[mcp6453[_2_]]

Does anyone here have any experience with the Shure X2U XLR to USB adapter? My
first one had what sounded like a high frequency oscillation that manifested
itself as a loud hiss. Shure replaced it. I don't know if the old one did this,
but the new one is difficult to set the mic gain correctly. The gain changes
dramatically at the top end of movement of the gain pot. The gain (as viewed in
Audition) goes from -12 to DFS with a very slight movement of the gain control.
I'm using it with a dynamic mic.

[Mike Rivers]

On 2/24/2012 7:41 AM, mcp6453 wrote:

but the new one is difficult to set the mic gain correctly. The gain changes
dramatically at the top end of movement of the gain pot.

This seems to be how the industry is making inexpensive mic
preamps (which this is) nowadays. The same is true with a
lot of the small mixers and USB/Firewire audio I/O
interfaces. Nobody makes an off-the-shelf pot with a taper
that gives a more uniform gain adjustment and at that price
point they can't afford to have a custom part designed and
built.

Do what real engineers do. Don't push the level when you
record. Better for it to be too low and need boosting on
playback or mixing than to have it too high and clip the A/D
converter on peaks.

For what it's worth, I have a CEntrance MicPort Pro which is
essentially what Shure made with their in-line mic-USB
adapter, and its gain control isn't terribly finicky. I
wouldn't suggest that you switch horses over this, though.
Just work with the Shure as it is and learn how to get good
results with it. Judge by the sound, not by how loud the
playback is (you have a playback volume control, don't you?)
or how wide the squiggles on the waveform graphic are.



--
"Today's production equipment is IT based and cannot be
operated without a passing knowledge of computing, although
it seems that it can be operated without a passing knowledge
of audio." - John Watkinson

http://mikeriversaudio.wordpress.com - useful and
interesting audio stuff

[mcp6453[_2_]]

On 2/24/2012 11:41 PM, Mike Rivers wrote:
On 2/24/2012 7:41 AM, mcp6453 wrote:

but the new one is difficult to set the mic gain correctly. The gain changes
dramatically at the top end of movement of the gain pot.

This seems to be how the industry is making inexpensive mic preamps (which this
is) nowadays. The same is true with a lot of the small mixers and USB/Firewire
audio I/O interfaces. Nobody makes an off-the-shelf pot with a taper that gives
a more uniform gain adjustment and at that price point they can't afford to have
a custom part designed and built.

Do what real engineers do. Don't push the level when you record. Better for it
to be too low and need boosting on playback or mixing than to have it too high
and clip the A/D converter on peaks.

For what it's worth, I have a CEntrance MicPort Pro which is essentially what
Shure made with their in-line mic-USB adapter, and its gain control isn't
terribly finicky. I wouldn't suggest that you switch horses over this, though.
Just work with the Shure as it is and learn how to get good results with it.
Judge by the sound, not by how loud the playback is (you have a playback volume
control, don't you?) or how wide the squiggles on the waveform graphic are.

Because the X2U is a cheap preamp, the signal-to-noise ratio is not good with
the gain set to a low level. The problem is that low is VERY low. There is
almost no in between. Shure should be ashamed of themselves.

The Blue Icicle is not as finicky and is 1/3 the price.

For this application, I'm going to solve the problem by using an RNP and a
Roland UA-1G converter. I may send the X2U back again, just in case there is
something wrong with it. It's a handy device to have.

[Don Pearce[_3_]]

On Sat, 25 Feb 2012 08:31:16 -0500, mcp6453 wrote:

On 2/24/2012 11:41 PM, Mike Rivers wrote:
On 2/24/2012 7:41 AM, mcp6453 wrote:

but the new one is difficult to set the mic gain correctly. The gain changes
dramatically at the top end of movement of the gain pot.

This seems to be how the industry is making inexpensive mic preamps (which this
is) nowadays. The same is true with a lot of the small mixers and USB/Firewire
audio I/O interfaces. Nobody makes an off-the-shelf pot with a taper that gives
a more uniform gain adjustment and at that price point they can't afford to have
a custom part designed and built.

Do what real engineers do. Don't push the level when you record. Better for it
to be too low and need boosting on playback or mixing than to have it too high
and clip the A/D converter on peaks.

