Mic input level low

beg5041

New member
Hi everyone,

I'm hoping someone can help me out with an issue I'm having. Lately, I have been dealing with volume issues when I have been recording my voice overs. To record, I use a Harlan Hogan voice over microphone with an Alesis i02 usb audio interface and Audacity. When I had a Windows laptop everything was fine and levels were normal. However, I recently made the jump to Apple purchasing a macOS Sierra. Now, the input levels are very low. I tried raising the gain and using Amplify, but that enhances the background noise as well and it sounds awful. I can't figure out if the problem lies with the audio interface, computer, mic, etc. Can someone help me figure the problem because the microphone is barely registering my voice.

Thanks a lot!
 
Hi,
Welcome to the forum!

Unless it's the 'express' model, the device is only officially supported up until 10.8.
That said, if it's recognised and works and this is the only symptom, I doubt that's relevant.

Is there any chance something got changed during the transition?

Firstly, are you in the same room as before?

Are you using the same headphones or speakers as you were before?

Double check your headphone level and direct monitor control on the interface to make sure they're where you expect them to be. I.E. Where they were before.
Do the meters on the interface peak at the same place they used to?

What's telling you the levels are low? What's your point of reference?

I don't know that particular microphone but are you definitely addressing the front of it? Please don't be offended...That has happened plenty of times!

Please answer everything you can.
 
Thanks for the response:

1. It is the express

2. Nothing was changed. I doubled checked.

3. I now record out of a booth I made in my apartment. But I got the Mac before I built it and I was having problems then too

4. I am using the same headphones

5. They do not peak at the same place.

6. Checked under the Sound section in System Preferences and it barely registers. Same when I try to record with Audacity. When I listen back, I barely hear anything unless turn up the gain or use Amplify which doesn't sound good

7. I just turned the microphone around and tried it out and it's still the same
 
Thanks for the response:

1. It is the express

2. Nothing was changed. I doubled checked.

3. I now record out of a booth I made in my apartment. But I got the Mac before I built it and I was having problems then too

4. I am using the same headphones

5. They do not peak at the same place.

6. Checked under the Sound section in System Preferences and it barely registers. Same when I try to record with Audacity. When I listen back, I barely hear anything unless turn up the gain or use Amplify which doesn't sound good

7. I just turned the microphone around and tried it out and it's still the same


Hey. Thanks for such a clear concise reply! :eek:

5. They do not peak at the same place.

Bingo. We have a winner!

The meters should be hardware indicators, before the computer, which should rule out anything software related.
However, just to completely prove that can you visit System Preferences>Sound>Input tab and see if the 'input volume' slider has any effect, having made sure that Alesis is the chosen device?
Observe the meters on the interface as you adjust that slider and speak.
If it has no effect just return it to max and quit.
If there is no slider and a message telling you that, that's cool.

Also, in Audacity, can you confirm that the Alesis is the chosen input device. I'm just mentioning that to rule out accidental built-in mic selection.
Again, not meaning to underestimate but it has happened before. :)

Can you also confirm that the mic input slider at the top of the screen is maxed out.
As I say, these things shouldn't have an effect, but they're easy to rule out so why not!

Finally, what model is the microphone.
Does it have a built-in pad switch? Double check it's not engaged.
 
I checked all of it and it's still the same. The model number is VO: 1-A and I don't see a pad switch

As for the drivers, there aren't any available for Mac
 
This is an odd one.
Any interface with a condenser mic should let you go into the red if you turn the gain too high.

Long shot - Someone else had an issue with an interface wanting more current than that USB port could supply.
Do you happen to own a powered USB hub that you could use to test that theory?

What model of Mac do you have?

If you have any other USB devices connected, could you unplug them temporarily?
 
Whoops I don't think I was clear enough. When I turn up the gain high it will register on the Alesis and the computer. I have a macOS Sierra and I don't have a powered usb hub. Nothing else is connected
 
Whoops I don't think I was clear enough. When I turn up the gain high it will register on the Alesis and the computer. I have a macOS Sierra and I don't have a powered usb hub. Nothing else is connected

Ok, Gotcha.
I think my question might be pointless but I was asking, does adjusting the slider in System Preferences>Sound>input have any effect on the Alesis LED meters?
That is, if you pull the slider all the way down in mac system preferences, do the LED meters on the hardware interface still light up just as before?

Also, what physical model+year of Mac.

It would do no harm to try a different USB port, USB cable and XLR cable to rule them all out,
but I have a hunch this is going to be a limited current issue, based on what happened to that other guy earlier in the week.
 
It has no effect on the Alesis meters and I tried switching usb ports

MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015)
 
I'm sorry, I'm out of ideas.

If your signal doesn't register as high on the interface LED meters when connected to your mac as it did when connected to your other laptop,
I don't see how it can be anything other than a power related issue, even though that shouldn't really be possible.

I think if you can beg/borrow/steal a powered USB hub, that'd be the next step in troubleshooting.
Even a cable would be worth borrowing and testing. Maybe you have a printer that uses the same cable type?
 
You likely have looked at this, but any possible chance the mic gain in Audacity is set low? It does affect my Tascam interface mic level. (Win7).
 

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My only guess would be that the usb port isn't providing enough power for your microphone. I just bought a cheap mic recently and in the manual it mentioned that you may need separate power (in your case probably just a powered usb hub) for the mic to work properly depending on your machine.
 
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