiophile 2496 (soundcard)
MXL 990 condenser mic (microphone)
Art tube MP StudioV3 (pre amp)
Acid Pro 4 (recording software)
Problem:
After tons of trial and error now I can't get recording levels to work properly with Audiophile soundcard and the mic pre amp. I have to yell in the mic, to even come close to accepting any signal.
Current Setup:
Mic is plugged into the Pre amp (thru input slot)
Mono (unbalanced) output w/ adapter (from pre amp)is plugged into PC soundcard's input slot.
Monitors are plugged into soundcard's output slot.
Suggestion:
Don't know where to even try to fix this problem. Spent tons of time reading threads that come close but don't help. Can someone please help...I really don't want to go out and by another pre amp.
Thanks in advance!
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May 23, 2004 02:53 pm My bad about the misspellings...also, I can't get a wave signal from into Acid. Only barely and thats when I yell into the mic.
Aight, hope I provided enough info...
May 23, 2004 03:39 pm Maybe a really dumb question, but are you sure your pre-amp has phantom power?
May 23, 2004 04:07 pm Yea, it has phantom power and the button is pressed in. Thanks for the suggestion, I'm taking all that I can get right about now.
Keep them coming! :)
May 23, 2004 04:19 pm you should try to plug the mic in the balanced input, because its the only one who will receive the phantom power supply, obviously, if you are running a condenser mic, if it's a dynamic both should do.
May 23, 2004 04:55 pm Can't plug the mic directly into the PC because the Audiophile 2496 soundcard doesn't have XLR connections. Only has RCA connections. And the pre amp is suppose (Art tube MP StudioV3) to provide the phantom power.
Mic in/Pre amp out/ In to PC
Thats the way that I understood of the way that it should be setup.
thanks tho, good try!
May 23, 2004 05:28 pm So, I can't exactly tell from the post, but are you using any cables that are XLR on one side and 1/4" on the other side. When I first got my SM57 and tried recording vocals through it, I had a similar problem and was using that cable from the mic to the mixer. Once I started using an XLR to XLR cable the problem went away.
May 23, 2004 06:18 pm My XLR cable is running to the preamp. in the input slot. Unfortunately, I don't have XLR connections for my soundcard.
OUTPUT on preamp:
I'm running a Y cable 1/4" mono adapter to 2 1/8" RCA's on the other end to plug into the soundcard
May 23, 2004 06:51 pm Um, I'm not an expert on this here (mostly cuz I'm not real familiar with your soundcard), but I'm thinking that for straight vocal recording (no effects before you hit the computer), your best bet would be to go 1/4" from your preamp to a 1/4" on the 2496. As is, it looks like you are trying to send an analog signal through digital connections (RCAs), before it has had a chance to be converted (usually done in the soundcard). Does that make sense?
Basically, my advice is just to try a single 1/4" to 1/4" connection from the pre to the soundcard. Don't worry about recording in stereo at this point.
May 23, 2004 07:01 pm Thanks coolo,
I'll give that a try, but now I'll have to try and find an adapter for my soundcard to accept 1/4" cables. I appreciate you taking tha time to help out.
I'm just a lil frustrated with the hole adapter thing. Its hard cause giving up is not an option, been working on this for about 4 or 5 days now...reading everything in site...I'ma keep hoping somebody will be able to solve the problem.
if worse comes to worse WANNA BUY A BRAND NEW PRE AMP!! lol
jus kidding...maybe
May 24, 2004 12:38 am hmmm, I assumed the 2496 had 1/4" ins. Wait til someone who has that soundcard stops by. They will probably have better insight than I do.
May 24, 2004 02:56 am i'm sure you've already done this, but it's the only thing that comes to mind...
you shouldnt need to buy an adapter and go from 1/4 to RCA. i have the 2496. the problem may be in the soundcard setup. go to control panel, find the m-audio icon, click on it, and spend some time looking at the input levels. use the manual. it took me a bit of playing around with that to get the signals hot. i recall there also being some mean, un-obvious trick in getting it to work right. as if they were trying to fool you. as a game.
but it really should work, unless your preamp is somehow messed up.
if this suggestion is lame, sorry. i've been out dri*hic*nking
May 24, 2004 04:01 am try restarting computer! My USB audio interface sometimes just zones out and records really quietly. Restarting copmuter with the card disconnected and then inserting once windows has started up sloves this problem most of the time.
May 24, 2004 04:46 am Yeah, try toggling between the different options for inputs in the Delta control panel...sometimes those work rather unintuitively.
Also, as always, make sure you have the newest drivers.
May 24, 2004 09:27 am Hate to be speaking erroneously, but, on my 1010lt there's settings for mic levels:
-4db, 10db, or something along those lines. I'd think if the software is expecting one setting and the hardware is something else, there may be the result you're speaking of. I'm guessing the 2496 would have some of the same settings as the 1010lt.
just a thought . . .
hth
May 24, 2004 09:50 am Does your mic has an input pad button??
Also, the Art preamps have a 20db button, have you tried it yet??
I have a setup similar to yours and these are the first things that came to mind in trying to resolve your situation.
keep posting!
May 24, 2004 09:55 am You've probably checked this, but in case you haven't... double-click on the taskbar volume icon. Are all your levels correctly set? I'm always changing the volume for various purposes, myself.
May 24, 2004 12:57 pm yeah listen to tin...
check every fader you can think of. go into the windows volume control. go into the m-audio controls. and also check out the soundcard setup inside your sequencing program. to get my 2496 to work i had to adjust faders both in the 2496 setup panel AND in cubase. the settings of one affect the settings of the other, and i had to do some balancing.
