Very Inexperienced & Working on Audio Book

[cyrano]

I think there could be something wrong with the SM7. You get low levels on the Zoom recorder AND on the Soundcraft with it.

The Shure SM7 has a relatively low output, but even with only 50 dB gain on the Soundcraft, the avg led should go on. Hec, even the red one should go on when you shout in the mic.

Either that, or a damaged cable. Do you happen to have another cable lying around? Or another comparable mic (not USB, not Skype like)?

BTW

Have you tried connecting the mic to another channel on the soundcraft? Just to rule out a faulty preamp on channel one?

[kozikowski]

even with only 50 dB gain on the Soundcraft,

So you found the spec sheet? The microphone specifications demand at least 60dB channel gain.

But yes, if you can't yell your way to flashing lights, there's something wrong.

That microphone has little switches on the bottom. I would exercise those, change them several times, to make sure one of them isn't stuck "in the middle."

Casting my mind back, I don't think I've ever met a broken dynamic microphone. One of the rock groups in the office once brought back an SM58 in two pieces. They cracked the metal shell. It was still working.

Koz

[cyrano]

even with only 50 dB gain on the Soundcraft,

So you found the spec sheet? The microphone specifications demand at least 60dB channel gain.

Yep. But that's for studio use with low level source. If you shout into it, 50 db should make the christmas tree light up, I think.

And I don't know which Folio this is, exactly. Soundcraft isn't what it used to be since Harman Group took over. This is a decent mixer, however. One of the best in it's price range. I have several of these, but much older. And they are impossible to pinpoint because they all share the same names. Thery've been in production for 15 years or so. Electronics barely changed, but construction, print layout etc. has.

The 50 dB is mentioned on the front panel

Casting my mind back, I don't think I've ever met a broken dynamic microphone. One of the rock groups in the office once brought back an SM58 in two pieces. They cracked the metal shell. It was still working.

Yes, but I've seen some that were so dirty that levels were almost zero. Including metal shavings on the magnet.

It could also be something with the resistors feeding the 48V onto the input barrel, hence my suggestion to try another channel.

[macmex]

I tried changing to another channel and couldn't get the Yellow AVG lights to flash. But I did run those knobs almost all the way up and then the yellow lights flashed when I shouted into the mic. I also had feedback.

I don't have another analog mic. But I will contact my friend with the music group (I have no idea what kind of music they do) and ask if I can borrow a cable.. I did remove and re-attach the cable to the mic, at the base of the mic. I heard a good deal of crackling when I did. But it did not appear to change the performance.

For what it's worth, I have a cable which would connect an analog mic to a usb connection. I don't know of what use that might be.

I need to work on other things now. But will get back to this. You two have provided a good deal of ideas to try and I find that I have to re-read them sometimes, or else I miss something.

Many thanks!

George

[macmex]

My friend at work just loaned me a mic and cable so I can use them for trouble shooting. Will work on this when I get home this afternoon.

George

[kozikowski]

Yes, but I've seen some that were so dirty that levels were almost zero. Including metal shavings on the magnet.

But it was still running. Through all that they didn't turn into decorative piles of metal (although given you can't use them for a show any more).

I also had feedback.

You mean the "I got my PA system at the meeting up too high and it starts screaming" feedback? ....eeeeeEEEEEEEEE!

That means you're using your speakers and not the headphones. You can't record anything live while the speakers are on. Headphones only. Oddly, that may be a good thing. Screaming feedback means the sound levels are finally right.



You get the idea, right, that when you plug into the second socket on the mixer, you have to bring up the second set of knobs and turn the first set down.

There is something you can do before you plug a new microphone in. Put the Lifter back in. That should allow you to run the mixer with all three knobs at around 3 o'clock or so instead of all the way up — and get the yellow lights with normal voice.

Now you're understanding Ian who has the current record for the longest thread on the forum. 39 chapters and counting. He, too, was recording his voice. Full Stop. The previous record was Bruno who was recording his acoustic Flamenco guitar. Full Stop. In both cases they were after top quality work, not ratty podcast trash.

Koz

[macmex]

I'll check the settings on the speakers. I was hearing through the head phones.

George

[kozikowski]

I was hearing through the head phones.

That's scary. Is the computer still on and connected to the mixer by any method?

Is anything connected to the mixer other than headphones, microphone and power? Is this a good place to investigate where you got the mixer from?

We were led down the garden path once by someone who kept claiming "feedback" when what they really had was a "funny noise." You got that unstable, swimmy, screaming sound, right?

I don't know where to go from here without staring at the screen for a while and I have to leave for some Real Life tasks. And yes, doing this across three time zones is a lot like driving a car in traffic when the only way you can steer is with rubber bands connected to the steering wheel.

Koz

[macmex]

That's so true.
I need to go back to that and try it again. I had just taken the headphones off and I adjusted one of the knobs higher. I heard what I was sure was feedback. And, I was grateful not to be wearing the headphones.
I need to do chores now and will see if I can get back on this before bed time.

George

[macmex]

My friend loaned me a Shure SM58 microphone and a cable which he knew to be in good condition. I first tried to connect this, in place of the SM7A through the cloudlifter.I heard nothing at all. I suspect the cloudlifter required power, which, for whatever the reason, it was not receiving. Anyway, I took the cloudlifter out of the arrangement and simply replaced the SM7A and its cable with the SM58 and the new cable. I set the knobs like you had told me before. It didn't take much and I had both the red and the yellow AVG lights flashing.

Next I used my friends cable and re-connected the SM7A. I could no longer get the lights to flash, except if I turned all three up about as high as I could, then I got some yellow lights.

Next I tried our original cable with the SM58. It did not function any better than the SM7A on my friends cable.

Finally, I found another cable, which belongs to us and connected the SM58 to the mixer with that. It worked! So, I conclude that both the cable and the microphone have some kind of problem, correct?

I did not try to turn the knobs up farther, once I got red lights flashing.

George