Horrible Signal-To-Noise, Is it my Mic?

[kronosthekudu]

I know it says it is connected to the mic input there, but the wiring is connected to the line input and I verified this with the Sound control panel

 

[Steenamaroo]

Ok fair enough.
In Audacity, where it says microphone (high definition aud..), is that just a generic description?

I can't think of much else here. I think the swap/test troubleshooting is about all you can do now.

 

[kronosthekudu]

Ok fair enough.
In Audacity, where it says microphone (high definition aud..), is that just a generic description?

I can't think of much else here. I think the swap/test troubleshooting is about all you can do now.

I suppose it just is a generic description, I'll try the audio interface then mic swap out.

 

[Steenamaroo]

I suppose it just is a generic description, I'll try the audio interface then mic swap out.

Sweet.
Good luck and, please, let us know how you get on.

I know it's not really the point (what you bought should work), but build in sound cards generally aren't the way to go.
If you end up having to buy a USB interface or something it'll be no bad thing.

 

[Ronbert]

If I"m following correctly it appears that with the mic removed but phantom power applied you see the noise.
If this is true then turn off the phantom power and see what happens.
If the noise goes away then try a different cable. Then add back the mic if the different cable is quiet.

 

[Farview]

What happens when you unplug the preamp? That could just be the sound of your internal soundcard.

BTW, with the meter, there should not have been any resistance at all. 70 ohms is a little worrying for an audio cable.

 

[kronosthekudu]

I got another mic, Audio-Technica ATR2100. It works perfectly through preamp + soundcard, or through audio interface.

It was the Excelvan mic.

 

[fullait]

Pre amp gain settings vs distortion settings on guitar tube amps

I don't even own a pre amp but your settings sound almost reversed to me as they are similar of how to set an old guitar tube amp to create distortion. Maybe play around here and try reversing these settings in regard to lower input and higher output? I'm still an analog recorder mostly, hope it helps?

I'm a complete noob to audio. I expect I'm missing something basic, but here's the issue.

Gear
Mic: Excelvan® Condenser Sound Recording Microphone
Sensitivity: 45dB±1dB
Equivalent Noise level: 16dBA
Preamp ART Tube MP Studio Mic Preamp

Setup
Mic -> (via XLR-XLR) -> Preamp (phantom power on) -> (via XLR-1/8") -> Computer ADC -> Audacity

The Issue
The signal to noise ratio is horrible. My preamp gain is at +40dB input and +10dB output. This gives me roughly -18dB recording volume. But my noise level is -30dB.

I suspect the issue is my microphone. Is there something else that could be the issue? Let me know if you need more info.

 

[fullait]

You have probably tried all possibla variations of input vs output but meant as just another idea at no cost