Quality Issue

[Chantry Frank]

Originally Posted by albee1952

Last idea, what connections are at each end of the cable that connects your preamp to the Mbox? Going into the Mbox you MUST go in with a quarter inch connection. If you are connecting via xlr, then you are feeding a line level output(the external preamp) into a mic-level input(the xlr of the Mbox). Thanks for the screen shot, but its too small for me to read clearly on this laptop(will try to look tomorrow on a bigger screen.

i finally understand what u ment by a quarter inch connnection, thnks i appreciate your help and hopefully thts what was wrong with my quality, i had my preamp connect to my mbox all wrong and when i purchase a new quarter inch connection i hope thts what fixes my problem.

[Darryl Ramm]

Originally Posted by Chantry Frank

dam mayb thts whats wrong wit my quality... i had bought my mbox off the streets n unfortunetly it didn come wit a manual but ill luk it up online n go ovr it. thnk u 4 ur insight i hope thts what fixes my problem.

All Avid/Digidesign documentaion is available online in PDF. You just need to Google for it. You'll find "Getting Started" and other docs for your Mbox 2 mini.

As you troubleshoot things here, take some time to play with not using the channel strip hardware at all, and maybe try some plugins instead (while tracking or after).

[Chantry Frank]

i just wanna thank everyone for their input and help i appreciate everything and you all have help me get a better understanding of what Ive been doing wrong. thank you for making me tht much better at doing what I love.

[Chantry Frank]

so i finally purchased a quater inch trs cable wit a xlr female end and still have the same problem. Im sure its the mic but is there any way to make sure it not also the tube in my preamp?

[Darryl Ramm]

Originally Posted by Chantry Frank

so i finally purchased a quater inch trs cable wit a xlr female end and still have the same problem. Im sure its the mic but is there any way to make sure it not also the tube in my preamp?

Once you go into the 1/4" input on input one or two you still need to adjust the gain correctly on the preamp to get proper gain staging since the Mbox 2 Mini has a brain dead combo DI and Line input, and the preamp/DI gain knob still affects the signal level. I've mentioned this several times now.

But... you mean still have what problem exactly? I'm counting what may be three of four different problems you seem to be having. Proper channel strip to Mbox signal path/gain staging should allow you to turn down the channel strip preamp gain and see the input level fall below the -10dbFS or whatever you said before that you could not get below.

Just start by simplifying what you are doing for now an plugging your Mic directly into the mic input XLR on the Mbox 2 Mini and just play with that for a while and start by trying to track at say ~-20 dbFS. Adjusting you mic technique if needed to get there, or using the input pad on the Mbox. Leave it at that "safe" input level for while as you look at other questions like mix bus overloads, plugin settings etc., output levels and possible earbud issues. Once you have a stable foundation then experiment more. You have to get things working properly and then you can make progress, right now you may well be chasing phantoms. If you now somebody who can help with recording stuff then just having them look over what you are doing (and show them this thread) will likely help you make very quick progress. Having them start by listening to what you think was the main thing here with playback/distortion issues to see if they even agree with that concern.

[Chantry Frank]

so even if the gain on the mbox in completly down it will still add gain to the recording along with the preamp? since i jus got off work im doin a couple rec right for gain staging. as i rec at my loudest it is currently under -10dbfs and thtas with the drive and gain on my pre amp all the way down. the only thing active on my preamp is the 48v and 80hz buttons. Ive already uploaded a quick snippett to check out the vocals and everything does sound better but i still get a boomy sound in my ts and bs. ima try one more thing and hopefully tht will make a difference so we will see soon.

[Chantry Frank]

jus went over everything you said in this forum and got some of the answers i asked earlier my bad if i repeated any question to anything you have already given a answer to but i really appreciate all the knowledge uve shared with me its helping out alot.

[albee1952]

Boomy T's and B's(and probably P's) is likely due to no pop shield or you are working too close to the mic. Most engineers start with the singer a good 8-10 inches back. You could also use 2 pop screens(leave an inch or more between them). But also remember that you are singing into a small diaphragm mic, which will often exacerbate the issue(so getting a better mic is still in your future) One trick that MIGHT be worth a try while you save your pennies; take 2 rubber bands and a pencil and strap the pencil to the front of the mic, dead center(hey, this is free and may help, even with a good mic)

[Chantry Frank]

thnk u for the awesome tip n right now i have a wide screen pop filter on the mic and a regular pop filter about 8" away from the mic. in the end i still plan to upgrade from my mxl 990. i wish i would of save up for a better mic b4 i purchased tht one but until thn ima have to try tht pincile trick haha.