Hi, I have just started working with M-Audio Fast Track Pro and Shure SM58. It sounds quite "silent". I have to put the gain all up to record the voice and it is not quite loud enough. The singer must sing a bit louder than his natural/comfortable level. What specs should I look at to get a proper/louder device for a dynamic mic? Or in general, how to watch proportions - audio interface/mic to get the proper signal.

These are specs:

Mic Inputs (A/D)
Input Impedance: 2.7k Ohms unbalanced, 5.4k Ohms balanced
Maximum Input Level: from +24dBu @ min gain, pad on to -40dBu @ max gain, no pad
Channel-to-Channel Crosstalk: < -110dB
SNR: -101dB, A-weighted
Dynamic Range: 101dB, A-weighted
THD+N: 0.005% (-86dB) @ -1dBFS, 1kHz
Frequency Response: 20Hz to 20kHz, +/- 0.1dB
Preamp Gain: >40dB
Pad: -20dB pad

Line Outputs (D/A)
Output Impedance: 150 Ohms unbalanced, 300 Ohms balanced
Maximum Output Level: +1.8dBV, unbalanced, +10.1dBu, balanced
Channel-to-Channel Crosstalk: < -108dB
SNR: -103dB, A-weighted
Dynamic Range: 103dB, A-weighted
THD+N: 0.005% (-86dB) @ -1dBFS, 1kHz
Frequency Response:
20Hz to 20kHz, +/- 0.3dB @ 48kHz sample rate
20Hz to 40kHz, +/- 0.5dB @ 96kHz sample rate

 

What level of peaks are you reaching? You're likely good to go with what you have, even if you have to gain up the signal afterwards with a trim plugin or whatever.

If you want something that can get you a loud enough signal from the getgo, i'd say 50dB or so of gain should be enough, but most modern interfaces go above that anyway.

 

preamp gain (range) is what you look for, for ex. my old RME UFX has 65 dB, while your M-Audio has barely around 40 dB, that explains why signal from mic is so weak, audio interface can't drive it properly,
another spec is SNR (signal to noise ratio) because when dialing gain up, you don't want to dial up noise much

 

The mic preamp in M-Audio is not strong enough for a dynamic mic. When a preamp has to be maxed, it is time to buy an "invisible" preamp like Triton Audio Fethead or Cloudlifter. I would suggest Fethead. It's cheap and "invisible".

Dynamic mics need more than 50dB of amplification. Closer to 60 than 50. That's what one has to keep in mind when buying an audio interface and planing to use a dynamic mic. You really don't want to max the preamp as it becomes noisier and sounds worse (subjective... maybe you like the distortion/saturation on some vox) My experience is that mic preamps work best up to about 2/3 of gain. Anything more - you need a FetHead or CloudLifter.

 

It is true what mk_96 says. You can use AirWindows' "PurestGain" for example to boost the vocal later. That is truly an "invisible mic preamp", literally and the reason why I don't use FetHead for my dynamic mics. If you record at 24-bit and you surely do, you just record the vocal at low level (about 2/3 gain on the preamp) and boost it later with PurestGain.

However, monitoring is also a problem... so I see a FetHead in your future.

An idea... if you're using Reaper for recording you can put PurestGain as the InputFX and get a loud enough signal both for recording and monitoring, but you won't solve direct monitoring that way, if you're using direct monitoring on your audio interface.

 

One more idea... maybe you can boost the mic a bit in your mixer app. It's digital gain, therefore invisible. I often use the EQ plugin in TC Mixer to shape (80Hz HPF and lower some low mids) and boost the vocal on its way in. Or a compressor/limiter. I don't think M-Audio has that, but maybe the mixer has a gain fader or pot somewhere you can turn up...

edit: there's also Klark Teknik's Mic Booster CT1 for like 45€ or CM1 for 55€, depending on which format you prefer. I'd choose CM1 because I think a box format is more practical and durable. Anyway, great value for money.

 

Last edited: May 7, 2023

So should Focusrite Scarlett be enough? Thanks guys for given golden advice!!! I use Ableton and I can achieve the clipping the signal but it needs a bit more energy from a vocalist unlike when using a condenser mic.

Focusrite Scarlett:

Frequency Response: 20Hz - 20kHz ± 0.1dB
Dynamic Range: 111dB (A-weighted)
THD+N: <0.0012%
Noise EIN: -128dBu (A-weighted)
Maximum Input Level: 9dBu (at minimum gain)
Gain Range: 56dB
Impedance: 3kΩ

 

Julian will help
non google link
https://invidious.snopyta.org/watch?v=O_L86wNbzi0
bah

 

The SSL2. Just got one open box, tons of gain and extremely low noise. Plenty to drive dynamics.

You can get one right now for just a few more bucks than a new Scarlett. Check open box deals at Sweetwater and similar places.

I have both right here, and, trust me, you want the SSL 2. It's got way more gain and better sound than the Focusrite, I have both right here. It's worth the extra 1o bucks or whatever.

Also, Triton Fetheads are cheap on ebay right now. Pro-tip: they usually take offers. So that could do it.

 

Last edited: May 7, 2023

@dondada It is a very good video! By the way, Are you registered at Invidious? I've never heard of the service. It looks very interesting. The registration is disabled.

@amanamission SSL12 looks really amazing. It is the same cost as the Scarlett 18i8.

@SineWave The preamps boosters look really helpful and are not a pricey option. And Airwindows has a lot of interesting plugins.

@mk_96 What do you mean by "a trim plugin"? It sounds very interesting technical term.

 

Last edited: May 8, 2023

These are plugins that allow you to cleanly control your gain (they are ment for attenuation, but every one i've seen also goes up).

Anyway, it's basically a gain plugin, i just said trim because it's associated with clean gain.

 

What DAW are you using? If Cubase, you can crank input channel's gain up, same thing as those plugins

 

What mic do you have? Get a Triton Fethead or a Cloudlifter CL1.

 

i just use the search fucntion (of my browser/"search in inviddous")
and classic Bookmarks without following channels directly.
Since google fucked up the subscribe lists a few times i thought
nothing was lost there.

another one is piped
with those two you can also automatically circumvent most restrictions like age etc.
so you dont need login in at all

 

https://invidious.snopyta.org/watch?v=S0sE5mpSLYM&listen=false
@dondada Now I understand. This Julian is amazing