I am new to the field of
"better-than-ignorant_consumer-quality-recording". As my first
tentative step for general-purpose location recording (did I mention I
am new?), I got an audio-technica AT3035 large-diaphragm condenser mic
and an M-Audio FireWire 410 preamp / computer interface. The latter is
connected to my Fujitsu P-2046 subnotebook running Adobe Audition for
recording.

http://www.audio-technica.com/prodpr...es/AT3035.html
http://www.m-audio.com/index.php?do=... 119907053a313

Although I've never worked with any condenser mics or standalone
balanced mic preamps before, the signal level I am getting intuitively
seems low. I have to consistently set M-Audio FireWire 410's preamp
level knob at or near max. amplification to get a good level signal,
and it takes me to speak VERY loudly directly into the audio-technica
AT3035 mic from like 2" away (with signal input level set to max) to
get FireWire 410's clip indicator to light up even briefly as evidence
that I am reaching 100% peak level.

Of course I've checked the basics, e.g. made sure the pad switches on
the mic and FireWire 410 are off and phantom power is on, tried the
switches in alternate positions anyway, tried both inputs of the
FireWire 410, tried different XLR cables (I am generally using a 2'
one), tried powering 410 via supplied wall power supply as well as a
desktop PC's 6-pin FireWire port.

Like I said I've not had any experience with this type equipment
before, so I can't judge conclusively if this is normal or not. I
would expect more sensitivity, to be able to record softer sounds
well.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Alec

Alec,

Looking at the 410, those are **line level** inputs, so you'd still need
external mic pre's to bring the level up to what you want. There are good
inexpensive ones around, I'm sure you'll have no trouble finding what you
need.

The Digidesign "M-Box" has built-in mic pre's; other units, like the Nuendo
Audiolink96/MultiSet (which I have, and which is very similar to your 410)
do not.

Good luck and hope you can get what you need.

Best,
Yves

"Alec" wrote in message
om...
I am new to the field of
"better-than-ignorant_consumer-quality-recording". As my first
tentative step for general-purpose location recording (did I mention I
am new?), I got an audio-technica AT3035 large-diaphragm condenser mic
and an M-Audio FireWire 410 preamp / computer interface. The latter is
connected to my Fujitsu P-2046 subnotebook running Adobe Audition for
recording.

http://www.audio-technica.com/prodpr...es/AT3035.html

http://www.m-audio.com/index.php?do=... 119907053a313

Although I've never worked with any condenser mics or standalone
balanced mic preamps before, the signal level I am getting intuitively
seems low. I have to consistently set M-Audio FireWire 410's preamp
level knob at or near max. amplification to get a good level signal,
and it takes me to speak VERY loudly directly into the audio-technica
AT3035 mic from like 2" away (with signal input level set to max) to
get FireWire 410's clip indicator to light up even briefly as evidence
that I am reaching 100% peak level.

Of course I've checked the basics, e.g. made sure the pad switches on
the mic and FireWire 410 are off and phantom power is on, tried the
switches in alternate positions anyway, tried both inputs of the
FireWire 410, tried different XLR cables (I am generally using a 2'
one), tried powering 410 via supplied wall power supply as well as a
desktop PC's 6-pin FireWire port.

Like I said I've not had any experience with this type equipment
before, so I can't judge conclusively if this is normal or not. I
would expect more sensitivity, to be able to record softer sounds
well.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Alec

My mistake Alec,

I wonder if there isn't a malfunction in the pre stage????

Sorry for the wrong info!!!

Yves

"Alec" wrote in message
om...
I am new to the field of
"better-than-ignorant_consumer-quality-recording". As my first
tentative step for general-purpose location recording (did I mention I
am new?), I got an audio-technica AT3035 large-diaphragm condenser mic
and an M-Audio FireWire 410 preamp / computer interface. The latter is
connected to my Fujitsu P-2046 subnotebook running Adobe Audition for
recording.

http://www.audio-technica.com/prodpr...es/AT3035.html

http://www.m-audio.com/index.php?do=... 119907053a313

Although I've never worked with any condenser mics or standalone
balanced mic preamps before, the signal level I am getting intuitively
seems low. I have to consistently set M-Audio FireWire 410's preamp
level knob at or near max. amplification to get a good level signal,
and it takes me to speak VERY loudly directly into the audio-technica
AT3035 mic from like 2" away (with signal input level set to max) to
get FireWire 410's clip indicator to light up even briefly as evidence
that I am reaching 100% peak level.

