VO-BB - 19 YEARS OLD!

[ronphi]

I just purchased an Alesis Multimix 8 USB mixer yesterday and have been trying to record. I am not getting a good output level. This is a very straight forward mixer. I have a Shure 8900 dynamic mic plugged into the Channel 1 mic input. Preamp gain, Channel gain and Main out gain all at 12 o'clock. The LED VU doesn't even bump the -20 level. Moving all the gain pots to the 3 o'clock position registers well on the LEDs but my Sound Forge 8 Audio Studio barely displays a ripple on the recorded waveform. This also increases the noise floor from -70 to about -50 on the Sound Forge VU.

In order to get a solid wave form I have to crank all the gain pots almost wide open but that introduces unacceptable noise....

No EQ, no Aux input.

I tried the same process with all 4 mic inputs. Same problem. I was hoping one of you good folks who use the Alesis mixer might be able to shed a little light on this for me. I'm sure there is some little thing I am overlooking but for the life of me I can't put my finger on it. I have the Windows Recorder set for the USB Codec. The mic is 600 ohm and I am using Monster Cable Low - Z mic cable. Only 10' long.

Thanks.

[Edo]

I haven't used that mixer, but in general you might wanna try eliminating causes by checking them all. Here's what I would do. First you need to find out whether your mixer is in good working order. Unplug everything first, then put the mic aside for a moment... Plug some line sources into the mixer, and then carefully adjust the meters so the output of the mixer reads around 0dB. In other words adjust the channel's gain slowly until the peak led flashes, then reduce the gain a bit so it doesn't light up anymore. You now matched your input. The meters do actually show signals of appropriate levels? Monitor this output from the headphones socket. Sounds good? Okay. Now plug the mixer outputs in your home stereo system aux input or tape input (as they have same levels). Also check your Alesis's tape outputs the same way. Your line source (sent through your mixer) still totally lacks volume? Look no further... must be something wrong with the mixer's master ouput section...

If it sounds good, switch to your cd player or radio (on your amplifier's inputs) and listen for very big differences in volume. Caution: cd-players have more output than regular line-sources. The cd can be a bit louder... There aren't any major volume differences? Plug the mixer outputs back into your pc's inputs. If by then you still can't get a decent level into SoundForge, the problem obviously has something to do with the computer.

You HAVE a good level? Great, mixer is okay as is the pc and its settings. Back to the microphone... maybe it's the cable after all... you said you plugged it in all four inputs, but did you try another mic cable? If in one of the connectors, the cold lead is messy, you will lose more than half of your microphone's signal... which will then not be amplified enough by the mixer input pre section ... you get the picture.

I haven't mentioned anything about the USB thing... this can cause problems when connected through a USB-hub by the way. Also, if you have a lot of USB stuff plugged into your pc, it might just be the problem if you reached maximum USB capacity. Try unplugging some of those and watch if your mixer volume returns to normal. Most pc's don't allow a combined load of over 500 mA on the total USB i/o. If you exceed that value, you're in trouble soon.

For now I can't think of anything else... Good luck solving this! Keep us posted on what you've found out it definately CAN'T be. Better yet, scream EUREKA if you found the problem

[Art]

Ron...

I haven't used that mixer either, but both my digital Sony and my analog Behringers tend to run with the preamp knob all the way up or close to it. If you started at 12, that's probably only half volume, right?

You gotta remember, some folks plug a mike into those things and then put it right in front of a stack of Marshall speakers fed by a thousand watts. They need to have a way to turn it way down.

I'd start with your final mix pot right where you want it to be, slide or turn up the mic channel pot to the zero mark or most of the way up. Then start cranking your mic preamp up and don't be afraid to take it all the way up.

Turning up the preamp input should not substantially increase your noise. The preamp is operating at a constant level, so its noise shouldn't change when you trim the level of its input. Noise that comes up when you turn up that little trim pot is (or should be) noise that came in on the mic wire.

