recording levels

[rockbrigade]

i have an sm57....going into a delay pedal then into my sound card

i cant get the level to be very loud on audacity....im recording at pretty high volume on my guitar and the input volume on mic for audacity is up full....

when i try to just to use the gain thing on each audacity track (to make it louder) it ends up distorting before it gets to a level that i could jam over

is this an audacity problem? my sound card? my mic ? (the mic is about 6 inches from the amp)

[rockbrigade]

just ideas:

i wouldnt think that a dynamic mic would need phantom power....but do i?

would getting a pre-amp maybe amplify the signal before the sound card WITHOUT distorting it?

[Moseph]

Would you post a screenshot of the Audacity project's waveforms? That might help me a little bit.

It sounds like you just need to turn up your speakers though, so long as you're not clipping anywhere in the signal chain.

[vizo]

You are running a 57 into a delay pedal? Or are you running your mic into your soundcard? You're not making much sense..

If you're plugging your mic into your soundcard then you need to have a preamp to actually bring the signal up to an audible level. If you're not using a preamp [or your amp.. it's unclear as to what you're even doing] then you need a DI box to plug your guitar into and then into your computer.

The reason you're distorting the signal when you turn the gain up is because you're cranking a very low level signal.

[rockbrigade]

ya ....its wierd i know...but i basicallly just mic'd up the amp and then sent that through a delay petal (so that i could put the male 1/4 to 1/8 adapter on the other side...i figure it was the most passive petal i have to do this) with the adapter i could then put the 1/8 inch male cord into my soundcard

so it sounds like i DO need a pre amp... would somethin cheap like a behringer MIC200 work?

[Aus_rock_god]

How low is low????

This could be solved by normalising it after recording, unless that low that you'll amplify static.

[airborne50caliber]

You shouldn't run a mic into a delay pedal. Or a delay pedal into a soundcard. You should run a mic into a preamp and then into your soundcard's line input, and use internal delay effects. Or if you really want to use the pedal put it after the pre.

[rockbrigade]

let me clarify...i didnt WANT TO USE THE DELAY PETAL

i have a mic to 1/4 cable....so to get into my sound card i had to run it into the delay pedal so that on the other side of the petal i could stick in the 1/4 to 1/8 converter

ill be getting a pre amp though to take its place and also amplify the signal...

[Aus_rock_god]

Errm, dude, have you tryed using a sterio amplifier (just a Hi-Fi system) as a pre-amp?

[snoop-au]

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00006HOIW.01-A19U9ZUEOUTRWO._AA240_SCLZZZZZZZ_V55574446_.jpg

This example is stereo, but you can get monos. It's just a simple 1/4" to 1/8" adapter. I think that's what you're looking for. Don't use an effects pedal as a jack size adapter lol! :smash:

[shayne_122]

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00006HOIW.01-A19U9ZUEOUTRWO._AA240_SCLZZZZZZZ_V55574446_.jpg

This example is stereo, but you can get monos. It's just a simple 1/4" to 1/8" adapter. I think that's what you're looking for. Don't use an effects pedal as a jack size adapter lol! :smash:


lolol that one's actually mono.

But the signal will still be pretty crappy going through it, and could possibly overload the soundcard.

[kevbud187]

people who direct in to their sound card using adapters and mixers that are jacked all the way up volume wise end up frying the soundcard and shorting out their computers. It's a great hand off for those superb recordings of guitars that sound more like kazoo's and will most likely never be heard by anyone else in the entire world. Nice way to blow 500+ USD

[Aus_rock_god]

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00006HOIW.01-A19U9ZUEOUTRWO._AA240_SCLZZZZZZZ_V55574446_.jpg

This example is stereo, but you can get monos. It's just a simple 1/4" to 1/8" adapter. I think that's what you're looking for. Don't use an effects pedal as a jack size adapter lol! :smash:

Errm, that's mono dude :thumb: .

[snoop-au]

Errm, that's mono dude :thumb: .

Bl00dy hell - it is too! I even was holding a stereo jack in my hand when I posted that and I still didn't pick the difference ... I'll have to tell Amazon they've got the wrong pic for their "stereo" jack

:rolleyes:

[airborne50caliber]

Just get a preamp, you cannot amplify a mic with something that takes high impedance instrument level, outputs exactly the same, and is designed to apply an effect to it.

[rockbrigade]

lol...ok i feel rather stupid...maybe a little mis understood...but i think ive gotten the info i've needed, thx

[snoop-au]

Or use an electret mic - it's meant for use with computers. The sound quality is not good, but at least it'll work. If it's a laptop, it'll have a built in elecret.

[Aus_rock_god]

Electret = too time consumeing if you want a flat signal. Only good if you're a hardcore eq nut.