Problems using SM58 with BOSS Micro BR

B

Bombay Gorden

New member
I'm using an SM58 with a BOSS Micro BR, but the volume is so low that I had to increase the input level to a point where now I'm running into problems with noise. Would it help to use a pre-amp, and if so, what sort of preamp would work with this setup? I'm also wondering if there's a better way to connect the mic to the recording unit. Right now I'm using an xlr to 1/8 adapter, but I'm wondering if there's a better way to set it up to decrease the noise and increase volume.
 
You basically have no choice. The only mic input on the micro BR is a 3.5mm stereo input, which is designed for a battery powered stereo mic, the type used with camcorders or minidiscs. So- you can either get a good stereo minidisc mic (I like SONY ECM-MS957, which is not particularly cheap), or- get a preamp and go into the line inputs on the microBR. The good news is- you don't really need a great preamp, because the microBR doesn't have great preamps. There's no point in putting a Ferrari engine in a Toyota Yaris. This would be my first choice for cheap:

http://www.8thstreet.com/product.asp?ProductCode=10658&Category=Audio_Processors

Good luck-Richie
 
Richard Monroe said:
You basically have no choice. The only mic input on the micro BR is a 3.5mm stereo input, which is designed for a battery powered stereo mic, the type used with camcorders or minidiscs. So- you can either get a good stereo minidisc mic (I like SONY ECM-MS957, which is not particularly cheap), or- get a preamp and go into the line inputs on the microBR. The good news is- you don't really need a great preamp, because the microBR doesn't have great preamps. There's no point in putting a Ferrari engine in a Toyota Yaris. This would be my first choice for cheap:

http://www.8thstreet.com/product.asp?ProductCode=10658&Category=Audio_Processors

Good luck-Richie
Click to expand...

I recently bought a used Micro BR and going to pick up a used Audio Buddy tonight.

My newbie question is if the Line In on the Micro BR is a stereo input, and I am plugging my SM-58 into the Audio Buddy but the output of it is mono, how is it going to work? Or do I use a guitar cable and use the Audio Buddy's instrument output to the guitar in of the Micro BR?

I am confused.
 
Stick with the clean m-audio ones...they are better than most at making the dynamics work without all that noise...some of the lower priced pres are way too noisy...never buy one with a tube in it.
 
darrin_h2000 said:
Stick with the clean m-audio ones...they are better than most at making the dynamics work without all that noise...some of the lower priced pres are way too noisy...never buy one with a tube in it.
Click to expand...


Hi there,

Thanks for the response. But should I be connecting the output of from the AudioBuddy to the BR's LINE IN jack or the GUITAR IN jack? If it is the LINE IN jack, then does it matter because my signal is mono but the jack is stereo? I guess it will be a mono signal to one track then?
 
yeah, it's be mono to a single track.

First, go with the preamp idea. That's something you'll always have a use for while the stereo mic might mostly sit in a box later on when you've upgraded your gear.

Second, I don't have direct experience with the Mocro BR but I did quickly glance at a pic of it and I see there is a menu and some parameter buttons.
The way the mic/line input is labeled, it may automatically treat the input as a mono signal if a mono plug is inserted.
Whether it does or not, there's GOT to be somewhere in the menu/setup where you can take a mono input and pan it to wherever you wish.
I'd be shocked if it didn't have some way to do that so search your manual.
I'd probably try to use the guitar input for guitar and not vox because it's described as a "dedicated guitar input" which leads me to think it's load is probably designed for a guitar and wouldn't be the best load for a preamp. But you could try it and see how it did ..... won't hurt anything.
I'm thinking you can probably plug the preamp into the line/mic input and in the menu somewhere you'll find a panning function.
Let us know.

Hopefully someone who has one will come along and patiently explain that I'm an idiot.

:D
 
Lt. Bob said:
yeah, it's be mono to a single track.

First, go with the preamp idea. That's something you'll always have a use for while the stereo mic might mostly sit in a box later on when you've upgraded your gear.

Second, I don't have direct experience with the Mocro BR but I did quickly glance at a pic of it and I see there is a menu and some parameter buttons.
The way the mic/line input is labeled, it may automatically treat the input as a mono signal if a mono plug is inserted.
Whether it does or not, there's GOT to be somewhere in the menu/setup where you can take a mono input and pan it to wherever you wish.
I'd be shocked if it didn't have some way to do that so search your manual.
I'd probably try to use the guitar input for guitar and not vox because it's described as a "dedicated guitar input" which leads me to think it's load is probably designed for a guitar and wouldn't be the best load for a preamp. But you could try it and see how it did ..... won't hurt anything.
I'm thinking you can probably plug the preamp into the line/mic input and in the menu somewhere you'll find a panning function.
Let us know.

Hopefully someone who has one will come along and patiently explain that I'm an idiot.

:D
Click to expand...

Thanks I will give it a try with it tonight after I pick up my AudioBuddy. I got to think that someone here must have used Micro BR with a preamp to use your existing microphones you already have instead of buying those tiny mics.
 