Of course I've checked the basics, e.g. made sure the pad switches on
the mic and FireWire 410 are off and phantom power is on, tried the
switches in alternate positions anyway, tried both inputs of the
FireWire 410, tried different XLR cables (I am generally using a 2'
one), tried powering 410 via supplied wall power supply as well as a
desktop PC's 6-pin FireWire port.

Like I said I've not had any experience with this type equipment
before, so I can't judge conclusively if this is normal or not. I
would expect more sensitivity, to be able to record softer sounds
well.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Alec

In article writes:

I got an audio-technica AT3035 large-diaphragm condenser mic
and an M-Audio FireWire 410 preamp / computer interface. The latter is
connected to my Fujitsu P-2046 subnotebook running Adobe Audition for
recording.

Although I've never worked with any condenser mics or standalone
balanced mic preamps before, the signal level I am getting intuitively
seems low. I have to consistently set M-Audio FireWire 410's preamp
level knob at or near max. amplification to get a good level signal,
and it takes me to speak VERY loudly directly into the audio-technica
AT3035 mic from like 2" away (with signal input level set to max) to
get FireWire 410's clip indicator to light up even briefly as evidence
that I am reaching 100% peak level.

You're trying to record at too high a level. You shouldn't be looking
at the clip light on the preamp except to be sure that it doesn't come
on. Look at the record level meter in your recording program. A "good"
level is with peaks mostly around -20, with occasional peaks at -10.
You're probably trying to make it go to full scale, and that's
probably right about the point where the preamp overloads.

I'm not familiar with the "input mixer" of the M-Audio Firewire
devices, but open up that window and make sure you don't have the mic
gain turned down. But I would expect that the gain is arranged so that
with the software gain control (if there is one) set for 0 dB, you'd
reach full scale pretty close to the point where the preamp reaches
clipping. Hopefully you'll hit full scale before (rather than after)
preamp clipping sets in. That's just good design.

It's a common mistake for beginners to think that they don't have
sufficient record level if the meter only goes half way up. Actually
that's about where it should be when you're tracking. You need to
leave room for peaks, and for tweaking when you mix.


--
I'm really Mike Rivers )
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me he double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo

Mike Rivers wrote:

It's a common mistake for beginners to think that they don't have
sufficient record level if the meter only goes half way up. Actually
that's about where it should be when you're tracking. You need to
leave room for peaks, and for tweaking when you mix.

With 24 bits it can even be quite a bit lower than that to
make _sure_ you won't have clipping.


Bob
--

"Things should be described as simply as possible, but no
simpler."

A. Einstein

Bob Cain wrote in message ...
Mike Rivers wrote:

It's a common mistake for beginners to think that they don't have
sufficient record level if the meter only goes half way up. Actually
that's about where it should be when you're tracking. You need to
leave room for peaks, and for tweaking when you mix.

With 24 bits it can even be quite a bit lower than that to
make _sure_ you won't have clipping.


Bob

Mike, Bob,

That's excellent recording advice I'll be sure to follow.

(Mike: good advice checking the gain in software; in the case of
M-Audio FireWire 410, the gain is controlled by a knob
directly/physically on the device, i.e. natively in hardware).

That said, my example (only getting clipping when nearly shouting into
the mike with the preamp gain at max) was not describing my normal
recording practices but rather was intended to give a sense of the
signal level I am getting (that folks like you with recordnig
experience could see as perhaps suggestive of a malfunctioning mic or
preamp).

Before purchase I imagined that when speaking into the normal voice
from 2" away, I would get the recoring indicator halfway up with the
mic pre gain set fairly low. Occasionally I need to record ambient,
much subtler sounds than voice into the mike, and I thought this is
where I could venture into the higher gain settings, bringing the
softer sounds in at a good level.

Would appreciate insight from folks operating large-diaphragm
condenser mics on the output level one would get for e.g. voiceover.
In lieu of the exact match to my situation, we're talking very
approximate here - even something as simple as "with my amp and my
mic, speaking normally into the mic and at 50% recording level, I have
to set my pre's gain at only X %". If several folks tell me that their
X is near max, I'll have a reason to settle down; if many of them tell
me that X is like 20% or lower, I'll have a reason to suspect that my
equipment malfunctions.

Regards

Alec