Laptop & Phantom Power

A

anoopbal

New member
I got a Focusrite SCarlet 202i. And I have a cloudlifter. I tried connecting the clouudlifter, but the signal is pretty weak. I tried an external phantom and everything is working fine.

My questions is why is it doing this? Is it the laptop USB doesn't have enough power? Has anyone encountered this problem before? When I called up the cloudlifter service, they say laptops should be fine to drive the interface and the phantom power.
 
Before introducing the external phantom power supply, did you have phantom power engaged on the 2i2?

The 2i2 has no external power supply input, so they must believe it will operate adequately on bus power.
Make sure you're powering it from a direct port on the motherboard, rather than a hub (port on keyboard, printer...etc).
 
The 2i2 should work on a laptop. My NI KA6 is known to pull the max juice from USB but has MIDI and S/PDIF and two extra line in and out amps compared to the 2i2. I have had no trouble with it running 2 AKG P 150 SDCs even on battery power for some hours.

Can you try the AI+Cloudlifter on a desktop PC?

Dave.
 
Thanks for the replies. The light always turns on for the phantom power. But its pretty weak. When I turn the knob from the line to 'instrument', it picks up a little bit. And it is from direct port. I tried all three USB ports on the laptop.

I don't have a desk top PC. I was thinking of returning it and getting another scarlett.
 
anoopbal said:
When I turn the knob from the line to 'instrument', it picks up a little bit.
Click to expand...

Are you pluggin your microphone into a 1/4" jack socket?
Phantom power isn't supplied to 1/4" jack inputs, and those inputs don't give enough amplification for a microphone level signal.

Your chain should be :-
Microphone - > XLR-f to XLR-m cable -> Interface mic input 1 (with phantom power on).
 
I am talking about connecting to the cloudlifter. I don't have a problem when I don't use the cloudlifter.

If using the cloudlifter - Mic -> Cloudlifter-> Interface (using XLR to XLR cable).
 
anoopbal said:
I am talking about connecting to the cloudlifter. I don't have a problem when I don't use the cloudlifter.

If using the cloudlifter - Mic -> Cloudlifter-> Interface (using XLR to XLR cable).
Click to expand...

Cloudlifter requires phantom power to work, but blocks it from getting to microphones.
Are you using a mic which requires phantom power?

If so you'd need:-
Mic - cable - Phantom power supply - cable - cloudlifter - cable - interface.
All cables are xlr to xlr.
 
Steenamaroo said:
Cloudlifter requires phantom power to work, but blocks it from getting to microphones.
Are you using a mic which requires phantom power?

If so you'd need:-
Mic - cable - Phantom power supply - cable - cloudlifter - cable - interface.
All cables are xlr to xlr.
Click to expand...

The mic is just dynamic. Shure beta.

Where in the chain. Before or after the Cloudlifter?
Click to expand...

After the Cloudlifter.

What does? The light or the input signal level?
Click to expand...

I mean the red light which shows phantom power is on.

I think the connections are right. If not, I wouldn't be able to get the gain when using an external phantom you know.

Thanks everyone!
 
Do you happen to have a condenser mic to test your 2i2s phantom power with?
Have you ever had cause to use the phantom power from the interface before? Did it work?

Do you have a multimeter, and do you know how to test for 48v@pins 2+3 relative to 1?

When you switch the (irrelevant) knob from line to instrument, the phantom power light intensity changes?
I'm pretty sure that shouldn't happen.


I'm not calling you stupid here, but just to clarify....
The connector going into the interface looks like this right?
p1891.jpg
 
Do you happen to have a condenser mic to test your 2i2s phantom power with?
Have you ever had cause to use the phantom power from the interface before? Did it work?

i don't have a condenser mic. I just got this new interface yesterday.

Do you have a multimeter, and do you know how to test for 48v@pins 2+3 relative to 1?

I don't have a multimeter. I might be able to find one.

When you switch the (irrelevant) knob from line to instrument, the phantom power light intensity changes?
I'm pretty sure that shouldn't happen.

The light doesn't change.

I don't know why. even when I don't use the cloudlifter (or without the phantom), when I flip it to instrument, it picks up more signal. I have to keep the knob almost 3/4 (3 clock) to pick up signals. It could be something to do with that. What is different from instruments and the line input?




I'm not calling you stupid here, but just to clarify....
The connector going into the interface looks like this right?

lol yea. XLR

Thank you so much for all your help bro

The cable is only 3 feet.
 
arcaxis said:
Does the light for the phantom power brighten up if you disconnect the Cloudlifter?

I have a Tascam interface that I had some phantom power problems with that I think was inadequate USB power and I tried powering it through a powered USB hub. The hub was able to provide enough power to support phantom with a mic connected. Something to try just to test to see if that works.

