Low level with Samsom C01U, Preference Problem?

[cariocastyle]

Hi,
I installed Audacity and everything works fine except that when I record my voice, the level is very low (I can barely hear it on headphones when listening to the AIFF file)

I know this have been discussed before but I'm still confused after reading several posts...

Here is my configuration:
Windows XP
Mic : Samson C01U

On Audacity on preferences i have this:
Playback
either : microsoft sound mapper - output
or sound max digital audio
Record
either: Microsoft sound mapper input (the one i selected)
or Samson
or Sound max

What should I choose for Playback and Record ?

Why the level is so low? What else can I try?

Thanks a lot, I'm going crazy...

[kozikowski]

You may be experiencing two problems conjoined. Since "zero" dB in digital sound level is the point at which you generate unrecoverable, audible damage, no designer in his/her right mind would design a microphone containing no live controls anywhere even close to that level. So that puts the standard mic level--wild guess now--at around -20dB. -18 dB is widely considered half audio volume to most ears, so that's already pretty quiet.

Then you connect that with computer sound services that no longer provide that all-too-handy 20dB sound boost that they used to. Now you could have sound in the -30 to -40 range. That's seriously quiet--especially compared to very highly processed modern music.

Samson claims that normal computer sound services should work just fine, but if they don't, Samson provides a third-party "Mic-Pre" (Microphone Preamplifier) package.

http://www.samsontech.com/main/misc.cfm?pageID=45

And for goodness sake, if you try it, tell us how it worked.

Koz

[cariocastyle]

Thanks a lot.
I read many times in forums and reviews the recomandation from users to avoid installing the Samson "Mic-Pre", because it is very bugy and causes many problems in Windows...

Now what can I do ??

Are you sure there isn't something else I didn't set up right?

Thanks again.

[cariocastyle]

What about the preferences?

On Audacity on preferences i have this:
Playback
either : microsoft sound mapper - output
or sound max digital audio
Record
either: Microsoft sound mapper input (the one i selected)
or Samson
or Sound max

What should I choose for Playback and Record ?

Thanks

[cariocastyle]

Found it about the level problem:

Tutorial here:
http://www.samsontech.com/usb_mics/xp_no_softpre/

http://forums.techsmith.com/showthread. ... 020&page=3

Still waiting for a reply about the PREFERENCES, is it better to select the sound card and the mic (Playback/Record) or the Microsoft Sound Mapper?

Thanks.

[kozikowski]

We'll need to wait for one of the heavy Windows users to drop in. My Windows 2000 has different panels than you do.

Koz