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Author Topic: Help requested on setting gain on mixer for audio recording  (Read 3371 times)

docdaddy

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  • Real Full Name: Jeff Lackey

This is probably far under the skill set of the people here, but hopefully you can help me out.

We record a podcast. Usually two people, MXL 990 condenser mics, connected via XLR into our Mackie ProFx12 mixer. Output is going to a Zoom H4N digital recorder, recorder as WAV, then adding music, editing, etc. in a PC audio editing program.

Here's what's bugging me: for both mics, I have to turn the gain up on each channel to almost 100% clockwise (basically almost all the gain it gives me) to get the LEDs on the Main to even slightly show up. Which makes that useless for setting my levels. I tried with the same mics on a Behringer mixer, same results. I've also tried a couple of decent dynamic mics, to see if the mics were the issue, but same results.

The levels on the actual recording (from the Zoom DAT) seem OK, but one reason I use the mixer is for control and to be able to see and adjust my levels. Which I can't do if the Main Level LEDs barely show up, even at 99% gain.

Can someone more knowledgeable than me in these things (anyone here,LOL!) help me figure this out?

Thanks!

Jeff
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Fletcher

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Re: Help requested on setting gain on mixer for audio recording
« Reply #1 on: June 20, 2016, 08:59:10 AM »

The channel faders should be set at "unity gain" as they feed the "2 Mix" buss -- the master fader should also be set at "unity gain".  Phantom power will need to be applied to the microphones [and if you're getting any signal at all, then its present] -- from there you set your "channel input" gain.

Is this the procedure you've been following?

Peace
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CN Fletcher

mwagener wrote on Sat, 11 September 2004 14:33
We are selling emotions, there are no emotions in a grid


"Recording engineers are an arrogant bunch
If you've spent most of your life with a few thousand dollars worth of musicians in the studio, making a decision every second and a half... and you and  they are going to have to live with it for the rest of your lives, you'll get pretty arrogant too.  It takes a certain amount of balls to do that... something around three"
Malcolm Chisholm

Tim Halligan

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Re: Help requested on setting gain on mixer for audio recording
« Reply #2 on: June 21, 2016, 01:22:43 AM »

Why are you using the Mackie at all?

The H4N provides phantom power at its inputs, so I'd just plug your mics in there directly and bypass the Mackie completely.

Cheers,
Tim
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An analogue brain in a digital world.
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