is it better or worse to have +20db mic boost

[djclueveli]

is it better or worst to have the +20 db mic boost setting on on my pc volume control mic setting? the soundcard itself adds noise even the mic isnt in. i have a sound blaster audigy and a yamaha mg/10 mixer which i use as my mic preamp also.

 

[Synkrotron]

you do not need the mic boost on your soundcard

 

[RedStone]

ya, I found that it was easier to record at lower levels and then boost it later in an audio editor if I needed a louder signal - that way you can pretty much avoid clipping the pre-amp in the sound card and I think you get an all around cleaner recording.

of course, that was back when I was using creative products *shivers*

 

[Cult_Status02]

ya, I found that it was easier to record at lower levels and then boost it later in an audio editor if I needed a louder signal - that way you can pretty much avoid clipping the pre-amp in the sound card and I think you get an all around cleaner recording.

of course, that was back when I was using creative products *shivers*

If you do that, the noise probably came up as well, so there would be more hiss with it, I'd imagine.

 

[mixaholic]

yea thats the problem about it is the noise will come up alot more

 

[Davo364]

is it better or worst to have the +20 db mic boost setting on on my pc volume control mic setting? the soundcard itself adds noise even the mic isnt in. i have a sound blaster audigy and a yamaha mg/10 mixer which i use as my mic preamp also.

you'll find it better if you go to your mixer and then into the "line in" rather than use the "mic in" on your soundcard
Cheers
Davo

 

[RedStone]

If you do that, the noise probably came up as well, so there would be more hiss with it, I'd imagine.

I'm pretty sure the hiss factor depends more on the resolution and quality of your interface rather than the level you record at.

A solid 24-bit interface should let you record at fairly low gain settings with excellent (clean) results. A 16-bit interface will inherantly have a higher noise floor. (-96dBFS for 16-bit compared to -144dBFS for 24-bit)

I'm just repeating what other, more knowledgabe people have posted before.

Peace

 

[Reggie]

you'll find it better if you go to your mixer and then into the "line in" rather than use the "mic in" on your soundcard
Cheers
Davo

^This is the answer here. Do not plug into the mic input of your Audigy!
Mic>cable>mixer>cable>Audigy line input

 

[cpl_crud]

The audigy cards have terrible, terrible self noise.
It has to do with the architecture of the input bus- the line and mic inputs are both open when you unmute on or the other, so you get a fair amount of noise.

In all honesty, ditch the audigy unless you are using it exclusively for digital in.

If you have to use the audigy, then, as the others mantioned, turn off the 20dB boost and use the line inputs w/ the signal chains mentioned above.

I would suggest that your next purchase be that of a halfway decent soundcard/AD converter. Sine you've already got a mixer, you may as well jsut find one of the 2-channel USB/FW jobbies, like the tascam US-122 or a M-Audio Audiophile.

The A/D/A converters on the Audigy aren't exactly the greatest.
However, Audigys have their place. Mostly for gaming, but if oyu've got het front panel breakout you've got a couple of extra digital IO spots, which sometimes come in handy.

Just remember that once you've got a digital signal, it's a lot more hardy than an analouge signal.

 

[SonicAlbert]

I'm pretty sure the hiss factor depends more on the resolution and quality of your interface rather than the level you record at.

A solid 24-bit interface should let you record at fairly low gain settings with excellent (clean) results. A 16-bit interface will inherantly have a higher noise floor. (-96dBFS for 16-bit compared to -144dBFS for 24-bit)

I'm just repeating what other, more knowledgabe people have posted before.

Peace

I hate to tell you this, but those other people weren't really that knowledgable. They gave you some bad advice, which is guaranteed to give you a recording with a high noise floor. Pretty much the exact wrong thing to do.

Every piece of equipment has a noise floor, not only soundcards but mixers, mics, mic preamps, synths, etc. If you record softly, the sounds you are recording are nearer the noise floor. When you boost the volume later you are raising both up equally, and the noise floor becomes audible and very apparent to the listener.

The idea is to separate the recorded material from the noise floor. This will give you a cleaner and better sounding recording.

You want to record your sounds a loud as possible without distorting, and without the performer needing to be worried about clipping the inputs. It is usually fairly easy to find this level. You would make a few test passes to set levels and put the highest peaks at maybe -6 to -10 below peaking.

However, for the original question that started this thread. I would say that all the mic preamp boosting should occur at the mixer, and that the levels *shouldn't* be boosted yet again when going from the mixer to the sound card.