I have a Focusrite usb 6 and an at2020 condenser mic.  It doesn't give me a strong enough signal.  I up the input to just below clipping but it just doesn't seem loud enough. Can I use another mic pre with this interface?

Yes you can, but it probably will not provide relief for your concern.

It seems to me that you are hoping to hear some "compression" as well as amplification.



Try a compressor on the monitor chain and see if that makes it sound more familiar.


best regards,
mike

Barczar


I have a Focusrite usb 6 and an at2020 condenser mic.  It doesn't give me a strong enough signal.  I up the input to just below clipping but it just doesn't seem loud enough. Can I use another mic pre with this interface?

Why do you say it isn't loud enough? What are you comparing it to?


Are you listening to the track in isolation or as part of a mix?

Before buying more pre-amps or any other solution, I'd check out your signal chain and monitoring set up. Input signal does have a bearing on monitoring level but certainly isn't the be all and end all.

You can have a signal sitting at -0.1 dB on your input meters but if your monitors are turned down you still won't hear it. As Bristol has asked is it in isolation? Compared to the rest of the mix?

So many variables...... the answer might be as simple as turn up your monitoring system.

I use a Saffire 6 USB on my laptop rig and I am very familiar with the AT2020. I am not experiencing any problems gain wise on the Saffire. I would look at trouble on the mic itself. A cord problem, or pad switch engaged. Are you using the zero latency of the mixer knob to hear your self? Are you turning the mixer knob all the way up and using the DAW to hear your self? If you are turning the mixer knob all the way up then I would look at the mix itself being the problem. Both the Saffire and the AT2020 have more than enough gain! You should not have to bring in another preamp at all.

 I use a Focusrite Pro40 and I've experienced similar problems. 
If I try recording my acoustic guitar with a condenser mic I need to crank the preamp gain to get a usable signal and it gets noisy. 
  I have a Roland MMP-2 with spdif out that I use when recording quieter sources. 
 If you go to the Focusrite FAQ on their website,it seems to be a common question that they don't see as a problem.   

stupid question but does it require phantom power? is the phantom power on?

Does that mic require phantom power?

Rocky

So many questions...      :-S






If the peaks are clipping (see post #1) and it doesn't seem loud enough...
It's because the signal's peak to average ratio is to high.




If you reduce the peak to average ratio and raise the overall level the signal will sound louder.

That's what compressors were invented for.




best regards,
mike

Yes it does require phantom power, and yes it's on.   My mixes sound loud when the monitors are up but I record vocals with headphones (Sennheiser HD 280 Pro).  When I record vocals I need to be right up against the mic.  I have the mixer knob on the usb 6 all the way to playback. But I have tried it at the input position as well.