How to improve mic and/or voice quality with my interface?

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chaoshead

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I have a Behringer UMC202HD with DT770 pro headphones connected to it and a NT1 mic. I do mainly voiceover work and streaming, just started. But, i am a little confused from the various tutorials online on how i can improve my mic and/or voice quality with my interface... So for that, i have 2 questions:
1) what on the interface should i enable/disable? Line and Direct Monitor, or? Inst and PAD i should leave off since im not using any instruments, right?
2) What are the differences between "gain", "output" and "phones" knobs?

I just want to have that clear so i am no longer confused about it... thanks in advance for the info!

UMC202HD_P0BJZ_Top-Front_L.webp
 
Play around with the unit. Plug in the NT1 give it +48 voltage. Use headphones. Select ASIO or driver in the options menu of the DAW. Establish communication.

Start with knobs all the way down and advance them. Gain is the strength of incoming signal. Output is , level of the sound released. Phones is the level at the headphones on your head from the port. Turn them up until you see the clip light on an input sound. There is no interface meter so work off the clip light.

Always use the Pad function on the microphone. Unless you are going for faint sounds. If you are in control of position and source, Pad. It makes the overall recording quieter and gets rid of the low quality sounds..

The DAW will act as the GUI. Pay attention to what you see and hear. Wave shape, level, movement, feel, groove, all of it.

Ask people questions and discuss your observations.
 
Mostly as above - but oddly I rarely pad, unless I'm recording something really hot and loud. I just don't need the pad for what I do.
 
Likewise ^^.

Only time I've used a pad is when something is outrageously loud.

Line: press this if you are plugging in audio from a keyboard or similar.

Inst:press this if you are plugging in a guitar with a pick up.

Direct monitor: press this if you want to hear what you are recording as you record it. The alternative is to use software monitoring from your DAW.

Gain: this adjusts the level of a signal entering the interface (and then into the computer).

Output: This adjusts the level of the signal coming out of the interface (and to speakers or whatever you have connected to the output).

Phones: This also adjusts the level of the signal coming out of the interface, but to the headphone output. It is independent of the output level.

'
 
Someone told me that in order to achieve the Self Noise Rating of the microphone , the Pad needs to be enabled.

Self noise affects the quality of the recording. Dynamic range and all. So I was trying to get maximum performance from my microphones.
 
I think I've used a pad on a mic maybe once or twice in all my time recording. I think using the pad is like throwing a big blanket over it. And....of course.......that's basically the premise.
 
Mickster said:
I think using the pad is like throwing a big blanket over it.
Click to expand...

I think the highest specs during testing are obtained with the pad on.

See it helps to discuss. If they are comparing microphones in testing, and the specs are obtained with the pad enabled, how could that be?

Anybody see in a manual if this is true?
 
Is higher Sound Pressure Level better?
asked by Bass_Pounder. If you are talking about sensitivity ratings, the higher the better.

SPL?
Sound pressure level (SPL) or acoustic pressure level is a logarithmic measure of the effective pressure of a sound relative to a reference value.

P420
Annotation 2020-03-15 173916.webp

My thinking if you have +60 db of gain in the preamp, why not pad off -20 db for more detail or quality?
 
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You won't get more detail or quality. If you pad down the microphone's output, you will need to boost the preamp gain, which ends up at the same point.

The only way you could get better "quality" is if you are recording a source that approaches or exceeds the microphone's max spl.
 
TalismanRich said:
you will need to boost the preamp gain, which ends up at the same point.
.
Click to expand...

AWe man, so it is Spinal Tap..'these amps go to 11'. 10 or 11 what's the difference? These go to 11.

Really , so hitting the pad -20 and juicing +20 gain for equal output, is the same thing? NO, the SPL number is higher . SPL = Sensitivity.
 
Can't go to 11 with my vintage amps, a 53 National and a late 60s Guild. They have no numbers. And I can't hit the pad on my Rode mics. They have no switches.

I guess that solves that problem.
 
IIRC engaging the pad on my 204HD actually made the noise floor slightly worse but still very low.

The high sensitivity of most capacitor microphones means they pickup more 'room' than a dynamic because you use a cap' mic further away. If you get as close as you would with a dynamic you run the risk of blasting the mic. Not likely with a quality product from Rode but the 202's pre amp might protest.

Dave.
 
