Trouble shooting help- getting a quiet output

vanchamberlain

New member
Im using a clarett 2 pre and a Neuman TLM 102 in logic pro on a mac desktop.

For some reason i have to have the gain/sensitivity on my Clarett cranked almost to ten in order to get a recording at a volume that’s in the mix.

All takes, guitar but especially vocals, are coming in really quiet when i have the gain dialed to a reasonable setting.

any one out there possibly know what the issue is here? consider be a very green and impatient home recording artist.

thanks !
 
You should never max out the gain on any preamp to get input levels. You are likely to get a bunch of noise.

It is better to lower the levels of tracks you are recording to, and use the output from DAW or monitor volume when tracking. You can always increase gain later. You can't get rid of noise caused by overuse of a preamp.
 
Im using a clarett 2 pre and a Neuman TLM 102 in logic pro on a mac desktop.

For some reason i have to have the gain/sensitivity on my Clarett cranked almost to ten in order to get a recording at a volume that’s in the mix.

All takes, guitar but especially vocals, are coming in really quiet when i have the gain dialed to a reasonable setting.

any one out there possibly know what the issue is here? consider be a very green and impatient home recording artist.

thanks !

As [MENTION=119721]jimmy69[/MENTION] states, you should not have your preamp set all the way up. This is a fairly sensitive microphone, so no reason for low record levels unless something is set wrong somewhere else, or you've got an equipment fault.

When you solo a track in Logic Pro, what is the peak level (dB) shown in the track as it plays back?

So, you've got the TLM connected with a known, good cable into channel 1 in the Clarett with Phantom Power turned on. Check? You are recording into the side of the microphone that shows the Neumann logo?

For hardware failures, my choice would be to test a different mic, a different cable, even a different interface if that's possible.
 
Sorry for this but I have to ask. You do have the mic the right way round with the correct side for recording? :facepalm:

Ahh sorry Keith I didnt see that you had also covered this.:o
 
,,, all good advice here,,, (even Orson, cause I have seen incorrect position of the diaphragm before lol,,, Even the cable not connected, lol)

You can check and should hear the noticeable change with and without phantom power on. Hopefully both the inputs are not damaged.

Once you go through the checks everyone mentions, you'll know why ;)
 
Low gain questions

I recently got a 4Pre and am having issues with the gain levels. I have a Neuman TLM103 and Deity S-Mic-2 but when I attempt to record into either Logic Pro X, Final Cut Pro X, or even OBS the signal is quite low. I am using phantom power and have the gain knobs on the Clarett channels up to about 80-90% of their rotation and still need to boost the audio in the DAW by +3-5db in order to get reasonable levels. (My MacBook Pro speakers are at about half volume btw). I have tested out the same set up with the Scarlet 2i2 with no issues — same with my zoom H6 recorder. Both the scarlet and the H6 required gain of about 50% of their rotation.

Cables are plugged in - using a nylon braided cable by Speakfriends and a Pro Co cable from Sweetwater.
Indeed am talking into the correct end of the shotgun mic (deity smic2) and the correct side of the Neuman TLM103.

Distance to the mics are 1-4 fists - so 3 to 8 inches for voice over and I have tested the shotgun at 18inchs.

Are y’all having the same experience with the Clarett? Am I just being dense here and missing something?
What gain levels are y’all typically using for the Clarett 4PRE?
 
UPDATE:

I received the replacement Clarett from Focusrite today and thus far, after a quick set up test run of 5 minutes, the gains are working as expected. Thanks.
 
Hello! I have the exact same problem as the OP. Did anyone get an answer on what might be the issue?
 
I see. Thank you for your reply. I wonder if the TLM 102's output is that much lower or if my Clarett 2Pre is defective, because the instrument/line levels are acting exactly as they usually do. And the last condenser I tried a couple of months ago only needed the gain knob at about 50%. I already submitted a support ticket to Focusrite and I'll see what they say.
 
Don’t know for sure but I’ve got a TLM-103 and two Deity S-mic 2’s. Had troubles with all three mics. I never tried the instrument input so couldn’t say with that. That said, I seriously doubt it’s your TLM-102 as that mic should have plenty of signal (assuming you’re turning on phantom power) for the Clarett to get ample signal with about 50-70% gain levels.
 
Yeah you're probably right. Thanks for the advice! I'll update in this thread with what happens.
 
Focusrite clarett preamps are super weak!!!

