Sonar Input Levels are Low While Recording

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Cryptic Lu
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2011/11/07 13:33:49 (permalink)

Sonar Input Levels are Low While Recording

Watup Everyone, This is the second thread im posting regarding the same problem. No matter what I do, my input levels are low trying to record vocals on a beat. Now i installed the necessary drivers and everything and my interface is an Alesis IO2 hooked up to my mic which is a Sterling audio ST51 Class A Fet. i dont know what to do and i need to start recording. Any suggestions?
#1

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    The Maillard Reaction
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    Re:Sonar Input Levels are Low While Recording 2011/11/07 13:37:34 (permalink)
    The mic should be fine.

    I don't think that the Alesis isn't up to the task... Alesis doesn't actually publish the gain spec that you can get with it's built in preamp but you have figured out it is not enough for your needs.

    Purchase a small preamp or small mixer that has 60+dB of gain and a good solid phantom power supply and you should find that everything will work well.

    Good luck.

    best regards,
    mike



    #2
    Cryptic Lu
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    Re:Sonar Input Levels are Low While Recording 2011/11/07 17:38:41 (permalink)
    ok do you know around how much it costs?
    #3
    Middleman
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    Re:Sonar Input Levels are Low While Recording 2011/11/07 17:47:38 (permalink)
    $300 to $8000 is the price range.
     
    There are some for less money but possibly not worth your sonic satisfaction.

    Gear: A bunch of stuff.
    #4
    bitflipper
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    Re:Sonar Input Levels are Low While Recording 2011/11/07 18:00:13 (permalink)
    I looked up the ST51 specs, and (probably due to the internal FET preamp) it's actually a pretty hot mic. If they're being honest about it, it's got an impressive sensitivity of 30mV/Pa (for reference, compare to an SM58, at 1.85mV/Pa) and a 200 Ohm output impedance. (Of course, like all cheap, er, affordable Chinese mics it has mediocre self-noise figures, but at least it's got plenty of output.) According to this conversion tool, it looks like a mere 30db of preamp gain ought to do the job.

    The specs Alesis publishes, OTOH, are incomplete, usually an indication that the vendor isn't particularly proud of their product and thinks it prudent to give out as little information as possible. My gut feeling is that Mike's assessment is on the money as far as suggesting the Alesis is the weak link.




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    #5
    Crg
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    Re:Sonar Input Levels are Low While Recording 2011/11/07 18:13:57 (permalink)
    Check and see if you have a Pad on somewhere.

    Craig DuBuc
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    The Maillard Reaction
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    Re:Sonar Input Levels are Low While Recording 2011/11/07 18:31:15 (permalink)
    One thing you can do is take the mic down to a local store and plug it into a demo  model of a $70 Behringer mini mixer and take a listen with headphones.

    If you do this you'll be able to verify that the mic is working well... or identify a problem with it.

    If the mic works great... you can start considering a mini mixer or preamp of some sort... or you can consider some I/O box that has an OK preamp.

    Good Luck.

    best regards,
    mike




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    Cryptic Lu
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    Re:Sonar Input Levels are Low While Recording 2011/11/07 22:35:28 (permalink)
    on my alesis interface i have 40v power switch, i guess i need an amp or something i need to see if i can fix something on sonar to make the input level higher.
    #8
    The Maillard Reaction
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    Re:Sonar Input Levels are Low While Recording 2011/11/08 07:12:17 (permalink)
    If you did not have a 48v phantom power switch on... you wouldn't get any sound at all... so I think we have all assumed that, at the very least that you have it on.

    But, It may not have adequate current for that mic... it's hard to tell because Alesis doesn't publish specs. Many mics can run at less than 48v... which can be helpful.

    If you post an sound example; you may find that your raw track is OK but that you are accustomed to the sound of a vocal in full mix.

    You may indeed, just need to pump up the raw track with compression etc.


    best regards,
    mike


    #9
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