weak signal on br-8

  • Thread starter Thread starter cocospear
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cocospear

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I'm using an audix microphone, not a condensor mic, and seem unable to get a strong signal when miking two guitars and using both of the br-8 inputs at once. It seems stronger using only one input, but still not too strong. Any diagnosis??
 
Yep-- the BR8's internal micpres are lousy. They don't boost the signal nearly enough. Most BR8ers end up buying an external mic preamp, which makes a huge difference in volume and clarity.

Pete
 
Hey, thanks. I read a post at yahoo that said you should only use a preamp with a condensor mic, not a dynamic. Is that true? Come to think of it, the post may have said to use phantom power only with a condensor mic and I assumed Phantom power is the same as a preamp. Is it?
 
No, those are two different things. A preamp boosts a weak signal (such as the one coming out of your microphone), up to line level. The BR8 has internal preamps, but they simply don't work well. You'd do much better if you got an external preamp for this task, rather than using the internal ones on the BR8. This is true whether you are using a dynamic mic or a condenser mic.

Phantom power is a separate issue. Most condenser mics are powered by 48V-- called phantom power. Because condenser mics are widely used, and because preamps are typically used with microphones, most preamp manufactures have added 48V of phantom power for each channel as a feature, so that you don't have to buy a separate unit to generate the 48V. On my preamp, there is a phantom power button that I can turn on or off, depending on whether I'm using a condenser or not.

Pete
 
Thanks Pete. You really helped. I think I grok it now. Take the rest of the day off. You earned it.

cocospear
 
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