"Keith G" wrote in message

It is a C03U multi-pattern and I reckon it's rather good,
but the problem with it is I get such a tiny signal from
it connected direct to the computer and can't see any way
of increasing it before recording. Should I be using some
sort of pre-amplification or is it better to jack up the
levels in the recording - I'm having to increase the
signal at least +6dB..??


Why are you concerned about increasing the signal by just 6 dB?

"Arny Krueger" wrote in message
...
"Keith G" wrote in message

It is a C03U multi-pattern and I reckon it's rather good,
but the problem with it is I get such a tiny signal from
it connected direct to the computer and can't see any way
of increasing it before recording. Should I be using some
sort of pre-amplification or is it better to jack up the
levels in the recording - I'm having to increase the
signal at least +6dB..??


Why are you concerned about increasing the signal by just 6 dB?



Interesting. I type 'at least +6dB' you see 'just 6 dB'....

??

"Keith G" wrote in message

"Arny Krueger" wrote in message
...
"Keith G" wrote in message

It is a C03U multi-pattern and I reckon it's rather
good, but the problem with it is I get such a tiny
signal from it connected direct to the computer and
can't see any way of increasing it before recording.
Should I be using some sort of pre-amplification or is
it better to jack up the levels in the recording - I'm
having to increase the signal at least +6dB..??


Why are you concerned about increasing the signal by
just 6 dB?



Interesting. I type 'at least +6dB' you see 'just 6
dB'....

If you said 30 dB, or if you were having problems with hiss from the mic,
then I'd get a little more worried.

6 dB, 10 dB, that's just a small misunderstanding.

"Arny Krueger" wrote in message
...
"Keith G" wrote in message

"Arny Krueger" wrote in message
...
"Keith G" wrote in message

It is a C03U multi-pattern and I reckon it's rather
good, but the problem with it is I get such a tiny
signal from it connected direct to the computer and
can't see any way of increasing it before recording.
Should I be using some sort of pre-amplification or is
it better to jack up the levels in the recording - I'm
having to increase the signal at least +6dB..??


Why are you concerned about increasing the signal by
just 6 dB?



Interesting. I type 'at least +6dB' you see 'just 6
dB'....

If you said 30 dB, or if you were having problems with hiss from the mic,
then I'd get a little more worried.

6 dB, 10 dB, that's just a small misunderstanding.



OK Arny, try this: when using the USB mic, I frequently have to boost the
signal by 12 dB or so to get a good showing in the software. As a long-term
recordist, due you think this is deleterious to the sound quality or would
hardware preamplification (if I could find any*) be a better way to go?


*Plenty of 'Blue Icicle' type XLR/USB and 'MicPort' *converters*:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0r2Du_1r8VE


.....but no USB/USB preamplifiers, from what I can see.

"Keith G" wrote

OK Arny, try this: when using the USB mic, I frequently have to boost the
signal by 12 dB or so to get a good showing in the software. As a
long-term recordist, due you think this is deleterious to the sound
quality or would hardware preamplification (if I could find any*) be a
better way to go?


*Plenty of 'Blue Icicle' type XLR/USB and 'MicPort' *converters*:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0r2Du_1r8VE


....but no USB/USB preamplifiers, from what I can see.

Well you won't get any. By the time the signal gets to the USB connector
it's already in digital form, so the opportunity for pre-amplification has
already been and gone. You'd need to increase the analogue gain *inside*
the microphone.

David.

On 08/04/2011 20:51, Arny Krueger wrote:
Some **** that doesn't matter as he's gonna vaporize in a few hours.

"David Looser" wrote in message
...
"Keith G" wrote

OK Arny, try this: when using the USB mic, I frequently have to boost the
signal by 12 dB or so to get a good showing in the software. As a
long-term recordist, due you think this is deleterious to the sound
quality or would hardware preamplification (if I could find any*) be a
better way to go?


*Plenty of 'Blue Icicle' type XLR/USB and 'MicPort' *converters*:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0r2Du_1r8VE


....but no USB/USB preamplifiers, from what I can see.

Well you won't get any. By the time the signal gets to the USB connector
it's already in digital form,



Yes, of course it is - the cable is an A-B USB connector.


so the opportunity for pre-amplification has
already been and gone.


OK.


You'd need to increase the analogue gain *inside*
the microphone.


Well, the mic in question has switchable high-pass filter and -10 dB pad but
no other adjustment, so I gather the rather weedy signal delivered to the
computer is all there is to go with!

I suppose one benefit is that it's going to make 'clipping' an impossibility
to do!

In article ,
Keith G wrote:
OK Arny, try this: when using the USB mic, I frequently have to boost
the signal by 12 dB or so to get a good showing in the software. As a
long-term recordist, due you think this is deleterious to the sound
quality or would hardware preamplification (if I could find any*) be a
better way to go?

What do you mean by a 'good showing' in the software? Do you mean peaking
to approaching 0dBFS?

With pro digital systems, it is the norm to peak to no more than -10 dBFS.
And those are peaks, not mean values.

--
*It's not hard to meet expenses... they're everywhere.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"Don Pearce" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 8 Apr 2011 16:59:20 +0100, "Keith G"
wrote:



It is a C03U multi-pattern and I reckon it's rather good, but the problem
with it is I get such a tiny signal from it connected direct to the
computer
and can't see any way of increasing it before recording. Should I be using
some sort of pre-amplification or is it better to jack up the levels in
the
recording - I'm having to increase the signal at least +6dB..??



The Samson mic has a maximum SPL of 136dB. Assuming the girls were
speaking at 80dB, that leaves 56dB to make up in software to achieve
full scale. More worrying perhaps, dividing 56 by six, that is 9 of
the 16 bits unused. So it is effectively using a 7-bit ADC. That makes
for a considerable noise floor.


Two things I would query: the girls are not loud and where does FS come into
it?



As for the Neumann, it is currently being ruined by that preamp. Spend
30 quid on a small Behringer mixer with its exemplary preamps and find
out what it is truly capable of.


I would gladly do that and post comparisons, what model do you have in mind?
Amazon is a preferred source and I would like USB connectivity to connect to
a computer that has no other 'audio in' apart from the usual front panel
'pink' microphone minijack socket.

In article ,
Keith G wrote:
I would gladly do that and post comparisons, what model do you have in
mind? Amazon is a preferred source and I would like USB connectivity to
connect to a computer that has no other 'audio in' apart from the usual
front panel 'pink' microphone minijack socket.

My view is producing a decent line in to digital converter using USB volts
isn't an easy task. In rather the same way as making a good sound card. It
can be done, but most didn't bother.

--
*You never really learn to swear until you learn to drive *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.