You're getting good advice here. Personally I'd just plug the mic in, switch on phantom power and set the gain so that you are seeing an average level of -18dBFS with peaks maybe up to -10dBFS. This will give you a bit of headroom for the odd peak that will almost certainly go over that when you are doing a take.

However, the most important factors in voiceover work are the room and your mic technique. Good voiceover artists know how to talk across the mic rather than into the mic to reduce plosives and they know how far away from the mic to be to get the effect that they are after. They also know how to control their voice to give the right dynamic range rather than relying on artificial compression. These are things that come with practice (and most artists require at least a hint of compression).

A quiet dead room is also important. There is nothing more distracting than hearing noises in the background or room reflections that don't tie in with the mood of the piece you are recording.
 
LazerBeakShiek said:
AWe man, so it is Spinal Tap..'these amps go to 11'. 10 or 11 what's the difference? These go to 11.

Really , so hitting the pad -20 and juicing +20 gain for equal output, is the same thing? NO, the SPL number is higher . SPL = Sensitivity.
Click to expand...

The SPL figures refer to the levels the microphone can handle. So, without a pad (0db), the mike can handle an SPL of 135db. With the pad engaged (-20db) it can handle a level of 155db.

The pad is neutral with respect to quality . . . up to a point.

If you have a low signal coming in, and you engage the pad, you will need to increase the pre=amp gain to compensate. This is not an unreasonable thing to do, except if you have to increase the gain to such an extent that you end up outside the pre-amp's effective operating range and introduce noise.
 
An example of where you might use a pad might be something like a close mic on a trumpet bell or snare drum that can get extremely loud. 135 dB SPL is way loud enough to cause deafness with enough exposure. A wound out Plexi might not need a pad if it's not overloading the preamp or something.
 
So the total SPL number is only the noise limit.
Not an indication of performance or quality.
That changes things.
They do not say the freq changes from 20-20k in the P420 with mic pad on.
THD occurs after a level, but isnt that the SPL?

What would you use to gauge microphone performance then? ..dont say ears..the scribble line their art department comes up with in the back of the manual?
 
Turning on the pad doesn't change what the mic diaphragm is seeing, only what is getting transmitted electrically. Total Harmonic Distortion is a function of both the diaphragm's capabilities and the electric circuit's.
 
Then Chaosheads, Nt1 will not be any higher quality, pad on or off. I would think that better spec numbers are better. It looks like it is a ranged thing.

chaoshead, are you taking notes?
 
LazerBeakShiek said:
So the total SPL number is only the noise limit.
Not an indication of performance or quality.
That changes things.
They do not say the freq changes from 20-20k in the P420 with mic pad on.
THD occurs after a level, but isnt that the SPL?

What would you use to gauge microphone performance then? ..dont say ears..the scribble line their art department comes up with in the back of the manual?
Click to expand...

Microphone specifications tend to be about as loose as a cow with amoebic dysentery. Even some big names and high cost mics leave of frequency limits and such data.

SPL limits are especially vague. Often just 'a' limit, 130dB SPL. Better if they specify a distortion figure such as " 0.5%THD at 130dB" (bandwidth? don't be silly!) but often max SPL is quoted for 1% THD so mics are not comparable.

But even 'thd at X SPL' is a bit vague. Where is the source ref mic? Sensitivity is given (or bloody should be!) as dBV at 1 Pascal (Pa) and that is a pressure on the diaphragm, obviously 130dB at 1mtr causes less pressure than at 100mm.

But much of this is academic. Much as I love me specifications (as many here will tell thee!) the basic performance of most microphones is perfectly acceptable.
For capacitors a sensitivity of -40dBV/Pa (10mV) is easily good enough to make the noise of all but the grottiest preamp inaudible. A self noise figure of 20dB is good enough for most applications but very quiet instruments, nylon strung guitars say and speech might demand better.

Overload capacity is really only a problem for a few situations. Drums of course and brass. Some people can sing loud enough to overload the cheaper capacitors but that is rare and good mic technique can mitigate that. Or just use a bloody dynamic!

Paper specs are pretty crap but then of all the things used in the recording chain the microphone is surely THE most subjective? Much BS is written about pre amps and converters but in reality these make bit a tiny difference*.

*Except of course those pres CHOSEN for their 'attitude'.

Dave.
 
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