Shure SM57 into new HP laptop?

[jlynch]

I am just getting into recording so I bought a Shure SM57, a low Z cable, a low to high impedance transformer and a 1/4" to 1/8" adapter. I plugged this into the mic input of a new powerful HP laptop, set the mic volume to maximum in Windows control panel, and used Kristal freeware.

The problem is that there is hardly any volume from the microphone. When I plug the mic into a guitar amp it sounds fine. Am I missing something? Hardware? Software? Any help is appreciated.

[GABritton]

There's probably a 30db pad on your computer volume control panel. Look around, you'll find it....I've had the same problem in the past.

[Track Rat]

Sounds to me like you're missing a microphone preamplifier.

[Innovations]

Yes, check the control panel, there is a input volume control in windows. Bring up the full volume control in windows, not just the overall slider.

Now here is where it gets worse. The mic preamps on your laptop's sound card are awfull. They all are because of space and electronic noise reasons. Does your laptop have three audio plugs (mic-in, line-in, and headphone/speaker out) or just two (mic-in and headphone/speaker out)? In the case of the former you can get around the soundcard preamps by getting an external preamp and going to the line-in. If it is the latter (more common on current laptops) you are not going to be able to get around the crappy preamps in your laptop sound card. You have to get around the built-in sound card entirely. The way to do this is an external USB sound interface that plugs into the laptop's USB port. Choices are the M-Audio Audiophile USB, M-Audio Omnistudio USB and the Edirol UA-5 among others. If you laptop has firewire then firewire interfaces are also available, but more high-end than the USB ones.