Mic Preamp, why??

K

Kerose

New member
I just bought a Studio Projects VTB-1 mic preamp thinking it would help allow me to lower my gain levels on my Fast Track Pro and still get a loud enough signal without picking up tons of background "static", i plugged this sucker in, and it's pretty much the same deal, if it is low enough to not pick up any background noise, then it also doesn't pick up my vocals for shit, i mean, they are pretty clean, but i can't hear myself when i record them and it is so quiet on the recording, my waveform looks almost non existent, what the hell am i doing wrong, i can't even tell what this preamp is doing, seems no different than before, just now i can get it much louder???????
 
it'd be really great if you explained what recording program you are using, your computer, what microphone, what interface and all that.
 
I'm not familiar with those, but it looks like the Fast Track Pro has built-in preamps, and that there's no way to by-pass them, except for maybe going into the insert jacks on the back.

If that's correct, then, in other words, you're using two preamps in series when you plug the output of the VTB1 into the input of the Fast Track Pro. This would mean that you're using the Fast Track Pro preamp whether or not you're using the VTB1. If this is the case, and you get enough gain from the Fast Track Pro, then there may indeed be little point in using the VTB1.

If you can get the VTB1 signal straight to your Analog/Digital converter (which lives in the Fast Track) by bypassing the Fast Track preamp (perhaps with the insert jack), then you *may* find that it has a different character from the built-in preamp of the Fast Track, and that it's nice to have both options.

All just speculation, mind you... I would explore the possibility of putting the VTB1 output into the insert jack to see if it's advisable to try, and, if so, what it sounds like.

BTW, there's nothing wrong with recording a digital signal that's too low to show up as a significant wave form in your digital audio workstation software. In fact, that's often what you want when you're working with multiple tracks, because when you put them together, they add up to something less than your maximum headroom, and if a track is too quiet, you can always add digital (i.e. noiseless) gain somehow with your software.

edit: re-read your first post -- the bit about background noise coming in relative to your voice isn't something you'll solve with any number of preamps -- I'm still in speculation mode, but if you're getting actual noises (like little kids and cats and dogs, like at my house), then you're best to wait for a quiet moment. If you're getting yucky "room" noise, which can sound like unwanted bad-sounding reverb, or weird phasey degradation from sound reflections, then your best bet is to move to different location in the room, or a different room - the further way from walls, generally the better, especially in front. You could also try a microphone with a tighter (or otherwise different) pick-up pattern, so that it tends to reject more sound than V63M, assuming the V63M has a nice wide cardioid pattern.
 
antichef said:
I'm not familiar with those, but it looks like the Fast Track Pro has built-in preamps, and that there's no way to by-pass them, except for maybe going into the insert jacks on the back.

If that's correct, then, in other words, you're using two preamps in series when you plug the output of the VTB1 into the input of the Fast Track Pro. This would mean that you're using the Fast Track Pro preamp whether or not you're using the VTB1. If this is the case, and you get enough gain from the Fast Track Pro, then there may indeed be little point in using the VTB1.

If you can get the VTB1 signal straight to your Analog/Digital converter (which lives in the Fast Track) by bypassing the Fast Track preamp (perhaps with the insert jack), then you *may* find that it has a different character from the built-in preamp of the Fast Track, and that it's nice to have both options.

All just speculation, mind you... I would explore the possibility of putting the VTB1 output into the insert jack to see if it's advisable to try, and, if so, what it sounds like.

BTW, there's nothing wrong with recording a digital signal that's too low to show up as a significant wave form in your digital audio workstation software. In fact, that's often what you want when you're working with multiple tracks, because when you put them together, they add up to something less than your maximum headroom, and if a track is too quiet, you can always add digital (i.e. noiseless) gain somehow with your software.

edit: re-read your first post -- the bit about background noise coming in relative to your voice isn't something you'll solve with any number of preamps -- I'm still in speculation mode, but if you're getting actual noises (like little kids and cats and dogs, like at my house), then you're best to wait for a quiet moment. If you're getting yucky "room" noise, which can sound like unwanted bad-sounding reverb, or weird phasey degradation from sound reflections, then your best bet is to move to different location in the room, or a different room - the further way from walls, generally the better, especially in front. You could also try a microphone with a tighter (or otherwise different) pick-up pattern, so that it tends to reject more sound than V63M, assuming the V63M has a nice wide cardioid pattern.
Click to expand...

i was actually looking into a preamp with digital outs cuz the FastTrack Pro has digital coaxial ins and outs, but other than that, i can't bypass the FastTrack's pre's, unless of course i try the insert jack, but i don't see that working too well, i may try though

i'm not picking up anything in particular, it's just air, i am in my basement, in a closet that is surrounded by poured concrete on 3 sides and the furnace and evreyhint in the house is off, so yeah, just air, i know my laptop was causing a tad bit of it , but from previous experiments i know that is not the issue, i've completely removed it before with little difference

as far as the waveform and whatnot, i understand that i can boost that level digitally, i have done that, but the end result seems really weak compared to if my gain is turned up, i don't mean weak in audible level terms, i mean just it sounds stepped on or something, no force behind it, also one of the biggest problems is that i can't hear the track when i am recording, so it's real hard to get a good cut , perhaps, if i keep the gain and whatnot very low so i have no noise being picked up from the mic except for my voice and set sonar track to input echo, and boost the track level it will allow me to hear it better, but this means i'd have to turn my headphone mix more to the playback side which means i will experience some latency, which could throw off my cadence a bit, sorry so long, thanks for helping though
 
cool - well hopefully we'll get some more ideas

Kerose said:
in a closet that is surrounded by poured concrete on 3 sides and the furnace
Click to expand...

If you haven't, you might give it a shot in a more open area -- concrete is a good sound reflector, and the reflections may be canceling out or doubling (or something in between) various frequencies in your vox
 
antichef said:
cool - well hopefully we'll get some more ideas



If you haven't, you might give it a shot in a more open area -- concrete is a good sound reflector, and the reflections may be canceling out or doubling (or something in between) various frequencies in your vox
Click to expand...

that's a magical idea!1!! haha, i remember recording a track in my living room once that i didn't much care about outside noise and i don't think that it was picking up as much noise, like just air, shit, that sucks though cuz i've spent a lot of time and material trying to make this closet work, i'd really hate to abandon it, plus i then risk outside noises ruining my cuts, i.e. cars and such

perhaps than it is just coming down to not enough absorption and i'm just deadening the sound, at a very narrow band of frequencies, while the others are still bouncing around the room, which could possibly explain some other audible anomalies i'm hearing, well, i guess it's OC 703 time, at least unless i come up with a better idea, or place to record, such as my spare room upstairs which may be quiet enough from the house, and outside noises to record in
 
antichef said:
I'm not familiar with those, but it looks like the Fast Track Pro has built-in preamps, and that there's no way to by-pass them, except for maybe going into the insert jacks on the back.
Click to expand...

No, the 1/4" jacks on the front are switchable from instrument pre to line level with a pushbutton. It's the top one. Make sure it's set to line level.
 
antichef said:
Nice! I see the button in the picture now
Click to expand...

i didn't realize i could by pass the pres with the line level input, that's what i was using anyways, inst/line sounded pretty close anyways, i am sending the preamp back, it doesn't help, if anything, it is making the room's bad shit sound worse, i tried without last night and got better results, thanks y'all
 
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