[PodcastMN] Whaddya think?

[Graeme Fehr]

that sounds like a great idea to talk about, but it sounds like it will be one of those topics that you many never find a cheap way of doing things.

Could there be a possiblity that you have to much electronic current coming through to your mixer?  The only reason i'm asking is because i'm having that problem recording a podcast in the Coloneal Warehouse Building downtown.  The mixer i'm using is one of those lowend Eurotrack mixers (i'm at work, i can't think of the brand which i think i got wrong), and i have to switch the input on my Focusrite Saffire (like the mBox for protools) to different settings because I get a nasty buzzing just turning up the output.

I have no problem doing recordings at home or other locations, but that one place, on each of their outlets, i'm having major problems with hiss, and that's before turning on phantom power or turning any of the levels and gain up. 

I know this doesn't answer your question, but i thought i would throw that out there.  

----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Steve Borsch 
  To: Podcast MN List 
  Sent: Friday, August 17, 2007 9:20 AM
  Subject: [PodcastMN] Whaddya think?



  I've been pretty silent on the PodcastMN list as of late, and those of you who know me have no doubt seen my podfading since this Spring. It's been a busy time and I've also spent the summer caring for my 94 year old father-in-law and my 81 year old dad...since I could. 

  Here's the deal: why is audio so hard? There are a crapload of products....but to get truly quiet sound a person needs to spend THOUSANDS....or is there a better way?

  A new idea for my bride's business meant that I need actual broadcast quality audio. So I decided to beef up my gear which was the AudioTechnica 3035 mic and a Mackie 1202 mixing board. I went with the Shure SM7B -- since it's the voiceover gold standard -- and bought the Alesis Multimix8 Firewire. After TONS of work trying to get these to give me good results, it turns out that the guy at Guitar Center goofed: the preamps in a cheap ($300) mixing board can't power the Shure and I had to max out the gain and, of course, the output was hissy and noisy. 

  Next I take back the Alesis and the GC sales guy has a bunch of boards -- and the SM7B ($350) buy a Trident preamp ($800) with built-in EQ -- and just in case I buy a Monster power conditioner. I get it home, hook up all this stuff, start to play with it and you guessed it: there is still noise AND when I turn on the EQ button, it introduces yet more noise. 

  Arghh.....

  So I emailed Shure yesterday about the Mackie 1202 VLZ3 ($300 mixer with +60db preamps...enough to power the Shure) and the guy in tech support basically tells me that "we've not had good luck with cheap preamps...call the guys at Sweetwater Sound and they can help you." Yeah sure....and try to sell me a $2,000 preamp. 

  Now on to the question since I'm fired up to start in earnest again and really just want a dead quiet preamp: am I trying to buy a BMW for the price of a Chevy Cavalier? Is it just not possible to get quiet sound out of a preamp and drive a great mic like the Shure? 

  If you know of anyone that I could talk to that is a sound engineer (or if you have a solution) I'm all ears and this could also be a GREAT topic for Podcamp.

  -- 
  Steve Borsch
  Direct/Mobile: 952.486.7678
  Email: Steve at iConnectDots.com
  Blog: http://www.iConnectDots.com 


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