Are you using the USB cable that came with the Focusrite? I'm guessing that USB cable should have a ferrite bead lump/cylinder in the cable. Not sure if part of the problem I had above may have been not using a USB cable that had a ferrite in it. (Wild ass guess...Parasitic oscillation in the USB power when the phantom power has load on it, which messes with the voltage. The ferrite bead suppresses it).

Do you really need the Cloudlifter for a Beta dynamic? The output of those should be fairly hot.
Click to expand...

When I meant it is pretty weak, I meant the signal, not the light.

I read a few posts about people using powered USB.

That's a good question. I used it with my M-Audio and I had to turn down the gain almost 50% down, but still it sounded much better.
 
I tried without using the cloudlifter. The signal is pretty weak. I have to keep the gain knob almost to 90% to pick up thing.My old M-Audio i ad the knob at less than 50% and it picked up pretty good.

Also even when I connect the cloudlifter with external phantom power, it only picks up when the knob is in instruments than line. Weird.

I am gonna get a new one and see if it works better.
 
Arcaxis makes the very valid point that you should not need the Cloudlifter on a 2i2 with a Beta 58 (if that is what it is) That mic has about 6dB greater sensitivity than the venerable 57/58s and the Focusrite range of AIs are known for very good pre amps and should be fine with a bog S 57 for all normal applications.

Then, this talk of "line" and "instrument" input switching is doing this old brain in! The Cloudlifter MUST have phantom power and the 2i2 will only deliver spook juice when in microphone mode! The CL is a low gain, ~25dB, mic pre. No way will it lift a dynamic mic to line level.

And do BUY yourself a digital multimeter. You have seen, almost from "day one" how useful they can be. That goes for everyone that dabbles, even ever so slightly in this recording game.

Dave.
 
anoopbal said:
The light always turns on for the phantom power. But its pretty weak.
Click to expand...

Steenamaroo said:
The light or the input signal level?
Click to expand...

anoopbal said:
I mean the red light which shows phantom power is on.
Click to expand...

Steenamaroo said:
the phantom power light intensity changes?
I'm pretty sure that shouldn't happen.
Click to expand...

anoopbal said:
The light doesn't change.
Click to expand...

You need to be clear and detailed in the original post.
Equipment used, signal path, things you've tried, etc.
If you don't it's just 5 pages of people guessing what you might have meant.

At this stage I'd either try powering the 2i2 unit from a mains powered hub, or try using it in a friend's desktop computer.
It seems there's something wrong with the 2i2, or with the available power from your computer.

The line/inst selection refers to incoming signals via TRS or TS jack (guitars/basses or synths/keyboards, for example).
It should have absolutely no effect on mic level inputs via XLR.

The connectors in the interface are all built into a 'combo-jack' for space saving, but they are not the same.
 
Last edited:
Steenamaroo said:
You need to be clear and detailed in the original post.
Equipment used, signal path, things you've tried, etc.
If you don't it's just 5 pages of people guessing what you might have meant.

At this stage I'd either try powering the 2i2 unit from a mains powered hub, or try using it in a friend's desktop computer.
It seems there's something wrong with the 2i2, or with the available power from your computer.

The line/inst selection refers to incoming signals via TRS or TS jack (guitars/basses or synths/keyboards, for example).
It should have absolutely no effect on mic level inputs via XLR.

The connectors in the interface are all built into a 'combo-jack' for space saving, but they are not the same.
Click to expand...

I agree. I should have been more clear.

I went to return it, but they told me I need to get an email from the company saying they unregistered me/ uninstalled the software which comes with it. So I have to wait till I hear back. I didn't even use it. I just used it download the driver.

I am guessing it is something wrong with the interface. Thanks for all the help everyone. I will post back what i find out.
 
anoopbal said:
I went to return it, but they told me I need to get an email from the company saying they unregistered me/ uninstalled the software which comes with it. So I have to wait till I hear back. I didn't even use it. I just used it download the driver.
Click to expand...

How interesting........

Well, keep us up to date. Might be worth checking it out on a friends computer in the meanwhile, just incase.
 
Well if the AI does prove faulty and the dealer still gives you the runaround check with you consumer rights people.
In UK retailers cannot impose ad hoc conditions like that.

Dave.
 
Returned the other one and got a new one. But it is still dong the same. So I am thinking it is something on my end.

Without Cloudlifter/phantom power: I have the gain at 9'o clock position, and the input signal is barely audible. I can see the light of the gain knob flickering green. But the waveform in the DAW is very small and I have too raise it 10-15 db to hear it. The output comes through fine. It is the mic input that is the problem.

I have posted the pic of the waveform with focusrite and my previous interface:

1. I reinstalled the scarlett driver
2. Changed the mic cable.
3. uninstalled all the other sound cards
4. Reinstalled ASIO
5. plugged it into the second line.

But no change.
 

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