can hardly hear myself while recording

[bryced87]

I know this has been asked many times but my issue is slightly different and I'm not sure what the problem is.

I have an Mbox pro 2 with Pro Tools 11 and Yosemite (latest version)

When I record vocals or guitar etc I can hear what I'm recording in my headphones but the volume is reduced. It's hardly noticeable. I have the headphone knob on my Mbox pro 2 turned all the way up. I'm in pre fader metering. I can hear the rest of what I recorded loud. I have the track that I'm recording with the fader all the way up while the input level is peaking around -10db. I still can hardly hear anything. I have tried moving the mix knob up and down and that doesn't fix it either. For kicks I even tried cranking my input knob on the Mbox pro 2 all the way so it's distorting and still the volume of what I'm recording hasn't changed in my headphones.

Does anyone know what the problem is? I have even tried three pairs of headphones.

[Southsidemusic]

Hey

What Mic are you using and does it have Phantom Power needs?

Do you have another Mic to test with , doesn't have to be a great mic, just a second one to see if it is the cable or the mic or the power to the mic if it need that.

[Darryl Ramm]

All plugins removed from that channel? No bussing etc. going on? Happens with a new empty session?

I think we've been here before with you needing to provide clear descriptions of what you are doing...so...

What headphone outlet are you lugged into? Try both. Are you tryign to monitor output 3/4? Describe eactly what you are doing so we have some hope of working this out...

What exact Mic. What cable (what connector ends) plugged into what exact input. Pad turned off? And where is the mic gain knob is set where?

When you record guitar -- electric or acoustic guitar? with what mic or pickups going into what exact input? Guitar volume turned up? Guitar known to work OK elsewhere? Try a different cable.

If it's a condenser or ribbon that needs phantom power is that turned on? Check the phantom voltage with voltmeter at the end of the Mic cable. Try another cable and a different mic.

[bryced87]

I have a Audio-Technica AT2020 mic and phantom power is on. I did try a different Mic and that one worked fine. I wonder why the Audio Technica AT2020 isn't producing enough volume in the headphones? It's input is very loud when I playback when I recorded. Here is the link to the Mbox 2 that I have. http://avid.force.com/pkb/servlet/rt...EMi00000000kF7

[Darryl Ramm]

How about posting a full clear description of what you are doing.

What are you trying to monitor through Pro Tools or monitor through the MBox hardware? And where is your mic input gain knob set to? If one mic worked OK and the other was quieter... what was the make/model of the mic that worked? Did you use the same mic cable and input? Can you test the problem mic on a PA, liver mixer etc. You are using the correct side of the AT2020? And are you *sure* you are hearing the low level mic in the headphone, not just hearing bleed through of the live sound.

What do you mean "It's input is very loud when I playback when I recorded."... that sounds like you are using hardware monitoring or some blend of that while tracking and then playing back louder from Pro Tools... maybe with Pro Tools track input monitoring set to input only not auto input. Very easy to accidentally hit the keyboard shortcut (PC: CTRL-K Mac: Option-K), just try toggling that. And do other things mentioned like check the pad is not engaged.

[bryced87]

I mean very loud as in the level meter in pre fader setting is in the orange. The input knob is all the way up. What's always been strange is the with AT2020 I've never been able to even get an input level of green unless the input knob on the Mbox 2 is half way up. I'm using the side of the mic with the logo on it. If I use the AT2020 mic through a regular mixing board it's input level is clipping while halfway up through the board input. So the mic does in fact work.

To test this I used the same XLR cable I use for my Mbox 2 in a standard digital mixing board. SO it's not the cable either.

[Darryl Ramm]

And the other questions?

You are complaining about monitoring level problems right? The mic is only quiet while monitoring/tracking and is a better level when you play back that recorded track? yes or no?

I am still not sure how you are monitoring when recording. Through the interface hardware of fully though Pro Tools?

If not fully though Pro Tools you need to set it up to do that (turn the mix knob all the way oppose to from whatever extreme position gives you full local hardware motioning).

You are recoding to a mono audio track right?

Remove all plugins on the mic input channel and make sure it is directly routed to an output. No busing, no plugins in the signal flow at all and see if that works. In fact start with a clean empty session and just use that.

You are comparing two mic. What is the other mic?

Test equally ... speaking or singing into two closely spaced mics going to two separate Mbox 2 mic inputs and track each to two separate mono audio channels and send each one to different sides of the headphones. Swap the mic cable XLR connectors into the Mbox mic inputs and see if any problem follows the mic or stays with the interface input.

[bryced87]

Originally Posted by Darryl Ramm

And the other questions?

You are complaining about monitoring level problems right? The mic is only quiet while monitoring/tracking and is a better level when you play back that recorded track? yes or no?

I am still not sure how you are monitoring when recording. Through the interface hardware of fully though Pro Tools?

If not fully though Pro Tools you need to set it up to do that (turn the mix knob all the way oppose to from whatever extreme position gives you full local hardware motioning).

You are recoding to a mono audio track right?

Remove all plugins on the mic input channel and make sure it is directly routed to an output. No busing, no plugins in the signal flow at all and see if that works. In fact start with a clean empty session and just use that.

You are comparing two mic. What is the other mic?

Test equally ... speaking or singing into two closely spaced mics going to two separate Mbox 2 mic inputs and track each to two separate mono audio channels and send each one to different sides of the headphones. Swap the mic cable XLR connectors into the Mbox mic inputs and see if any problem follows the mic or stays with the interface input.

The input while tracking is perfectly fine. I have two of the same mics both do the same thing plugged into the MBox 2. I have no plugins on it at all.

[Darryl Ramm]

Originally Posted by bryced87

The input while tracking is perfectly fine. I have two of the same mics both do the same thing plugged into the MBox 2. I have no plugins on it at all.

Huh? You started this thread titled "can hardly hear myself while recording " now you are saying "The input while tracking is perfectly fine."-- do you mean the input level on the meter looks OK but you can't hear it loud enough while tracking, or that it is loud enough when tracking but when playing back what you just recorded it is not or what? And that problem only happens for that one mic?

So both mic you have been experimenting with are the same model? And both behave the same? I thought you said before that only one of you mics had this problem.

Can you just start over and in one post clearly describe what is going on. include photos, drawings, and details -- whatever you need to do to make this clear to somebody not looking over your shoulder. Incldue details like what mic models, inputs, knob positions, you are talking about. You've been asking about problems kind of like this for over a year now right? You may have some misunderstanding about something, and/or a faulty piece of hardware, either way it would be good to get to the bottom of this.

[_JJ_]

Wasn't there once an issue with the MBox2 not being able to draw enough current from a MacBook's USB port to use phantom? Could that be a factor here?