Re: SoundMeister recording quality?

[Todd <tmyers@autobahn.mb.ca>]

	Hi, Rodney;

   Most modern PC microphones need the soundcard to provide "phantom-power", usually
around 5v - 9v to get the electret unit to operate. The Soundmeister mic input was
for a dynamic (ie. a non-powered) microphone. The usual fix years ago in the message
boards was to get one of RadioShack's small mixing boards and use it as a header for
the card, use a good dynamic mic, or a self-powered electeret (ie. comes with it's
own battery). If you choose to use one of these mixers, make sure it can use a PC mic
as input. The salesperson or manual for the unit should let you know for sure.

	Later, Todd.


Rodney Hester wrote:
> 
> "Michael J. Mahon" <mjmahon@aol.com> wrote in message
> 20030521170542.23152.00000070@mb-m13.aol.com">news:20030521170542.23152.00000070@mb-m13.aol.com...
> > Rodney Hester asked:
> >
> > >However, the recording quality is _horrid_.  I'm not talking about mildly
> > >annoying here, I'm talking about unbelievably noisy and faint to the
> point
> > >of being rather difficult to make out what was said at all (if you didn't
> > >know in advance).
> > >
> > >I'm using a standard late-90s PC 'boom microphone' to do the recording,
> and
> > >even with sensitivity set to High in DigitalSession, the oscilloscope
> shows
> > >no more than maybe 1/4 of the total scope in amplitude when I yell into
> the
> > >mic.
> >
> > Try another sound source.  It sounds like the mic output level is
> > way below the level that the card is expecting.  Is it a line-level
> > input, as opposed to a microphone-level input?
> 
> It's not a powered mic (just your standard PC desktop boom mic), so I
> assumed (according to Econ's documentation) that setting things to
> microphone (instead of line) should account for this.
> 
> It may be that it's just expecting a completely different type of
> microphone, I'm not sure.  I'm going to do a line-in test as soon as time
> permits (and I can get some gear in there).
> 
> > >I'm relatively certain the wire soldering job I did is adequate - wire
> > >current-carrying levels seem consistent across all three 'hot' wires (2
> > >stereo + mic) and I've resoldered without improvement.  Both the
> > >SoundMeister Control Panel and DigitalSession are set to record from
> > >microphone (instead of line in, which I believe controls an amplification
> > >circuit on the board?).
> >
> > If the wires are not shorted or open, then they're fine.  Is there a
> > jumper on the card to select input level.  Microphones typically
> > require 10x-50x more voltage gain than line-level (about 1v p-p)
> > inputs.
> 
> No jumper - at least on my card, this appears to be software-controlled by a
> custom control panel included on the installer disk (I've made a .2MG image
> if anyone wants it - it's version 0.9).
> 
> Rodney