Can't Get Levels High Enough, What Gives?

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nostrovia

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Hi everyone, I have an AKG C1000S running through Monster XLR into an ART Tube MP and then into my Tascam MKII 488. No problem except for this. In order to get the MPs clip light to even turn just barely red I have to crank the input level all the way up AND hit the +20 gain button. Then playing an acoustic guitar into the mic will get the light to flicker a bit. I do have the phantom power switched on. I don't have a 9V battery in the mic, but I don't think I need it if I am using the phantom power. Is my MP preamp? Or am doing something not so obviously wrong?

Any advice would of course be appreciated. Thanks!
Chris
 
how hot should an acoustic guitar be?

you mentioned that you are using XLR from the mic to the MP. are you using XLR from the MP to the mixer as well?

also, i'm not intimately familiar with the MP does the red light indicate clipping or signal? if it's clipping (which i suspect it is) then why would you want to see it at all unless you are recording distorted guitars?

do you have an input meter on the 488? if so, use that and your ears as your level indicator. the red light on the MP probably isn't that accurate anyway.
 
Thanks crosstudio those are really good questions. Yes, I am going from the MP to the mixer as well, but I've tried going from 1/4 inch to the mixers line input and I've had the same situtation.

One of the reasons that I am looking to get the light to clip is because the instructions that came with the MP suggested to get the the input level up to the point the light clips then ease up on the level just little. But my problem is that it seems I have to crank the input way to high before getting even a little clip which I don't understand.

Yes there are input levels on the meter, and I can definitely watch that. I also afraid my cranking the MP up so high I am going to introduce a lot of amp noise too. Does that make sense?
 
Also, in my first post I meant to ask/say, is my MP preamp maybe damaged? Thanks.
 
no, it's not damaged.

This has been mentioned many times about the MP. I think they put a one colour DIODE in them accidently(keeps the price down, right?)! As crostudio already said, use whatever metering is after the MP. For an acoustic I'd probably have the output of the MP at 100%, the pad switch in, and adjust the input until you have good signal reading on your tascam. You don't need a battery in the C1000 as the phantom power is coming from the ART (should be anyway).
 
Thanks!

Emeric, the MP does have an orange state to the clip light, it goes from green to orange to red. I've been setting the levels opposite to what your suggestion, that is I've been putting the input level at 100% and the output much lower, around 30%. I will set things up exactly as you are suggesting though and try that. Thanks!
 
guitar --(xlr)-- MP --(1/4)-- mixer

hey another thing i thought of. if you are using a 1/4" from the MP to the mixer then you are not using the mixer's phantom power (if it has it). it was my understanding (and i could very well and easily be wrong) that phantom power only comes through the XLR and not the 1/4.
 
Hey crosstudio, but I am using the phantom power from the MP, so in either case (XLR or 1/4") I have had the Phantom power on the tracker's mixer set off. I think that makes sense. Or does the cable chain after the MP also need power? But you are right about the XLR being the only cable to carry the phantom power. Before trying Emeric's suggestion I'll search the boards to see if I can find any additional info on the situation, Emeric you said it has been mentioned many times. Thanks again for the help guys.
 
Yo Nostovia: Salute` Too! and, Lachiam [sp]

I used to use a Tascam 488; can't remember if it has XLR's?

Well, no difference.


My ART mic pre is the dual channel model. I also have a multi-color input set of leds....Green to Yellow to Red.

I never get into the RED.

But, I have an input knob and an OUTPUT KNOB. If you play with those knobs, you can lower the input a bit and increase the output and get a stronger signal without distorting.

If your mic requires phantom power, the ART should handle that; at least, my model has that on/off button on the front panal.

Have you got your wires going in the right direction?

You know, like your mic cable goes into the input plug....then, another cable comes out of the output plug to your CHANNEL INSERT FOR RECORDING THAT PARTICULAR CHANNEL.

I think you have a wire mix-up or a defective mic pre.

Check it out.

Green Hornet
 
It is the mic....

The C-1000S is one of the lowest output mics I have ever seen. When I use it with my ART unit, I have to crank up the input on it to get it to just start to clip, but that also depends on what I am micing too. If the source sound is kind of low volume, then definately the input of the ART has to be cranked up. But I have mic'ed Leslie cabinets with the C-1000 before, and not had to have the input up too high, so really, in your case, your sound sources are just a littl too quiet for that particular mic. You can try tunring things up, or playing louder, etc.....depending upon what you are micing.

Really you should look to invest in a Audio Techinca 4033 for your main mic. Compared to the C-1000, you would be very very happy with it....:)

Good luck.

Ed
 
Thanks, you guys rock.

This has been enlightening. I tried the suggestion of easing off on the input levels and turning up the output levels, that worked fine with the acoustic guitar.

Sonusman thanks for the heads up on the low ouput of the C-1000S, now I don't feel like I am doing something wrong, besides using that particular mic ;) I will definitely look into the Audio Technica 4033, it is a little on the expensive side for me right now, but I recently purchased an Aardvark DirectPro and I'm thinking of selling the Tascam 488, so that would free up enough cash to invest in a good (better) mic.

I don't have a lot of equipment right now, so instead of investing a bazzilion dollars in hardware I decided to go digital before it was too late. I'd rather put the money into mics and preamps then processors. Hopefuly that line of thinking makes sense to most everyone here (but I could be wrong). :) What I do have is an empty room I am planning to convert into a home studio. I plan to post a layout of the room very soon and ask for some opinions on how to use the space. It's actually a room/loft with a stairwell nearby. Sorry I am spouting a bit.

Thanks again everyone,
Chris
 
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