I can see why you are confused. There are very few inputs on the micro BR. I think Lt. Bob is wrong, and you *can* input 2 inputs into the *stereo* mic/line input. All you need is a Y-splitter cable to go from 2 1/4" TS (tip-sleeve) plugs to a 3.5mm (1/8") stereo plug. Then you can arm 2 tracks (let's say #1 and #2) and send the signals from the left and right side of the Audio Buddy to those 2 tracks. Check the manual. Somewhere, on some menu, there will be an option called "pan" or "panning". If you have a stereo input, as with a stereo mic, it will send one signal to track #1 and one signal to track #2. That's fine, then you have 2 tracks. Panning allows you to determine how much of each signal is sent to the left output, and how much to the right. If you pan both tracks "down the middle", it will send equal amounts of each track to the left and right outputs.

So- let's say you are using the SM58 into the left side of the Audio Buddy. The splitter will send all of it to one side of the stereo mic/line input, and all of it will be on one track. If you listen in headphones, or speakers, which side it comes out of will depend on how that track is panned. For say, vocals and guitar, you might use the other side of the Audio Buddy with a second mic, and send it to track #2. Then you can pan them both "down the middle", or more often, you will pan one track *somewhat* left, and the other one *somewhat* right.

You could do the same thing with the instrument input. Assign any effects (FX) you want to, send it to track #2, and then use panning to decide how much of the 2 tracks come out left, and how much comes out right. Here's an example of the cable:


http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/CMP153/

Hopefully that makes sense. Now go do a little research on "panning" in the Micro BR manual. You can send 2 signals from 2 different outputs on the Audio Buddy to 2 separate tracks through the single stereo input, and then pan them to whichever side you want them to come out. Or- you can send them to the computer by USB as separate tracks, and pan them in the computer. Let us know how it works out.-Richie
 
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just to clarify, I didn't say he couldn't get two inputs into that stereo input or address that at all.
What I said was that if he plugged a mono signal into it to would be a mono signal to one track as he suspected but that he should be able to pan it.
 
Sorry if I misunderstood what you were trying to say, Bob. I think all is good, though. With the Audio Buddy and a splitter, the OP should have 2 inputs with phantom power, for any mics he wants to use. That's why I like the H4n. It already has all of that built in. I used to have to do the same routine with a Korg PXR4 Pandora, so I could feed it two signals from regular mics into a 3.5mm stereo line in. The next step was figuring out how to power the preamp with batteries. Life is simpler now.-Richie
 
Thanks for the responses Bob and Richard.

I think I understand how I should connect them now. I just have to out and buy a cable.

One of the limitation on the AudioBuddy is that you either have phantom power on for both channels or you don't. That means I cannot use my SM-57 and a condenser mic to record my acoustic guitar. But I shouldn't expect too much out of my $150 recorder and $40 preamp. :)

I used to have a H4 and loved the live recording quality of it, I just didn't like the multitrack interface on it.
 
Richard Monroe said:
Sorry if I misunderstood what you were trying to say, Bob. I think all is good, though. With the Audio Buddy and a splitter, the OP should have 2 inputs with phantom power, for any mics he wants to use. That's why I like the H4n. It already has all of that built in. I used to have to do the same routine with a Korg PXR4 Pandora, so I could feed it two signals from regular mics into a 3.5mm stereo line in. The next step was figuring out how to power the preamp with batteries. Life is simpler now.-Richie
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that definitely sounds like the way to go. that way you'd have 2 inputs all the time and you could just pan them where you want.
 
Centropolis said:
One of the limitation on the AudioBuddy is that you either have phantom power on for both channels or you don't. That means I cannot use my SM-57 and a condenser mic to record my acoustic guitar.
Click to expand...

You can use dynamic and condensor mics at the same time. You aren't going to hurt the SM57 by having the phantom power on for the condensor mic.
 
No worries, Centropolis! Hitting a dynamic mic with phantom power is like shooting an elephant with a peashooter- No effect.-Let us know how it works out. And- I wonder whatever happened to Bombay Gordon?-Oh well- Richie
 
hi, everyone. i have a question.
i'm plugging in a Shure SM58 mic into the line in/mic input in the Micro BR. I bought this XLR to 1/4" cord (http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103835). It doesn't say if it's stereo or mono. I bought a stereo 1/4" to 1/8" radioshack adapter plug to fit the cord into the Micro BR input. I can only record/hear the mic on the left channel of a track. I know it's a mono mic and I have tried the pan function on the Micro and it evens out in a live setting but when it's recording it reverts to being all the way panned on one side.
Really looking to remedy this problem without being a preamp.
 
thecliffer said:
hi, everyone. i have a question.
i'm plugging in a Shure SM58 mic into the line in/mic input in the Micro BR. I bought this XLR to 1/4" cord (http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103835). It doesn't say if it's stereo or mono. I bought a stereo 1/4" to 1/8" radioshack adapter plug to fit the cord into the Micro BR input. I can only record/hear the mic on the left channel of a track. I know it's a mono mic and I have tried the pan function on the Micro and it evens out in a live setting but when it's recording it reverts to being all the way panned on one side.
Really looking to remedy this problem without being a preamp.
Click to expand...
It may be that adapter. The cord you showed is mono.
So it may be that using a mono adapter would take care of it.
 
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