Help On a Setup!

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jlmedia

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Hey ive got some serious problems and need advice..
Im using an audio technica at 3035 condenser microphone with a SE metal popshield
I have it going into a Behringer UltraGain T1953 Tube Preamp.. Then a S.com 4 Channel Compressor/Gate and a Alesis MultiMix 6 FX then to a pci sound blaster xtreme audio sound card.
Yet i'm getting noises even more from the preamp and the gate/compressor!
Know i know there both cheap and not the best as i was and still am on a budget so..
I'm Thinking of removing the mixer, preamp and mic and getting the Line 6 UX2 Audio Interface to have on a Rode NT1000 condenser microphone with it having built in preamps and compressors.. but i havent tackled getting rid of my pc noise,
Is there a way to icolate this?
Heres a list of what i worked it out to be..

Total needed:
269
Ebay Sellings:
Preamp - 79.99 - Postage = 12.00
Mixer - 80 - Postage = 4.00
Mic - 76.99 - Postage = 6.99
Total:
236.98

And so thats my tight budget and i'll be able to add in maybe £10 or £20 from my bank.. What can you recomend ? does the UX2 work good ? because in some screen shots i've seen that it has a gate.. Oh And btw im using it all for voice over work not singing or instruments.
Thank You! Very Very Opreciated. [ Im Only 15 ]
 
Step #1, open the box, grab hold of the Soundblaster gamer card and throw it away.

When I started out my Soundblaster had a -55db soundfloor that you could definitely hear.
Hooking up cheap equipment to it will only multiply the noise in your system.

A real recording soundcard will do wonders for you....

Here's a good guide and tested suggestions: http://www.tweakheadz.com/soundcards_for_the_home_studio.htm
 
I was guessing that might pop up :P
Anyd thanks! Does any one have or have used the Line 6 POD UX 2?
Whats the quality? any noise?
Also can i still have some help on icolating this sound from my pc
 
Before I did anything else, I'd eliminate either the preamp or the mixer from your signal path, you don't need both. I wouldn't be suprised if much of your noise was coming from the Alesis.

What I really would reccomend is sell both the preamp and the mixer and use the money to get a Tascam US122L interface instead. Not only will you be bumping up the quality of the preamps, but noise-wise it'll be a lot quieter than the Bheri/Alesis combo. And that'll hook up to your PC via USB, bypassing your Soundblaster.

G.
 
jlmedia said:
Hey, Which is better now :P Tascam US122L or the Line 6 POD UX 2? Cause the ux2 has 6 built in preamps and alot more..
Click to expand...
I'd look at the math. With the UX2 you get three times as many preamps, plus POD modeling, plus a software plug, and it only costs $50 more. Sounds like a deal on the surface, right? I can't have a lot of faith in the quality for that price, though.

If the preamps were in the same class as the Tascam, that UX2 should by all rights cost at least a couple hundred bucks more. Even the cheapest 8-preamp interfaces without all the bells and whistles that come extra with the UX2 typically cost about $400.

Your problem is noise in your signal chain. Do you really want to chance solving that problem with a box that goes cheap on the preamps for the sake of including a box full of fancy bells and whistles that'll do nothing to help with actual signal quality? Besides, with only one microphone and no budget for more anytime in the near future, the two preamps you have in the Tascam are twice as much as you need already.

My personal selection would be the Tascam.

YMMV, IMHO, etc.

G.
 
Heya.. just chiming in on the Line6 UX2.

I use it, really like it. I'm no professional, but am amazed at the tones that the thing can generate.

As for the 6 preamps.. i think this needs to be clarified. It has 6 preamp MODELS to choose from. There are two jacks on the front to connect a max of two XLR plugs.

It is preamp emulation. But i do have to say, i was pleasantly surprised how much they improve the 'dry' sound recorded.

As a sample of the what the UX2 can do (and in someone else's hands, I'm sure it could do much bigger/better things) This is a project I completed using it. http://www.thesixtyone.com/#/norrisshepherd/song/Life+of+a+Sidekick/27395/ All guitars (acoustic/electric) and vocals were processed exclusively with the UX2. Electric guitar was a cheap Ibanez Gio.

If you only forsee ever needing one mic (for voice-over work) you could get the UX1 instead, as i think it is a bit cheaper. (only 1 mic jack)
 
If i was to get the tascam is any of it software related? as in the ux2 i've seen that you can change the preamps your putting in, such as on youtube he dragged everything he wanted and then selected that group for his mic and guitar,
Thanks,
 
jlmedia said:
If i was to get the tascam is any of it software related?
Click to expand...
If by that you mean, "Does it include any 'emulation' software?" the answer is no. It does come with Cubase LE as it's editor. It used to also come with a basic version of Gigastudio, I'm not sure if it still does or not, but that's easy to look up.

All I can tell you is the Tascam is a wonderful product that will sound great; you won't find a better-sounding preamp/USB interface for under $200 IMHO.

The thing about those preamp emulators is that if you can't get a good sound without them, you'll never get it with them. It's all bling. You can put all the bling on Rosie O'Donnel you want and she still ain't gonna be a hot babe. Work on getting a good sound first. After you got your recordings sounding like Jessica Alba, *then* you can worry about the bling.

Again, IMHO etc.

G.
 
SouthSIDE Glen said:
You can put all the bling on Rosie O'Donnel you want and she still ain't gonna be a hot babe. Work on getting a good sound first. After you got your recordings sounding like Jessica Alba, *then* you can worry about the bling.
Click to expand...

Lol,
And thanks for the advice.. Do you know any one with a demo using the tascam preamps? so i can hear the quality?
Thank You.
 
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