For what it's worth, I have a CEntrance MicPort Pro which is essentially what
Shure made with their in-line mic-USB adapter, and its gain control isn't
terribly finicky. I wouldn't suggest that you switch horses over this, though.
Just work with the Shure as it is and learn how to get good results with it.
Judge by the sound, not by how loud the playback is (you have a playback volume
control, don't you?) or how wide the squiggles on the waveform graphic are.

Because the X2U is a cheap preamp, the signal-to-noise ratio is not good with
the gain set to a low level. The problem is that low is VERY low. There is
almost no in between. Shure should be ashamed of themselves.

The Blue Icicle is not as finicky and is 1/3 the price.

For this application, I'm going to solve the problem by using an RNP and a
Roland UA-1G converter. I may send the X2U back again, just in case there is
something wrong with it. It's a handy device to have.

The RNP, despite its reputation, has a poor SNR at ALL gain levels. If
noise is your problem (and I really don't understand how it is given
that you need to reduce gain), then the RNP is not where you should be
looking.

d

[mcp6453[_2_]]

On 2/25/2012 9:01 AM, Don Pearce wrote:

The RNP, despite its reputation, has a poor SNR at ALL gain levels. If
noise is your problem (and I really don't understand how it is given
that you need to reduce gain), then the RNP is not where you should be
looking.

When using the X2U, the gain setting controls in Windows are disabled. The only
gain control is on the X2U. At least that's the way things are on my system. So,
when the gain jumps to max on the X2U, it's clipping at DFS. When the level is
inched down, it jumps way down.

When the level on the X2U is correct, which is achievable but difficult and
touchy, the SNR is okay. It's definitely worse than the RNP, which I already have.

[Sean Conolly]

"Don Pearce" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 25 Feb 2012 08:31:16 -0500, mcp6453 wrote:

The RNP, despite its reputation, has a poor SNR at ALL gain levels. If
noise is your problem (and I really don't understand how it is given
that you need to reduce gain), then the RNP is not where you should be
looking.

ALL gain levels? I beg to differ - it's a little noisier than some, which
you can clearly hear on the highest gain settings, but it's fine at more
moderate gains. Too noisely for a ribbon mic, but fine for a typical dynamic
or condensor, IMHO.

Sean

[Mike Rivers]

On 2/25/2012 8:31 AM, mcp6453 wrote:

The Blue Icicle is not as finicky and is 1/3 the price.

For this application, I'm going to solve the problem by using an RNP and a
Roland UA-1G converter. I may send the X2U back again, just in case there is
something wrong with it. It's a handy device to have.

Try a CEntrance MicPort Pro. That was the first one of these
gadgets to the market and it's probably the best because it
didn't have to be cheaper than anyone else.

--
"Today's production equipment is IT based and cannot be
operated without a passing knowledge of computing, although
it seems that it can be operated without a passing knowledge
of audio." - John Watkinson

http://mikeriversaudio.wordpress.com - useful and
interesting audio stuff

[Mike Rivers]

On 2/25/2012 10:19 AM, mcp6453 wrote:

When using the X2U, the gain setting controls in Windows are disabled. The only
gain control is on the X2U. At least that's the way things are on my system. So,
when the gain jumps to max on the X2U, it's clipping at DFS. When the level is
inched down, it jumps way down.

Is this Windows 7? I wonder if Windows thinks it's a mic
input device. I was helping a neighbor of mine through a
"too much gain" problem with his M-Audio interface when he
got a new computer with Windows 7 pre-installed. I found
something in the Windows Control Panel that somehow decided
that it was a microphone and therefore needed a gain boost
(which would explain the poor noise performance at low gain).

Yours might be like that and you'll have to figure out how
to disable that gain boost setting. I can't remember how I
did it. That's the trouble with Windows - once I stumble
across a solution, it's so unintuitive that I don't remember
it.

--
"Today's production equipment is IT based and cannot be
operated without a passing knowledge of computing, although
it seems that it can be operated without a passing knowledge
of audio." - John Watkinson

http://mikeriversaudio.wordpress.com - useful and
interesting audio stuff