Wierd technical issue with SHURE SM58

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Sahar Cohen

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I bought the SHURE SM58 mic today and the volume of the mic is really low. (extremely low)
I connected the mic to my audio interface (Focusrite Scarlett 2i2) and turn the mic gain (on the audio interface) halfway through and I honestly can barely hear my self (with headphones), if I want to record at a decent volume (still kinda low) I have to turn the gain knob of the mic all the way up and then I hear a VERY loud hiss noise (which make it impossible to record).

I recorded vocals when I had my audio interface mic gain knob at 12oclock and the wav sound was actually a straight line, no ups and downs, which is super low.
How can I solve this? I heard that it's a good mic so I believe the mic isn't the problem (I hope).

Please help, thanks in advance.
 
typo at the title, meant to write 'Weird technical issue with the SHURE SM58.
if someone can fix it ,it'll be appreciated.
 
Sahar Cohen said:
I bought the SHURE SM58 mic today and the volume of the mic is really low. (extremely low)
I connected the mic to my audio interface (Focusrite Scarlett 2i2) and turn the mic gain (on the audio interface) halfway through and I honestly can barely hear my self (with headphones), if I want to record at a decent volume (still kinda low) I have to turn the gain knob of the mic all the way up and then I hear a VERY loud hiss noise (which make it impossible to record)....
Click to expand...
Did you or can you test the mic and cable (e.g., with a PA and compare another mic) where you bought it? SM58 is not a low gain mic so shouldn't have any problem with level in any interface that's working properly, at least IMO/E.
 
Plug your Behringer XM8500 (from another thread you mentioned it) into the same cable as you're using for the SM58. If you were using the XM8500 on the 2i2 interface, the SM58 absolutely should have much higher signal than the XM8500 if working properly. (Was it the XM8500 you had set the gain knob to 12 o'clock?)

XM8500 - 0.3mV/PA - Behringer XM8500 | RecordingHacks.com
SM58 - 1.85mV/PA - Shure SM58 | RecordingHacks.com

Did you buy the SM58 from a well known retailer/store?
 
arcaxis said:
Plug your Behringer XM8500 (from another thread you mentioned it) into the same cable as you're using for the SM58. If you were using the XM8500 on the 2i2 interface, the SM58 absolutely should have much higher signal than the XM8500 if working properly. (Was it the XM8500 you had set the gain knob to 12 o'clock?)

XM8500 - 0.3mV/PA - Behringer XM8500 | RecordingHacks.com
SM58 - 1.85mV/PA - Shure SM58 | RecordingHacks.com

Did you buy the SM58 from a well known retailer/store?
Click to expand...

I just plugged them both and tested, I turned the input gain knob a bit after 12o'clock and talked, I got the same level of volume from both mics. I can even say that I think that the XM8500 was a little bit louder than the SM58.
(I used the same XLR cable)
I find that really weird because I'm pretty shure the SM58 is supposed to be way louder than the XM8500.

(and no, it wasn't the XM8500 when I had the gain knob to 12 o'clock, it was the SM58)
 
arcaxis said:
Plug your Behringer XM8500 (from another thread you mentioned it) into the same cable as you're using for the SM58. If you were using the XM8500 on the 2i2 interface, the SM58 absolutely should have much higher signal than the XM8500 if working properly. (Was it the XM8500 you had set the gain knob to 12 o'clock?)

XM8500 - 0.3mV/PA - Behringer XM8500 | RecordingHacks.com
SM58 - 1.85mV/PA - Shure SM58 | RecordingHacks.com

Did you buy the SM58 from a well known retailer/store?
Click to expand...
I opened up a DAW and inserted the mic, I shouted really loud and that's the maximum volume that I get (when shouting) Imgur: The most awesome images on the Internet
the knob was set to 12 o'clock when I did that test.

that's the .wav from the test. just a straight line. Imgur: The most awesome images on the Internet
 
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Did you buy the SM58 new? From the internet? The most faked mic ever I think. If you bought it from a local retailer new..............you might want to exchange it for a another one.
 
Or try a different interface. Something's definitely wrong.
 
Sahar, can you confirm the cable you are using has XLR connectors on both ends and not a cable with an XLR to 6.5mm (1/4"). And do you happen to have an extra cable you could try?

The 2i2 has a gain Range of -4dB to +46dB. With an SM58 you may need the gain knob towards 3 o'clock and a bit more. Are you getting the green ring around the gain knob to flicker on with the gain pushed up?
 
arcaxis said:
Sahar, can you confirm the cable you are using has XLR connectors on both ends and not a cable with an XLR to 6.5mm (1/4"). And do you happen to have an extra cable you could try?

The 2i2 has a gain Range of -4dB to +46dB. With an SM58 you may need the gain knob towards 3 o'clock and a bit more. Are you getting the green ring around the gain knob to flicker on with the gain pushed up?
Click to expand...

