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Low Mic Volume When Recording


spyder

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Hey guys this is my first topic, hope this is the right section to ask.

I get really low volume when recording, and listening in playback. The wave length looks to be okay, but the volume of the vocals are nothing in comparison to the instrumental.

 

I am using a MBP 15" 2015 with discrete graphics on Mojave. But I have the same issue on High Sierra on a MBP 13" early 2011.

My mic is a Samson G-Track and is plug and play, no drivers, USB condenser mic. I used to use it on Windows with Cool Edit Pro with no problems. I even have used it on the 13" MBP with Logic and sounded beautiful, for about a week or so. When i went to use it again, the vocals were dramatically lower.

If i increase the volume on the mic itself too much, of course the mic clips and the audio cuts out.

Ive googled and seen all the best settings... I record in mono... there is no white noise creeping in, I have a pop filter but have always used one. The walls have a blanket hung up to rid reverb.

Have tried a different USB-B cable and no resolve.

 

Logic issue? Mic issue? if so, I am not looking to spend a great deal, Mics along with a pre-amp can get expensive, what would be an easy cheap solution?

 

Thanks guys!

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-.1

 

That's a fairly loud mix.

So you're peaking at -3.7 when recording, that's already a hot signal hitting the yellow part of the meter in Logic. Not low volume at all.

Bring the instruments down and you will hear your vocals.

Or add a Gain plugin, crank it to your liking. That way you will not clip the converter on the input of your interface.

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But even when I mute the instrumental to listen back, the recorded audio is very low on playback. It was fine once, I want to say I was using either Sierra or a lower version of High Sierra st the time. The guy who does my mixing has also noticed the drop in recording volume.
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I have not, just learning this program, taken a look at some editing tools just now. Could that be it? Just not sure as to why it was once perfect, and now is not. I’d love a plug and play method that just had the vocals loud enough

 

Just add a Logic Platinum compressor.

On the plugin:

Turn off auto gain

Ratio around 3:1

Attack around 10ms

Auto release

Threshold turn it counterclockwise until you see the gain reduction needle move around -5dB

Apply make up gain to taste

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You should not have to add a compressor to hear your vocals. A 2 or 3 dB difference between the instrumental and the vocal means they should sound at pretty much the same loudness, and not "nothing compared to the instrumental" as you put it. Can you show us some screenshots of your Mixer during playback, or your Tracks area where we can see the waveforms?
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  • 2 years later...
  • 4 months later...
  • 4 weeks later...

I'm also having the very same issue. I don't think it's a matter of having the same computer. For whatever reason, when launching Logic for the very first time, about a year and a half ago, I remember not needing to enable software monitoring. I could hear myself using my macbook's built in mic and a pair of external headphones. Recording was good and playback was solid.

 

Then I remember relaunching my Logic session and panicking over not being able to hear myself. I remember eventually finding out about software monitoring but it's less than ideal. Now, I can hear myself fairly well since I've been using an audio interface to plug in, but the volume of the signal doesn't match its strength on the dbFS indicator. I need to add slapback delay just to hear myself when recording vocal takes.

 

I can't even adjust delay to taste. I have to rely on it for my vocal to cut through AND sit in the mix.

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Instead of diving into the at this point usually ensuing and tiring one-question-one-answer-at-a-time-quiz, here's the obligatory check list:

 

- Instrument is plugged in

- Instrument volume is up

- You're using the right side of the mic

- Mic pad is off

- Cable/connectors are in working order

 

- Mic phantom power at the interface is on if the mic requires it

- Gain knob at the audio interface / mic level in MacOS is up

- Pad at the interface is off

- Meter/LED on the interface shows decent level

- Direct Monitoring at the interface is off (you may want to change this later)

 

- Correct interface is selected in Logic for both input and output

- Software Monitoring is on (you may want to change this later, depending on Direct Monitoring)

- Both lower prefs are off. I can't bring myself to type this ridiculous text anymore, here's a screenshot:

 

1729355994_Bildschirmfoto2021-08-21um12_02_27.png.e2062d4b808d982dbae9e4fc849b2e12.png

- Correct input is selected on the recording track

- Track is rec armed

- Logic is in either Record or Stop

- Meter on the recording track shows decent level

- No or only bypassed plugins

- Channel Fader is at unity

- Channel Mute is off

- Channel is routed to Stereo Out

 

- Stereo Out Fader is at unity

- Stereo Out Mute is off

- Meter on the Stereo Out shows decent level

- Master Fader is at unity

 

- Mac Volume is up if using built-in audio

- Output / HP level on the interface is up

- HP cable is plugged in and in working order

- HP is on your head, somewhere near or even on your ears

- You're not deaf

 

Go down that list, find where you drop off and report.

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