May 25, 2004 05:49 am Thanks fellas,
DB masters-
Unfortunately, I already tried toggling between the different options in the delta control panel and updated the drivers; but there is one thing I just tried. Everything works fine with my regular dynamic mic (works w/out phantom power). Just not with my condenser mic.
PJK-
I've noticed the variable output setting options that I can use: consumer or -10dbv. I already toggle between those settings, but I'll keep trying.
Sonico-
Yes, you are correct theres is a Art tube 20db gain button. I've tried it and all I seem to get is extra frequency noise (if thats the correct term) it registers in the delta software's volume meters just not regular mic volume.
The Tincan Bug & Fortymile-
Thanks for the input, but yea I've been desperately toggling with my volume levels also. I'll keep trying though!
Thanks again fellas I appreciate the input. I'm beginning to think its a mic issue. What do you think? I HOPE SO, CAUSE I ALREADY SENT IT BACK IN FOR A NEW ONE! IF, NOT THEN I GUESS I'LL SEND THE AMP BACK IN NEXT. I'll keep you updated.
May 25, 2004 06:37 am Yup, it sure sounds like a mic issue or a failing phantom power problem...good luck, I hope a new mic does it for you.
May 25, 2004 09:33 am yeah, I was going to suggest... did you plug your condenser mic into your pre-amp after you had already turned on the phantom power on the pre-amp? If you had accidentally done this it might be your condenser mic that took a sudden voltage of power after you plugged it in as you normally would plug in the condenser in your pre-amp and then turn on phantom power, sort of like plugging in a power cord and then turning on your guitar amp and what not.
I would take your condenser mic and if you have a friend or someone that has a recording setup, test the condenser on their pre's with this trick and if it works I would say that something is up with your pre-amp unfortunately, but if it doesn't I believe you will have your problem resolved. :) Goodluck
May 25, 2004 03:25 pm OK, NOW THIS DESERVES TO BE IN ALL CAPS!! I BELIEVE MY PROBLEM IS SOLVED!!
I sent a message to the Art Tube manufacture, and I was informed that I probably was using a unbalanced XLR cable from the mic to the preamp. He also stated that, phantom power cannot be transfered thru an unbalanced XLR cable. So in order to solve the problem I have to go and buy a balanced XLR cable! Also, with further research I discovered that the MXL 990 condenser mic disses out balanced signals.
lol, that would've helped if I knew what I was looking for before hand.
On tha real, I appreciate all of you guys input. I've become a little more educated on this type of problem. Hopefully, I can help you guys out one day. Man, you don't know how frustrated I was!
THANK GOD and THANKS FOR THIS WEB SITE! lol
May 25, 2004 03:32 pm Quote:
Man, you don't know how frustrated I was!
So, then you think we were all just born knowing this stuff? :-)
Been there, man, been there.
Unbalanced XLR? An XLR is three conductor, balanced by nature...could anyone clarify this for me, what am I missing?
May 25, 2004 05:29 pm dB Masters-
Well, I'll try to explain it from my perspective...I did a little more research on XLR cables and come to find out, that it is a such thing as a balanced XLR three conductor cable. So, far I only found 1!
Hosa Belden 110 Coax AES-EBU w/Balanced XLRs
Web address: service.bfast.com/bfast/c...mp;bfmtype=gear
When he first stated balanced, I immediately thought that I had to run it from the mic as a XLR three conductor to the pre amp as a 1/4 inch.
In other words, there are two types of XLR cables in existence. UNBALANCED XLR's with a 1/4" end and one w/ XLR's on both ends. As for the BALANCED same type options. I don't know if I answered your question clearly...but all I know now is that unbalanced don't carry phantom power.
My nonexpert theory:
But it does make sense cause the MXL 990 mic puts out balanced signals and is transfered to mono thru the pre amp to go into my soundcard.
As for before, the mic was loosing signal for trying to push power thru a unbalanced cable. Which could result in a tremendous loss of signal by the time it rreached the soundcard.
My bad, for writing a book, but hopefully u get what I'm trying to say.
Jun 09, 2004 09:32 am Aight, I'm back fellas with the new mic and feeling good!
SOLUTION: EQUIPMENT FAILURE (MXL 990 CONDENSER MIC)
DB masters-
Sorry, about passing on incorrect information about the two different types of XLR cables. It seems as if I was mislead. My new mic came in the other day and before I took it home to test it I took it to the local recording store. It worked, and the issue with the balance and unbalanced cords was bogus. I can't recall off hand what he said about the cords, but I think he said that all XLR cables are balanced.
Thanks again for all the help and prompt responses!
Jun 09, 2004 10:09 am If you had read my post u wouldnt have to write to the manufacturer. btw it was the fourth post.
Jun 09, 2004 11:02 am Bruno-
Thanks bro, for your expert advise, but even if I would've used it, the mic still wouldn't have worked. Because it was damaged prior to me using it. Also, your advise didn't help me because in the end my XLR cable was fine (XLR-XLR cable). I would've had to go and by an extra cord for nothing (XLR-1/4")....ya dig?
But thanks again for your expertise...its all good!
Jun 10, 2004 09:27 am Man, the MXL 990 is tight! it picks up everything with clarity. Alot better than my Walmart mic from before that was less than $20.
Jun 10, 2004 09:53 am I asked cause I have a MXL V69 and a MXL 603S and lov'em.
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