MR-8 Volume Help

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Andy-O

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Hi everyone... I've been browsing this site a lot lately, and you folks seem to really know your stuff. I'm having problems in the uploading process to my PC. Everything goes smoothly, but the volume on my recordings is at a very low level relative to what it sounded like on tracks 7/8. Wondering if there is a way to keep the volume up or if I need to find software to amplify the wav after it is on my PC. Also, I'm having the hissing problem that I've hard about before on the board. (This could be due to the fact that I'm having to turn the volume way up to listen) I'm doing some basic 2 to 4 track recordngs, mostly just vocals and an acoustic guitar. Thanks for all advice.
-Andy
 
Go into the settings on your computer and see if you have the volume turned up far enough. I'm guessing the hiss is coming from your soundcard. Might want to try n-Track for mixing if you don't already have it.


bd
 
Well, the hissing type sound is even audible when I run headphones direct to the MR-8. And my computer volume settings are all the way up. It's just that relative to all my other wavs and mp3s, the volume level is real low. I'm kinda stumped here.
-Andy
 
I good way to improve the level of the recordings if you do not have music editing software (which I reccomend getting some) is when bouncing your tracks to 7 and 8, use the "powerful" mastering effect. It will boost your levels on your recording.

Are yo uusing real player to play back the recordings/ eal player also has its own volume control.


clif
 
Andy,
What are you using for a mic / pre? What's in your chain?

bd
 
I'm guessing it is the mic. Are you using a condenser or dynamic? Mixer/preamp or straight into MR-8?

Just thought of something else. Where is your trim set? What are the levels on the tracks? What is the "input A select" switch set on. It needs to be on "line" if you are pluggin a mic in.
 
OK, just got my hands on Cakewalk Home Studio, so the volume issue is taken care of through normalizing. Up until this point, I was running a cheap radio shack mic directly into the MR-8 into input A with the "line" setting on. I can only assume that this would be the reason for the hissing. This raises 2 questions that may or may not be forum appropriate: On Cakewalk, can you somehow clean up that hiss, and also, what is a good all around vocal mic that I can use for recording but also live? I appreciate all the input.
-Andy
 
I'm afraid the hiss is water under the bridge, unless someone came up with some miracle plug-in de-hisser. Try a Shure SM58 for a mic. For a little less money there's the AKG 2200 (I have 2 of em) that's a pretty decent mic.


bd
 
Even with a cheap Radio Shack mic I still don't see where all the hiss is coming from. I still think maybe you have something set the wrong way. Where are you setting the master level, track level, and trim at on the MR-8?
 
OK, track level is somewhere from above where it says "min" up to the tight grouping of volume lines under "max". Guitar on track 1, usually closer to min, and vocals a little higher on track 2. Master is set right at the tight grouping of lines below min. (Which I thought was the "optimal" setting), and trim is set at halfway, with the line pointing straight up on both inputs 1 and 2. I'm not too familiar w/ trim, so that might be an issue. I don't know. bdbdbuck, I will lookinto those mics.
Thanks.
-Andy
 
Sounds like you got them set right. You might want to try leaving the master level where you have it. Turn the trim all the way up and adjust the level on the track you are recording on. The reason I keep thinking about the levels is when I recorded some pre-recorded soundtracks that were from cassette and had some hiss. I got the hiss to be less by adjusting the trim and track volume. I just can't remember where I had them set.
Another thing, do you have anything in the room that would be causing the hiss (fan, air conditioner, water pipes, etc.)?
 
.......Fluorescent light fixture? Humming transformer? The trim is adjusted with the small knobs where the inputs are. There are a couple of LED's (clip indicators) there also that you should monitor to keep the thing from clipping. I usually try to keep the trim as close to clipping as possible and adjust the track faders by watching the bars in the LCD display. We'll get it figured out!

bd
 
gospel said:
Sounds like you got them set right. You might want to try leaving the master level where you have it. Turn the trim all the way up and adjust the level on the track you are recording on. The reason I keep thinking about the levels is when I recorded some pre-recorded soundtracks that were from cassette and had some hiss. I got the hiss to be less by adjusting the trim and track volume. I just can't remember where I had them set.
Another thing, do you have anything in the room that would be causing the hiss (fan, air conditioner, water pipes, etc.)?
Click to expand...

I think I remember what I did to make the hiss less noticable. I turned the trim about 1/2 way and cranked up the track level. This increased the volume but decreased the hiss. Might be something totally different with the noise you are getting. Like bd said about the lights and such. You have to look at what else might be getting power from the same circuit as you are plugging the MR-8 into. I had to change plugins because the washing machine was on the same circuit and was causing some clicks.
 
It's important to note that the headphone output of the MR-8 is NOISY! So don't pay attention to any hissing or whatever if you're only hearing it on the headphones...if so, it's not actually in the recording!

Also, the faders DO NOT CONTROL RECORDING LEVEL! They just control your monitoring of those particular tracks. As far as I know the master volume does the same thing. They should generally always be kept where those three lines are up near the top of the labels beside each fader, as the manual states. Playing with these will affect only what's played back, but NOT what's actually been recorded. So you could have a pristine, clear recording that you think is too quiet, etc., if you don't have these set appropriately.

So your only variables are the trim controls (these are the only thing that control the recording level, to my knowledge), the switch on the back for "guitar / line / mic," and your mic / cable (by the way, is it an XLR cable, or just your standard 1/4" headphone-type plug?)

By the way, you're transferring to PC using a USB cable, not by recording with your soundcard, right?
 
tom,
The low volume and hiss he is getting is heard on the MR-8 and on his PC after transfer.

Also, I'm gonna have to check this out about the faders not effecting the recording level, especially the master fader. I may be mistaken but I think my master fader does control recording level.
 
gospel said:
Also, I'm gonna have to check this out about the faders not effecting the recording level, especially the master fader. I may be mistaken but I think my master fader does control recording level.
Click to expand...

Gospel, it's true, I promise :) I don't know if there are different manual versions, but on the .pdf version on the web it's in a little box that says "<Note>" at the top left of page 32.
 
Important addendum...the master fader DOES control recording level when you're BOUNCING tracks (see page 44-45), but NOT when you're just recording through the inputs.
 
Your right Tom. I tried it last night. That's what happens when you learn to use the MR-8 by trial and error and don't read the manual.
 
In all honesty, I never really paid much attention to how I was adjusting the levels. Upon further investigation, my faders are normally where they belong and I adjust @ the mixer. My bad.

bd
 
I'm going to look into changing the power outlet it's plugged into. To answer your questions, I now use 1/4 in. cables for recording, and I also send it to my comp. with the USB. Gospel, I will try that track level/trim combo. Maybe when I get this whole thing figured out, I will post one of my songs. Thanks again everyone.
-Andy
 
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