Making the connections

[Dkazup]

Hello, I'm looking for some advice on making my connections from microphone to computer the best they can be.

I'm trying to record very clean vocals for comuter based training in an office environment. Here are my components that I have and can use:

Shure SM7B microphone
Presonus TubePre
Presonus Comp16
Presonus EQ3b
Presonus Firebox
Samaon S Com Plus

Dell Inspiron 9100

Sound Forge 8.0
Cubase LE

I've tried several setup and I just don't seem to be able to get a clean signal. There always sem to be some base level noise in the signal that although when I speak is to noticible, is very noticible when I am not speaking. Or it seems that I have to drive the pre amp way up to get a usable signal.

Last night I spent time making sure I had all the updates on my laptop with system, audio, and video drivers. It is a laptop with a built in 4-pin firewire connection. I'm thinking about getting a pcmcia firewire card so that I can eliminate a power supply (the firebox 6pin to 6 pin connection)

I've set up this run which I thought would be really good... Shure Mic -> XLR to the TubePRE ->XLR to the COMP16 ->XLR to the Samson (de-esser) -> XLR to the EQ3B -> XLR to the Firebox (Mic 1) ->firewire to the Dell (6pin to 4pin)

In my testing it doesn't seem to matter which components I have connected as the noise appears in all the connections. I did have all the components except the Dell plugged into the same outlet. Actually I had all presonus componets plugged into a power strip and then the samson plugged into the out right above the the outlet the power strip was using.

Is my expectation that I should be able to run from the Shure to the computer in some configuration without a base level noise element wrong?

What should I do next to try and eliminate this issue?

How far aawy should I have to place all this equipment from each other to eliminate interference?

On Monday I'm going to go back to the basic of just SHure to Firebox to computer and unplug everything else and see if that makes any difference. Then I figure I'd start adding each component back in.

I do also have a Behringer UB1204 that I could put into play if needed. I also have a Sony DAT player that I could run to instead of the computer...if needed.

I look forward to learning more from you all.

Dan

 

[Jeff_D]

Try pluging the SM7 straight into the Firebox and use the built in preamp in the Firebox. If that works ok, start putting things back in the chain to narrow down the problem. Could be a bad cable somewhere or could be a gain staging thing somewhere.
My advise- start with the minumum and work your way up.

 

[Dkazup]

Thanks for the suggestion. I did remove all the equipment from the chain except the mic, firebox, and laptop. I'm still getting the noise even in that setup and am also not getting very powerful signals out of the firebox to Sound Forge. I've attached a microsoft wave file that I created using that setup and with the firebox mic 1 setting all the way up.

I think I've isolated the source of the noise to the laptop and it only seems to occur when I have the fire box plugged in. I'm using a 6 pin to 4 pin firewire cord. When I unplug the firebox the noise stops, plug it back in and the noise starts again.

I'm about to try another machine and see if it occurs on two different machines. Any other ideas?

Thanks
Dan

 

[Jeff_D]

Thanks for the suggestion. I did remove all the equipment from the chain except the mic, firebox, and laptop. I'm still getting the noise even in that setup and am also not getting very powerful signals out of the firebox to Sound Forge. I've attached a microsoft wave file that I created using that setup and with the firebox mic 1 setting all the way up.

I think I've isolated the source of the noise to the laptop and it only seems to occur when I have the fire box plugged in. I'm using a 6 pin to 4 pin firewire cord. When I unplug the firebox the noise stops, plug it back in and the noise starts again.

I'm about to try another machine and see if it occurs on two different machines. Any other ideas?

Thanks
Dan

Try a different mic cord if you have one. Do you have a different mic you could try too? Try to isolate the problem to the Firebox.

 

[Jeff_D]

Also, where about do you have the "master" knob and the "gain" knob for the channel.
I could see you getting a pretty bad signal with the gain all the way up and the master turned down.