Every pot on down the line will affect the noise floor. But any decent preamp (and I'm sure those are quite good) should be able to deliver a dynamic mic signal way above the noise, probably better than your room.

You should also consider that your mic may have a problem. Try another one, even a real cheapie, just to see if it's getting about the same level.

[Jowillie]

Turn it UP!!!!
I have that mixer and yes, you will need to turn the gain up and the channel volume for dynamic mics. You will need to carefully adjust one and the the other to not introduce a lot of Noise.
It does great with condenser mics and the phantom power on.
It's a great little system for podcast. But you might consider a seperate preamp into its line input for serious voiceover.
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[ronphi]

Edo, Art and Jowillie thanks for the assistance. I tested the mixer with some line inputs and it worked fine. Was still having problems with the level on the mic though. I got to thinking about the USB connection. I discovered I had two USB connections on the back of the computer that go directly into the USB card. I had been using the USB connection on the front of the computer and also tried one of two other connections on the back that go to the mother board. Still had problems. I tried one of the connections directly to the USB card and the level improved dramatically. Wondering if the ones to the mother board are USB 1 and the ones to the card are USB 2.

Also found that a lot of the noise I was hearing is coming from my video monitor. Turn off the monitor and the noise goes to almost nothing. I had intended to get a new computer in a few months. I am thinking the new flat panel monitors won't have as much interference. Also when I get the condenser mic it will be placed farther away from the monitor so it shouldn't pick up as much noise.

I still have to "turn it UP!!!" as jowillie suggested but it sure does work better now.

Again thanks to all for the help. Now I just have to work on room treatment, new condenser mic, demo, marketing, web site and something else....... Oh yes.... MY ACTING.
_________________
Ron Phillips

"The wireless music box has no imaginable commercial value. Who would pay for a message sent to nobody in particular?"
David Sarnoff's associates in response to his urging for investment in the radio in the 1920s.

[COURVO]

Ronphi,

I use that mixer, and had the same problem you did until I bought a nice little PreSonus TubePre Pre-amp for $99. I run the mike into the pre first, then into the mike input on the Alesis. Make sure your phantom rocker switch next to the power switch on the back of the Alesis unit is ON...

With that setup, it works so well, I have to watch that I don't OVERMODULATE.

Let me know if I can help in any other way.

Dave Courvoisier
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Dave Courvoisier - Las Vegas, NV
http://www.CourVO.com
CourVO@CourVO.com
Courvo's "Voice Acting in Vegas" Blog: http://www.CourVO.biz
on your phone at courvo.mobi
702.610.6288
"I'm not a news anchor, but I play one on TV."

[ronphi]

Hey Dave,

Thanks for the suggestion. Are you using a dynamic or condenser mic with the preamp? (probably a silly question but I had to ask) Also you said you run from the pre into the mic input. Is that correct or is it the line input? (again probably a silly question since the phantom power is only on the mic input, right?)

I was hoping an external preamp wouldn't be necessary once I get a good condenser mic after the first of the year. That's one of the reasons I went with the mic > mixer > computer configuration rather than the mic > preamp > DI > computer configuration. I am being frugal (cheap is such an ugly word). I was trying to get started with the least outlay possible until I get regular work.

You gotta love this BB. So much information and help. Thanks again.
_________________
Ron Phillips

"The wireless music box has no imaginable commercial value. Who would pay for a message sent to nobody in particular?"
David Sarnoff's associates in response to his urging for investment in the radio in the 1920s.

[COURVO]

condenser mic...plugged into the first channel as a mic input

Courv
_________________
Dave Courvoisier - Las Vegas, NV
http://www.CourVO.com
CourVO@CourVO.com
Courvo's "Voice Acting in Vegas" Blog: http://www.CourVO.biz
on your phone at courvo.mobi
702.610.6288
"I'm not a news anchor, but I play one on TV."

[Jowillie]

[VO-Guy]

Jowillie,

Just wanted to mention that going preamp into preamp is just gonna add more noise. I'd try it both ways to see which is best for your setup. Just my .02.

Russ