Audio Interfaces and Buzziness

[thepanthurr]

Sooo... I just kind of started recording-- and so with my AT2020 Mic and a dream I began.

At the moment I have it hooked up to a Behringer Xenyx802. From there I have the main out going into a Behringer Guitar Link UC6102 and that going into my computer via USB...

I notice a buzziness on the microphone when recording, no matter what vocal I'm recording-- it seems gravely. Is it possible that this suboptimal way of doing things is the cause of that? Is it worth spending the money to get a proper Audio Interface?

Thanks

 

[JimmyS1969]

Yes.

And welcome to HR!

 

[thepanthurr]

Simple response and exactly what I needed; and thank you!

 

[ecc83]

Simple response and exactly what I needed; and thank you!

Yes, you should get an interface..But! That setup SHOULD work tolerably well, at least it should not buzz!

I know not of the Berry Guitar interface but I dare say it is just a variant on the UCA202/222? That is pretty good for £25 and will give a noise floor of -80 to -85dBFS* in your (what?) recording software, aka "DAW".

First thing to check is that the microphone signal is strong and clean from the headphone output of the mixer (I have an X802 and a UCA 202). If not, could be a faulty mic, mic cable (never have just one!) or mixer. Try other sources.

If mic/mixer are good the most likely problem is that Windows Sounds are not properly setup. You need to find the recording device in Win, set it as Default then look at "Level" it will I am sure be slammed to 100%, chop it back to 5% or even less (but 0% will give you buggerall).

You can do all this while you wait/save for an interface, if you want t a strong suggestion? Steinberg UR22 (NO! Not a 2i2!).

*Stands for "Decibels Full Scale" and you want your recordings to average about 1/2 way up the scale or around -18dBFS if the DAW has dB markings. Peaks should not exceed -8dBFS. This should VERY roughly equate to the -20dB LED almost always blinking on the mixer but the "0" LED very rarely.

Dave.

 

[Bobbsy]

Dave, the Behringer UCG102 only has a high impedance instrument level input. Jimmy was right to suggest a properly matched interface, even if only something like a UCA202 (though a better interface would be, er, better).

 

[ecc83]

Dave, the Behringer UCG102 only has a high impedance instrument level input. Jimmy was right to suggest a properly matched interface, even if only something like a UCA202 (though a better interface would be, er, better).

Yes Bobbs, being a guitar oriented box I guessed it would have a high Z input but the output Z of the Xenyx will be very low, around 100 R iirc, so that combination should not buzz (any more than a decent pedal into a one meg valve stage does, less in fact! No AC heaters!).

Yes, the UCA would be more appropriate and a UR22 miles better than either but the OP would do well IMHO to work out what is going on with a setup that should give reasonably low noise results.

Dave.

 

[ecc83]

I have had little joy getting any details of the guitar link but it seems it is a single input device and thus even less suited to home recording work.

Dave (still can't "edit").

 

[bouldersoundguy]

I have the main out going into a Behringer Guitar Link UC6102

Do I understand that you're connecting a +4 pro line level output to an instrument level input? That could be the problem right there. A proper interface should solve that by offering line inputs designed to accommodate +4.

 

[ecc83]

Have to chuckle with the use of word "pro" as describing the output of a Behringer mixer even if just in reference to levels

Heh! Caused me to snort in my coffee as well Mark! But this is why I said earlier that OP should keep the LEDs at around neg 20 and only rarely light the 0 LED. There is no mention in the manual but I think it safe to assume "0" = -4dBu so -20 will be around -18dBu. The mixer is easily low noise enough to operate quite happily at this "non-pro" level.

But again. Get an interface! (keep the mixer. Nothing much nearly as handy in a projjy studio after AI, mic etc as a wee mixer.)

Dave.

 

[thepanthurr]

Wow... Tons of responses. Thanks guys As far as further information goes-- I'm on Mac OSX 10.10.5(Yosemite) with the latest version of Logic Pro X (10.2 I think?)-- I will look into testing the mic cable... but I don't have another mic to be able to test if it's the microphone-- I guess I do that by process of elimination?