I had a focusrite clarett 4pre for 3 days. I could not get a usable signal out of it. Even with the gain turned almost all the way up, the signal was super weak. After normalization the noise floor was higher than any preamp I've ever used. I think it's the nature of the beast though. Watch the video on youtube (released by Focusrite themselves) where the dude records an acoustic guitar. "recording acoustic guitar with the clarett 2 pre" I'm new to this forum so I can't post the link

At 6:30 you can see the two tracks he recorded for a guitar part: one recorded direct and one with a microphone. You can see how weak the track recorded with the microphone is in the DAW even though he had the gain turned up almost all the way.
DO NOT BUY THE FOCUSRITE CLARETT if you need to use the onboard preamps for quiet sound sources. I'm sure drums or percussion would be fine
 
That's really interesting! I don't know if the mic he's using is especially low output but it certainly looks a bit weird that you have to crank the gain up so much and still get a pretty weak signal. Another funny thing I've noticed is that a lot happens in terms of volume when you change the gain from 90% to 100%. And if you put it at 100% it distorts a bit even if it's not clipping in my DAW, but that might not be that weird.

But maybe it's just mine that is defected, I guess I have to troubleshoot with different mics when I can.
 
That's really interesting! I don't know if the mic he's using is especially low output but it certainly looks a bit weird that you have to crank the gain up so much and still get a pretty weak signal. Another funny thing I've noticed is that a lot happens in terms of volume when you change the gain from 90% to 100%. And if you put it at 100% it distorts a bit even if it's not clipping in my DAW, but that might not be that weird.

But maybe it's just mine that is defected, I guess I have to troubleshoot with different mics when I can.

One other thing is to try another working USB cable. They can go bad, and still work sometimes. Even allow a weak signal.

If that fails to correct the issue, and the Phantom Power is working as expected,,, you'll need it looked at.
I'd say you need to start the process of repair or replacement. No need to test another thing really.
When you crank the gain of the interface, it should peg the DAW input meter, or the interface or cables are likely bad.
You can try different inputs, but likely it is not a single in or out and more likely the unit.
Either way it needs a diagnostic test before using it, especially if under warranty.
It's not a weak mic that would need a little Pre help... Well unless the mic is actually failing.


Then you can get to making some music !!!
 
What a crazy mixed up post! Got this ancient valve jockey well bandjaxed!

To stick with the OP's first post. The TLM103 is a massive 23dB HOTTER than an SM57 and so you should need the gain WAY back from maximum. Are you sure you are getting phantom power AT the mic end? Take the shell off the XLR and MEASURE the fekker!

The fact that the line input works as expected tell me there is nothing wrong with the mic amp because it is almost certain that the line input is simply attenuated by ~20dB and goes through it.

Dave.
 
One other thing is to try another working USB cable. They can go bad, and still work sometimes. Even allow a weak signal.

A bad USB cable should have nothing to do with levels. At that point the data is digital, just 1s and 0s. There is no "level" to the signal. If there is data dropout, it will manifest itself as complete dropouts or intermittent sound, not reduced volume.

At 6:30 you can see the two tracks he recorded for a guitar part: one recorded direct and one with a microphone. You can see how weak the track recorded with the microphone is in the DAW even though he had the gain turned up almost all the way.

I watched that video and, yeah, that REALLY looks crazy low for a SDC mic level. The Sonotronics has a level of -36dB 12mv/Pa which is over 20dB higher than an SM57, and on par with something like the Rode NT5. There's no way it should be cranked that high for the signal level he's getting. I get that from an SM57 on my Tascam! It makes me wonder if Focusrite under engineered the mic pres on the Clarett line.
 

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The specification for the 2pre gives 57dB for mic pre amp gain. Not massive but easily enough for a 57 (say) in most situations and comparable to my KA6.

This review Focusrite Clarett USB also has nothing bad to say about the Claret's pre amps?

Weird.

Dave.
 
I just tested the phantom power with a multimeter, and there's nothing wrong with voltage or current, and nothing wrong with the mic cable. So I guess that leaves me with two possibilities, either faulty mic pres, or a faulty mic. However, the signal that does come through sounds totally fine, just very weak. When I gain it up in Logic there are no weird artefacts, the TLM 102 sounds really good actually. But it still bothers me that I have to turn the gain up to about 90% to get a "useable" signal. If I have the gain at 50% and speak in a normal speaking voice 15cm in front of the capsule it peaks at -41. I have already written to Focusrite support, but while I'm waiting to hear back from them, what would be the next logical troubleshooting test? To try the mic with a different audio interface? To try a different condenser mic in the Clarett?

Edit: I have the thunderbolt version of the Clarett 2Pre.
 
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