Microphone Feedback

[Whyte Ice]

The other day when I had a friend over and he was recording vocals, I got out my condenser microphone that we usually use for vocal purposes. I use the same settings as always, same cable, same positions, everything the same except whenever we moved the fader passed -20dB (usually set at -15dB to -10dB), it started feedbacking whenever you spoke into it. Is the mic going bad? Its almost brand new, owned it for a few months now. Have anyone you had a problem similar to my situation? Any tips to give me to stop this from happening?

I don't have enough money to buy a new condenser mic at the moment so this is all I have to work with so I'll try anything to get it in good working order again.

 

[Track Rat]

Are you monitoring with headphones or speakers?

 

[Whyte Ice]

Speakers, but when I was playing the track back through headphones, the feedback was still there.

 

[Gidge]

While you are recording, you will have to monitor thru headphones...and during playback thru speakers, turn off all mics.....

 

[jgourd]

First lets define feedback.

Feedback occurs when a mic hears its own output in a room where the total gain is greater then unity.

So, knowing this, you have to ask yourself, "Why is my mic picking up its own output?". Do you have the door to the control room open to the vocal studio? Do you have monitors turned on the studio instead of headphones? Are the headphones "open air" type instead of the kind that cover your whole ear? Is it still feeding back on playback because you are still monitoring its output along with the tracks being played back?

Feedback in a studio is not hard to track down.