Why Unwanted Audio Hiss When Recording?

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Manji

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:cool:Why am I getting hiss when recording my classical guitar? I am recording through a Sterling Audio ST51 to the Tascam DP004 digital 4 track. I am running through a Phantom Power box, but I am only getting about a half bar of audio signal at the Tascam. This is placing the mic about 2 inches from the soundhole. I am recording in my living room. Any suggestions to boost signal or am I making any obvious errors?
 
sounds like your phantom power box might not be working? Are there gain controls on it?
 
Brand new Phantom Power box, so I don't think it is that. Is the mic not powerful enough, or do you think the problem could be the Tascam?
 
Manji said:
Brand new Phantom Power box, so I don't think it is that. Is the mic not powerful enough, or do you think the problem could be the Tascam?
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I have never used the mic but I checked out the website and it looks like a good mic. have you tried both imput channels for the tascam? -

how does it sound in the headphones on the tascam? Does the phantom power unit have a gain control? is the tascam gain up?
 
The input channel thing is interesting. I'll definitely try that. I wonder if I fried the Tascam. I was running high gain signals through there a couple of time with my electric guitar. Is that possible? There is no gain on the phantom power. The Tascam has a input gain and a Master gain. I suppose I could fiddle with these, but it seems like it should be a lot easier to get a louder signal, especially with the mic almost pressed up against the guitar. Nice arcade cabinets by the way.
 
The input channel thing is interesting. I'll definitely try that. I wonder if I fried the Tascam. I was running high gain signals through there a couple of time with my electric guitar. Is that possible? There is no gain on the phantom power. The Tascam has a input gain and a Master gain. I suppose I could fiddle with these, but it seems like it should be a lot easier to get a louder signal, especially with the mic almost pressed up against the guitar.
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With my phantom power mic I still need to boost my mixer gain to like 6 then have my slider all the way up to zero - but if your tascam isn't built to handle an amp'd signal there is a very good possibility you fried it. Some inputs have a line/level switch and some are only built for low level (non-apm'd) levels - I blew up a real nice equalizer like that many years ago...

but - i only blew one channel in the EQ - so maybe you have a good remaining channel - try both (i think that unit has 2 inputs right?)

Manji said:
Nice arcade cabinets by the way.
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- thanks :)
 
Sounds like you are connecting the output of the phantom power supply into a line level input rather than a mic. input as it should be.
 
This is the second post in a couple of days about low levels into a Tascam DP004, the other being HERE. Many of the same suggestions have been made in the other thread but is there something inherent in trying to run mic level into the unit? It worries me anyway that the combined ins are unbalanced, is it also a very poor mic pre-amp or something? Does anyone have a DP004 they can try at line level with a decent pre-amp?

Bob
 
You know that is funny. It is almost an identical post. The facts seem to indicate that it may be a Tascam issue. I am going to try their customer service line to see if I get anywhere with that track. I think the line that it is a something of a guitar recorder versus a mic thing might be holding water though in my mind.
 
Manji said:
This is placing the mic about 2 inches from the soundhole.
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Manji said:
am I making any obvious errors?
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This has nothing to do with your problem, but it is an obvious error. If you are getting the sound you want (once everything else is working properly that is :) ) by putting the mic 2" from the soundhole, then great.

However, I have found myself that I get a better sound near the neck joint, and maybe 6 to 12 inches back from the guitar. Your mileage may vary.

It all depends on your mix too, and how you need the guitar to sit in said mix.
 
Oh, yeah, and try one of these guys on the cable from the phantom power supply to the input of the Tascam.

This is more than just an adapter. It has a transformer in it that is designed to match the output impedance of your mic to the input impedance of your input.

If you have already tried something like this (a transformer) then nevermind.
 
The mic is so close because of the signal issue. I saw a video on YouTube of two Neuman mics placed a couple of feet from the guitar, so I know that there is definitely some issue with my setup. The mic can't be that bad though. I am becoming somewhat convinced that the problem is with the Tascam. I mean, let's say I was going direct to a computer through a mixing board. In that case I should be able to sit back a bit. The big problem though is that if you imagine a spectrum of sound, listening to it, 5/8 is guitar sound, 3/8 is hiss. I should be more specific though, the hiss is the sound one would hear if sitting in a quiet room. I just thought that this mic should pick up more guitar, less unwanted "ambience".
 
That's not ambient noise. It's likely an impedance mismatch.

Are you using a transformer or just an adapter to plug that mic into your Tascam?

I can't make any promises, but I think you may get better results if you try one (a transformer).
 
That model doesn't have a mic preamp. You need to send a line level signal into it. You need a mic pre, preferrably with it's own phantom power.
 
Have you got it plugged into input "A" and is the switch on the side selected to "Line / Mic

Alan.
 
c7sus said:
That model doesn't have a mic preamp. You need to send a line level signal into it. You need a mic pre, preferrably with it's own phantom power.
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We went through this before with the other guy who has similar problems. The Tascam DP004 can, in theory, accept mic level inputs, albeit via an unbalanced quarter inch jack--there's a software menu to switch between line and mic level. I must say, with two similar reports I have to wonder if the DP004 has pretty rubbish mic pre amps and/or a serious impedance mismatch with standard microphones.

Bob
 
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