Noisy input fix? Help a n00b with a session!

[tdellaringa]

Hi there folks,

This is my first post. I just bought a mbox2 with PTLE with a MacBook Pro. It has been years since I used a mac (system 9!) and same for protools (v5 with the 001 - and I barely touched it then).

We got this setup for our Church, so we can digitally record our sermons and immediately post them to our web site. We also need it to record our radio show and send the digital files to the radio station. Ok - that's the background.

So, all I am doing is plugging a wireless mic into the mbox, setting up one audio track and recording it. I'm using the 48 button to boost the signal on the mbox, and it seems to give me a really noisy signal when I boost it up so I get a good enough input.

Is this because the mbox preamp lacks in some way? I do have another preamp, but I'm trying to avoid lugging too much equipment around. We rent a school for our services and I cannot leave the equipment there, so I have to pack it all up each week.

So the main question is - what is the best way to get a good clear signal for the spoken voice with the least amount of noise in the signal?

We did buy a good mic - it's a Shure wireless mic - forget the model # but we paid $400 for it, so it wasn't a cheapie.

Any other tips on setting up my session for this purpose would be greatly appreciated! Keep in mind I am a total newbie at this.

Also FYI I am recording on to an external Glyph hard drive (7400 rpm).

Thanks!

Tom

[grindx]

The 48v button is your phantom power, not a gain boost. It is used to supply power to mic's that need a power source, such as a condenser mic. By engaging the phantom power you are back feeding DC voltage to the receiver, probably not a good thing. You should be able to get enough level by just turning up the gain knob on the Mbox. Make sure the output of the wireless receiver is all the way up, if there is an output gain adjustment on it.

Is the wireless mic a lavelier or a handheld/mic stand? I'm not a fan of the former. If it needs to be hands free, consider using a headset. If it's a handheld, try to get the user to stay "on mic."

[tdellaringa]

Oh, DOH. That is what I get for assuming. The wireless mic is the clip on your shirt type, he was not comfortable using the headset. So is the gain on the mbox a type of preamp - or do you think I do not even need a preamp at all?

Thanks for the tips.