Newbie/Amateur Static Vocal Mic

[IntHarmony]

First post so bear with me...
Recently I got a new SM58 Shure dynamic microphone for my "studio" (I put quotes because it is totally amateur-ish and unprofessional). It did not come with a cord so I am using a GLS Audio Professional Series XLR-M to XLR-F cord. I have the M end plugged into my Roland JUNO-Gi keyboard (where it is supposed to go, I'm not completely new to this) and the F plugged into the mic. On the keyboard is an audio input knob to turn to increase the input. In the keyboard's manual it says to have the input loud enough to hear yet quiet enough to prevent feedback. I have done this and I have spoken into the mic and have not had feedback or static and I can hear myself somewhat well. However, I am very close to the mic, and once I get a pop-filter for it I will be some 5 inches from the mic, which I have tested out to be very quiet. I do intend to use this mic for singing which will be louder, and I was talking kind of quieter than I normally would, but I would like to have the input louder so I can modify it. Yet when I do that, a static feedback noise is heard. The cord says "Noise Free" so I doubt it is the cord causing the problem, but I do not know what is. So my question is: What may be causing the static/feedback, and how do I prevent it when turning the input up?
Thanks if you answer and if you need more information just ask; I'll tell you as much as I can.

 

[DarrenVocal]

I'm not really sure if your keyboard has a build in audio interface or what as I am not experienced in that, but I suggest you take a sample of the audio of the microphone when you turn the volume up.
There can be 2 scenarios at the moment:
1:
Your keyboard does not have a clean gain, that's what making the feedback/static happen.
2:
Your room is not treated for recording and background noises can be heard.

Do let us know more about your findings.

 

[ecc83]

Happy new year john ( I now intend to call every forumite who does not give a "proper" name "John" as in the cockney appellation, "'Lo John, go new motah!") .

That Roland key board is quite some beast! And yes, it is a full blown Audio Interface.

The feedback you are experiencing is an inevitable consequence of amplifying a mic and feeding it to speakers in the same room but I am not sure where the speakers are. Separate PC or monitor speakers or built into the keyboard? No matter really, you will have to turn them off and listen via headphones.

On a slightly different tack, at -40dBu that mic input does not seem to have a lot of gain and as you say, you might have trouble getting a decent level. In this particular case the purchase of a small mixer would be indicated to feed the line inputs of the keys. The Behringer Xenyx 802 is as good as any for the price. DO NOT go dirt cheap and buy a mixer with only one mic input! You WILL regret it. The Berry will also provide 48V phantom power for capacitor mics, something I think is lacking on the Roland?

All the above will "get you out of jail" for the moment but you might consider buying a proper interface, such as the Steinberg UR22 which also comes with a free copy of Cubase light, the absolute dog's bllx software for MIDI.

Dave.

 

[rob aylestone]

I agree - the mic input is firmly of the sm58 on the lips variety - so using a small mixer will get the level up to something more useful.

 

[ecc83]

- Headphones Or well away from the speakers on the keyboard

- The Juno appears to accept XLR connected mics and does provide 48v @10ma phantom

- Perhaps a hotter output mic may be worth a try.
For a dynamic, the ones with a Neodymium magnet generally have a higher output (Shure Beta 58A, EV ND797a, Sennheiser e840/e935, etc)
A handheld condenser mic might also be a good choice as it will have a hotter output.

Ah! Spook juice. Did not see that in the spec' arc'!
A good hand held capacitor is the AKG Perception 170. Has around 20dB more output than a '57 and is "road hardened" for close talking work and well under 100quid.

Dave.

 

[IntHarmony]

Wow, I was not expecting so much help. Thanks to you all!
UPDATE: I have tested 2 different low budget mics (I think both were originally for a karaoke setup in the 90's?) both with a TRS jack, which is also supported by the keyboard. After said testing I have confirmed that static was on all three mics, so I have concluded that the static is not originating from the Shure, the GLS cable, or any other outside source. I haven't pinpointed the origin, just eliminated possibilities.
I'll just reply to each post down the line...
@DarrenVocal
I am pretty sure the keyboard has a built in audio interface, as it has a digital recorder that is used to record guitars of vocals as well as the keyboard's input. When you say "take a sample of the audio", do you mean to record something with the low input, then turn up the volume on the track the audio was recorded on? As I said before, the keyboard is used for recording, so I think it would have clean gain, but I am not sure. I will look for that now that I know to look for it. And as for the room, I have my "studio" set up in the corner of my bedroom, so it is definitely not treated for recording. But I have the input so low, that background noise cannot be heard, so I do not think that the static is b.g.n.
This is a LONG post. Sorry about that.
@ecc83 A.K.A. Dave
I do not have any speakers for the keyboard, and I always have headphones plugged in and that is what I use to listen to the output of the keyboard. I will take a look at the mixer and EAI and see if they might be what I need. I have no idea what they are or what they are used for so it never crossed my mind to get one (I am also on a somewhat tight budget so that's another reason why I don't look for much), but I'll look into it.
@rob aylestone
So, what you're saying is unless I get a mixer I need to kiss the microphone every time I record?
@arcaxis
Yes, the current cable connection I have is XLR and it fits and works fine with the keyboard. And what do you mean by hotter output?Does that mean the mic itself picks up more sound without having to change the input on a mixer or the keyboard?
Again thanks for replying and helping someone who doesn't know much.
I'll check back here every other day or so.