Yes, I can confirm that the cable that I'm using has XLR connectors on both ends. and no, I don't have an extra cable I could try unfortunately.
and no, I am not getting the green ring around the gain knob expect when the gain knob is maxed out and is all the way. just when it's all the way up (and there is a very loud hiss sound, the green ring is flickering. I don't see it if the knob isn't all the way up.

My XM8500 mic was quiet as well and I thought at the time that it's fine because that is the mic. I'm starting to think that maybe the problem is the audio interface and not the mic.
Is there that I could check if the problem is indeed the audio interface? is there a way that I could connect the mic to something else (not a audio interface, I don't have another audio interface) and check what's causing this problem?
 
Mickster said:
Did you buy the SM58 new? From the internet? The most faked mic ever I think. If you bought it from a local retailer new..............you might want to exchange it for a another one.
Click to expand...
No I didn't buy the mic from the internet. actually bought from a well known retailer that I bought all of my equipment from. so I don't really think that the mic is fake.
 
keith.rogers said:
Or try a different interface. Something's definitely wrong.
Click to expand...
I don't have a different audio interface. is there still a way for me to check what's the problem? (mic or audio interface) without having a different audio interface?
 
Sahar Cohen said:
No I didn't buy the mic from the internet. actually bought from a well known retailer that I bought all of my equipment from. so I don't really think that the mic is fake.
Click to expand...

You might save a lot of time and guesswork by taking the mic back to that retailer and testing it on their premises. If it works........great.........you know the mic is fine..........if it doesn't.........well then...............no further investigation needed. Perhaps you've already done that?
 
Mickster said:
You might save a lot of time and guesswork by taking the mic back to that retailer and testing it on their premises. If it works........great.........you know the mic is fine..........if it doesn't.........well then...............no further investigation needed. Perhaps you've already done that?
Click to expand...
No I haven't done that already, I'll go there tomorrow morning. thanks.

just to clarify and make it clear to me. there is not a chance that that's the mic right? I just saw a Youtube video that someone says that the SM58 requires a lot of gain, so I had second thoughts if that's really a problem. But I don't really think that it's that extreme right? you saw the first image that I added? is that normal? I just don't want to waste an hour drive to the retailer tomorrow and find out that the mic is fine and that's just how it works. thanks a lot.
 
I just tried an SM57 with an older Tascam interface I have, which I think has roughly about the same gain maximum as the 2i2. I did have to have the gain knob at near full to get what would be adequate level for recording. There was some soft hiss, but probably wouldn't be noticed in a mix.

Are the latest 2i2 interface drivers installed and showing properly in your DAW software? What are you using for a DAW software?

Someone else may know better than myself, but wondering if something such as 'buffers' might need to be tweaked to 'fix' the hiss(?)


Edit......... How close are you to the mic? A mic like the SM58 is intended to be used pretty close to the mouth. 40 to 100mm maybe.
 
Point of reference: I plugged my SM58 into my 2i2 and needed to turn the gain up about halfway to get the green light to flicker when saying Test. Turning the gain up all the way caused the red light stay on continuously. Between 1/2 and 3/4 seemed like a good level.

You either have a bad mic or a bad XLR cable. My vote is with the cable because the behringer mic doesn't work, either. But, what are you plugging the 2i2 into? There are some breeds of mac that do not supply enough power for an interface to operate.

The youtube video is correct, the 58 does require a lot of gain, but 1/2 to 3/4 on the gain knob should be sufficient.
 
Chili said:
Point of reference: I plugged my SM58 into my 2i2 and needed to turn the gain up about halfway to get the green light to flicker when saying Test. Turning the gain up all the way caused the red light stay on continuously. Between 1/2 and 3/4 seemed like a good level.

You either have a bad mic or a bad XLR cable. My vote is with the cable because the behringer mic doesn't work, either. But, what are you plugging the 2i2 into? There are some breeds of mac that do not supply enough power for an interface to operate.

The youtube video is correct, the 58 does require a lot of gain, but 1/2 to 3/4 on the gain knob should be sufficient.
Click to expand...
The 2i2 is plugged to a Desktop PC which supply enough power to the interface to operate. (I assume)

So you're saying that the audio interface probably is not the problem. which leaves me with the XLR cable and the mic. you're saying that the shitty behringer isn't like that naturally? for example: every time that I ever recorded vocals, the wav was a straight line just like this : Imgur: The most awesome images on the Internet

rarely I had a slightly thicker line but almost 99% of the wav files of my recordings were like that. (I'm talking about both the Behringer and the SM58)

those mics aren't supposed to work like that right ? even the Behringer?

and about the green light on the gain knob on the 2i2. I said "test" and 'm not seeing the green light flickering until I turn knob all the way up (never saw a red light even when I shout) on both mics. so I guess it doesn't supposed to be like that if you're getting a green light when the knob is halfway.
 
Btw I just noticed something that might decide what is causing the problem.
when I'm turning the gain knob all the way up (without having a mic connected to the interface and the direct monitor switch is on) I'm hearing a quite loud hiss noise.
is that normal?
 
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