VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

tokyofan · Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2011 10:17 pm Post subject: sudden drop in mic levels

Haven't changed any preamp/converter settings and my mic levels have dropped 20-30db...Tried two preamps...so it must be the RME ADI-2 or the mic or something else. Didn't engage any pads on the mic. What am I missing?
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cyclometh · Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2011 10:34 pm Post subject:

Check your cables. Had the exact same thing happen a few days ago, was pulling my hair out until I moved the mic and I heard a crackle from it when I did so. Replaced the cable, and worked perfectly.

And dropped a few dB on my noise floor too. Smile

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tokyofan · Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2011 11:14 pm Post subject: re:

Thanks...just swapped mics, mic cables, pre to converter cable...no change in levels! VERY low!
Earlier today I had set up a Skype session in the booth (first time!) and was playing around with settings and trying to get the audio to play through Skype as well. The levels dropped off after that. Could that be it?
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tokyofan · Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2011 11:14 pm Post subject: re:

Thanks...just swapped mics, mic cables, pre to converter cable...no change in levels! VERY low!
Earlier today I had set up a Skype session in the booth (first time!) and was playing around with settings and trying to get the audio to play through Skype as well. The levels dropped off after that. Could that be it?
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www.chriskoprowski.com/en

cyclometh · Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2011 11:46 pm Post subject:

Certainly seems that it could be related- Skype sometimes does things to the audio levels in the system. If you're on Windows, click the speaker in the lower right and check levels, or right-click it and select "Playback Devices" and see what the levels look like in there.

Try turning off Skype or adjusting its inputs and outputs to what they were before, see if that eliminates it.
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tokyofan · Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2011 11:47 pm Post subject: re:

Pre-amp knob is set to 45 (as usual) but software meters indicate -20 to -22db in recording levels with small waveforms...have to crank up the volume more than usual. But even still, I almost hear that I'm peaking in places, which is weird.
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cyclometh · Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2011 11:52 pm Post subject:

If you right-click the speaker and select "Recording Devices", then choose your audio interface, right-click and select "Properties" you can see what the level is set to in there... long shot, though. Most DAWs won't worry about that setting.

Is it possible you've got some kind of loopback so the audio is coming back in and cancelling out the signal?
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Corey "Vox Man" Snow
http://voxman.net

tokyofan · Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2011 11:57 pm Post subject: re:

Just tried the mic directly into an M-Box (no ADI-2) and the levels are loud and clear, with the knob at about 11 o'clock (usual setting). So, I think the problem must be with the RME ADI-2..or with system audio set to Digital. But what? Will keep tinkering.
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cyclometh · Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2011 12:16 am Post subject:

Interesting. I don't know what might be going on with that, but a suggestion might be to either power down the whole system for a minute or so and restart, or disconnect and power down the D/A converter for a couple of minutes, then try again.
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Corey "Vox Man" Snow
http://voxman.net

tokyofan · Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2011 1:09 am Post subject: re:

Figured it out!! When I was fiddling with cables earlier to get a Skype connection to my headpones, I inadvertently plugged the headphones back into the S-Monitor's Stereo Input port rather than the headphone port! Can't explain how that messes things up but it DID! All back to normal now! Thanks for the quick attention on this! What a great bunch!
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dwpthe3rd · Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2011 5:59 pm Post subject: Somewhat similar

I noticed recently when my "Magic Jack" telephone device is plugged into my recording computer that it automatically locks the Windows OS volume control (affecting my soundcard audio output) out of the top 20% or so of its' volume range. Pull the MJ plug and full output volume restored.
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