[Victory]

USB mics - can a computer mixer do the same as a real one?
I bought a USB mic and now I am faced with the prospect of going
straight to my computer. I have used a XLR mic to a mixer and then to
my laptop in the past with great results, but I thought I would try
this way. Is the set up going to be similar? Can I use a mixer
(software) as an intermediate like a real mixer?

[Laurence Payne]

On Sat, 19 Jan 2008 06:59:46 -0800 (PST), Victory
wrote:

I bought a USB mic and now I am faced with the prospect of going
straight to my computer. I have used a XLR mic to a mixer and then to
my laptop in the past with great results, but I thought I would try
this way. Is the set up going to be similar? Can I use a mixer
(software) as an intermediate like a real mixer?

What would you expect such a software mixer, acting on the signal
after it was digitised, to do?

[Victory]

Well after testing the microphone (USB), it seems quite low in
volume. I was hoping I could use a software mixer to increase the
levels/volume, add some effects and so forth before it is recorded.

On Jan 19, 10:14 am, Laurence Payne NOSPAMlpayne1ATdsl.pipex.com
wrote:
On Sat, 19 Jan 2008 06:59:46 -0800 (PST), Victory

wrote:
I bought a USB mic and now I am faced with the prospect of going
straight to my computer. I have used a XLR mic to a mixer and then to
my laptop in the past with great results, but I thought I would try
this way. Is the set up going to be similar? Can I use a mixer
(software) as an intermediate like a real mixer?

What would you expect such a software mixer, acting on the signal
after it was digitised, to do?

[Richard Crowley]

"Victory" wrote ...
Well after testing the microphone (USB), it seems quite low in
volume. I was hoping I could use a software mixer to increase the
levels/volume,

Doea the microphone have no adjustment (physical or
logical) for level? [PS: It helps to actually identify the
equipment in case anybody has specific advice.]

add some effects and so forth before it is recorded.

Why "before"? We typically do that "after" recording.
It is called "post-production".

[Victory]

It is the M-Audio USB producers mic.
It does not have any physically sliders or adjustments on the mic.
The issue I have here is this - before I record, I want to be able to
control the volume/gain etc. I am wonder if there is a software can
do it for me - but the software that came with it is only a basic
audio track recorder with some effects. I am starting to realise that
a xlr mic with a physical mixer is probably the way to go...

On Jan 19, 12:52 pm, "Richard Crowley" wrote:
"Victory" wrote ...

Well after testing the microphone (USB), it seems quite low in
volume. I was hoping I could use a software mixer to increase the
levels/volume,

Doea the microphone have no adjustment (physical or
logical) for level? [PS: It helps to actually identify the
equipment in case anybody has specific advice.]

add some effects and so forth before it is recorded.

Why "before"? We typically do that "after" recording.
It is called "post-production".

[Steve King]

"Victory" wrote in message
...
| It is the M-Audio USB producers mic.
| It does not have any physically sliders or adjustments on the mic.
| The issue I have here is this - before I record, I want to be able to
| control the volume/gain etc. I am wonder if there is a software can
| do it for me - but the software that came with it is only a basic
| audio track recorder with some effects. I am starting to realise that
| a xlr mic with a physical mixer is probably the way to go...
|
| On Jan 19, 12:52 pm, "Richard Crowley" wrote:
| "Victory" wrote ...
|
| Well after testing the microphone (USB), it seems quite low in
| volume. I was hoping I could use a software mixer to increase the
| levels/volume,
|
| Doea the microphone have no adjustment (physical or
| logical) for level? [PS: It helps to actually identify the
| equipment in case anybody has specific advice.]
|
| add some effects and so forth before it is recorded.
|
| Why "before"? We typically do that "after" recording.
| It is called "post-production".

Or the Centrance "MicportPro" XLR-USB covertor/pre-amp/headphone amplifier,
which works as advertised. It is a 4" long cylinder about the diameter of
the Male XLR that plugs into one end, while a USB cable plugs in the other
end. There are Mic level and Headphone level controls. A headphone jack
and a 48vdc phantom power on-off switch are on the output end with the
mini-USB jack. You can plug in ANY professional microphone. So far, I've
used it with an Electrovoice 635 dynamic, a Sennheiser 416PH shotgun, and an
MCA SP-1. I was really surprised at how good they all sounded, even the
humble, low output, 635. $124 bucks, I think I paid. The projects included
field interviews for a corporate audio program, pseudo ADR on a video
location to make sure we had clean dialogue during a few scenes, where large
equipment noise made the on-camera tracks iffy, and a recording of a grade
school band. The band was working hard to play together musically, but the
recording was faithful to their 'sound';-) It is my new favorite toy. I'm
thinking of getting another one as a way to do stereo wild sound on video
shoots straight to computer, the same computer I use in the evening to
digitize the day's video.

Steve King

[Peter Larsen[_2_]]

Steve King wrote:

Or the Centrance "MicportPro" XLR-USB covertor/pre-amp/headphone

'sound';-) It is my new favorite toy. I'm thinking of getting
another one as a way to do stereo wild sound on video shoots straight
to computer, the same computer I use in the evening to digitize the
day's video.

Check the small print, generally you need to use the same clock on both
stereo channels.

Steve King


Kind regards

Peter Larsen

[Mike Rivers]

On Jan 19, 3:41 pm, "Peter Larsen" wrote:

Check the small print, generally you need to use the same clock on both
stereo channels.

