Can't seem to get the hang of this

M

MisterP

New member
Being soaking wet behind the ears when it comes to home recording, I went to this chain store to pick up some equipment for some voicework I was lookin to do.. I told the guy I was lookin to do some voicework/broadcasting stuff but didn't wanna leave too big a crater in my bank account.. he told me to get an Apex 415 and an Art Tube Microphone Preamplifier and a couple of XLRs and sent me off.

It's been a MONTH of trying to get this to sound decent. The signal is very inconsistent. I'll get 6 words into a semi-decent recording and suddenly it quiets down and sounds muffled.. like I'm talking through a hurricane or something. It also seems to take about an hour for the mic to get any kind of signal.. When I record within that hour and play it back, I can hear myself VERY faintly, but it's more noise than anything.

I plug the pre-amp into the wall, it powers up, I plug the mic via a 9-inch-or-so XLR cable into the Input, and I plug another XLR cable from the Output to the PC Line-In. I turn the Phantom Power on, adjust the Input gain and Output gain to about the same level (and I've tried ALL levels of gain, min. to max.)... Am I doing something wrong in this process?

I'm wondering if it's a mic/pre-amp compatibility thing? Maybe the guy at the store just half-assed his recommendation cuz I was so obviously dazed and confused? I have a feeling it's not my soundcard, because I borrowed a buddy's USB mixer and even tried it with that.. Still, nothing.. a few words into the recording and the USB mixer would make a click noise and suddenly I'd get no signal at all.

Thanks. And sorry if I'm all over the road with this post.. Once again, I'm very new to this.
 
Can't tell with that info, but try to break it down to the separate parts to trouble shoot if you can.
Record something known/simple (like a cd?) line in to the sound card -ok? No go?
Try something else into the pre -got another mic, maybe one that doesn't need phantom or 2nd best into the 1/4"?
Unless I'm mistaken some of the little tube pres, one of the gain or drive knobs 'mixes in the tube path. Find out, dial that one out of the equation.
Etc.
Thanks. And sorry if I'm all over the road with this post.. Once again, I'm very new to this.
Click to expand...
Weren’t we all.
Cheers

And welcome :)
 
I plugged this Sony kareoke mic into the same hook-up and it seems to be working fine.. Thus the pre-amp isn't the culprit, I guess. Could have something to do with the Phantom but I tried hooking it up to different electrical outlets just in case of a faulty power source, and I made sure I have the right cables. I also tried to get it going on another computer, and was left with the same headache.

I'm suspecting that this mic might just be REALLY sensitive and slow to power up, and I should invest in a pop screen (I know, I know, "WHY HAVENT YOU ALREADY??")? Although I experimented with the mic placement and even when vocalizing a solid foot away from the mic, I tend to get the same nonsense.

I don't think I've ever ran a smooth operation that's involved monkeying with a computer... From modems to printers to recording equipment, always a bumpy start... If I wasn't 22 I'd at least have an excuse!

I appreciate the help, mixsit.
 
Your description sounds like the phantom power is jiggy on your pre.

Like a bad capacitor.
 
Yeah, I get the feeling you're right.

But I think there's a possibility it might be the mic.. I'm lookin at the Low Cut and -10db switches on it and they couldn't actually be "switched".. I just realized the mic's 'shell', if you will, was off-kilter, and the switches weren't aligned with the switchholes, so I actually just twisted the shell back into proper alignment.. Not a good sign when it comes out of the packaging that way.
 
MisterP said:
I plugged this Sony kareoke mic into the same hook-up and it seems to be working fine...
Click to expand...
So you've narrowed it down to
1) your Apex mic is faulty
2) the phantom power supplied by the preamp is faulty (the Apex 415 is a condenser, and I assume the Sony mic was a dynamic)

From what you said about the crap mic construction, I bet it's the mic.
 
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