I asked pretty much the same question toda at the MXL booth at the
NAMM show. They have a gadget similar to the CEntrance MicPort. The
guy who know what he's talking about said that he plugged three of
them into his USB hub and had not problems with three mics, using the
Microsoft USB audio driver.

The CEntrance MicPort will work in "native" mode without a driver, but
CEntrance ships it with USB version of their late, lamented Universal
ASIO driver which will support and properly synchronize several
channels.

However, neither of these is the M-Audio mic that Victory asked about.
Nor is this what was originally asked. The mic should appear in the
Windows mixer as a Recording device, and there's a slider for it.
There may still not be enough gain for full scale level at a
reasonable speaking volume and distance, but if there's an adjustment,
that's where it'll be.

[Peter Larsen[_2_]]

Mike Rivers wrote:

On Jan 19, 3:41 pm, "Peter Larsen" wrote:

Check the small print, generally you need to use the same clock on
both stereo channels.

I asked pretty much the same question toda at the MXL booth at the
NAMM show. They have a gadget similar to the CEntrance MicPort. The
guy who know what he's talking about said that he plugged three of
them into his USB hub and had not problems with three mics, using the
Microsoft USB audio driver.

The question to ask is not whether it works, but whether he can record a 2.5
hour oratorioum in one go with sample perfect channel sync? - the "guy who
knows what he is talking about" may not know what stereo is.


Kind regards

Peter Larsen

[Laurence Payne]

On Sat, 19 Jan 2008 23:00:37 -0800 (PST), Mike Rivers
wrote:

However, neither of these is the M-Audio mic that Victory asked about.
Nor is this what was originally asked. The mic should appear in the
Windows mixer as a Recording device, and there's a slider for it.
There may still not be enough gain for full scale level at a
reasonable speaking volume and distance, but if there's an adjustment,
that's where it'll be.

Will there be any gain at all or just digital attenuation?

[Mike Rivers]

On Jan 20, 4:47 am, "Peter Larsen" wrote:

The question to ask is not whether it works, but whether he can record a 2.5
hour oratorioum in one go with sample perfect channel sync? - the "guy who
knows what he is talking about" may not know what stereo is.

In this case, the guy did know what stereo is, though I doubt that he
did that test. Have you? With anything?

Even 2.5 hours on analog tape is bound to have a little phase wobble
between the channels.

[Mike Rivers]

On Jan 20, 6:19 am, Laurence Payne NOSPAMlpayne1ATdsl.pipex.com
wrote:

Windows mixer

Will there be any gain at all or just digital attenuation?

I have no idea. That's the sort of question that Arny probably can
answer better than I. I suspect that there's only digital attenuation,
however it's worth a look at the mixer settings. I don't know what
changes those things besides me, but something does, now and then. If
I have a low-level problem with a device that uses the Windows mixer,
I usually find when I look at the control panel that the slider is way
down. Pushing it up usually solves the problem.

[Peter Larsen[_2_]]

Mike Rivers wrote:

On Jan 20, 4:47 am, "Peter Larsen" wrote:

The question to ask is not whether it works, but whether he can
record a 2.5 hour oratorioum in one go with sample perfect channel
sync? - the "guy who knows what he is talking about" may not know
what stereo is.

In this case, the guy did know what stereo is, though I doubt that he
did that test. Have you? With anything?

I have tried to use recordings made on two dats for creating a surround
sound mix, and the duration was about a millisecond off pr. minute of
recorded time due to the difference between hardware clocks.

Even 2.5 hours on analog tape is bound to have a little phase wobble
between the channels.

That doesn't break stereo, 3 ms time difference or less does.


Kind regards

Peter Larsen

[Mike Rivers]

On Jan 20, 9:55 am, "Peter Larsen" wrote:

I have tried to use recordings made on two dats for creating a surround
sound mix, and the duration was about a millisecond off pr. minute of
recorded time due to the difference between hardware clocks.

I would expect them to be a bit off. I don't have my abacus with me.
How many parts per million is that?

Even 2.5 hours on analog tape is bound to have a little phase wobble
between the channels.

That doesn't break stereo, 3 ms time difference or less does.

Any phase change between channels will "break" stereo because it will
cause the image to shift. With 3 ms, you'll hear comb filtering.

[Arny Krueger]

"Mike Rivers" wrote in message

On Jan 20, 6:19 am, Laurence Payne
NOSPAMlpayne1ATdsl.pipex.com wrote:

Windows mixer

Will there be any gain at all or just digital
attenuation?

I have no idea.

That's the sort of question that Arny
probably can answer better than I.

A digital attenuator has to be dithered because it is in essence
requantizing the signal.

I suspect that there's
only digital attenuation, however it's worth a look at
the mixer settings.

There appear to be at least 3 implementations of windows mixers.

(1) The in XP SP2 and Windows 2000 with the last service pack (3?)
(2) The one in Vista
(3) The one prior to XP SP3, etc.

I don't know what changes those
things besides me, but something does, now and then. If I
have a low-level problem with a device that uses the
Windows mixer, I usually find when I look at the control
panel that the slider is way down. Pushing it up usually
solves the problem.

The windows mixer will attenuate a signal to effectively gain equals minus
infinity.

[Geoff]

Victory wrote:
USB mics - can a computer mixer do the same as a real one?
I bought a USB mic and now I am faced with the prospect of going
straight to my computer. I have used a XLR mic to a mixer and then to
my laptop in the past with great results, but I thought I would try
this way. Is the set up going to be similar? Can I use a mixer
(software) as an intermediate like a real mixer?

What exactly do you want to 'mix' ?

geoff