Do I need a mic preamp?

[XYRN]

I have a guitar.
Pedals, check.
Amp, check.
4-channel mixer, check.
Computer with DAW software, check.
Skill, working on that one...

For Xmas my dear wife bought me a short mic stand that was on my Amazon list. I didn't yet have a mic.

But since she got me the mic-stand.... 😉
I used some of the gift cash my Father in law gave me and bought a Shure SM-57 from a local store. Paid more than the Amazon price, but it was negligible and I like to shop local if I can.



I strung it all together and I can hear the mic'd amp through headphones coming out of the laptop, but the signal is pretty weak. There are ten LED's showing level, I'm lighting up 2 with the amp at 3, which is medium-loud in my guitar room, and mixer line gain is at 80% of its radial throw.

So, do I need a preamp between the mic and the mixer?
I see some on Amazon, with a 12AX7 tube, for around $50.

I also put that particular stand on my list as its height range is conducive to both mic'ing an amp and recording a seated acoustic guitar player.

Almost bought the GLS 'clone' of the Shure, for $30, but I'm small time, this is likely the only mic I'll ever buy (unless I need a second to record drum machine out of a 2nd amp) so I figured the investment is a Shure thing. 😉

[midwinter]

It sounds like you need a D/A Interface. Maybe start here.

[YamahaGuy]

What's your connection type to the computer? Is the mixer a USB capable model, or are you using audio cables into your computer's mic jack?

Many problems like these are not so much with the mixer or mic, but rather with the computer, its sound settings, and the DAW. Check your input recording levels on the computer's sound settings. Two leds should be enough to give you a hot signal in the laptop.

While a tube mic pre would surely give you more control, it would be redundant with a tube amp already being used. If your mixer isn't USB-ready, I'd get an interface and use its headphone jack for monitoring.

If you're not using USB, I'd use the mixer's headphone jack for monitoring. I bet the signal out of there is plenty loud.

[MikeBmusic]

Like already said ^^^, if you are not getting the signal form the mixer to your computer by USB, you need an Audio Interface. It takes the place of the built-in soundcard in your computer (you plug headphones and monitor speakers into it) and will have a mic preamp (or more than one).

[Rudy4]

Ditto the other responses already posted.

If you use a proper interface to your computer then you can ditch the mixer, you don't need it. The fewer things you put in between the mic and your laptop the better. It will a cleaner signal to record and no worries about gain staging along the way.

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by XYRN

I have a guitar.
Pedals, check.
Amp, check.
4-channel mixer, check.
Computer with DAW software, check.
Skill, working on that one...

For Xmas my dear wife bought me a short mic stand that was on my Amazon list. I didn't yet have a mic.

But since she got me the mic-stand.... ��
I used some of the gift cash my Father in law gave me and bought a Shure SM-57 from a local store. Paid more than the Amazon price, but it was negligible and I like to shop local if I can.



I strung it all together and I can hear the mic'd amp through headphones coming out of the laptop, but the signal is pretty weak. There are ten LED's showing level, I'm lighting up 2 with the amp at 3, which is medium-loud in my guitar room, and mixer line gain is at 80% of its radial throw.

So, do I need a preamp between the mic and the mixer?
I see some on Amazon, with a 12AX7 tube, for around $50.

I also put that particular stand on my list as its height range is conducive to both mic'ing an amp and recording a seated acoustic guitar player.

Almost bought the GLS 'clone' of the Shure, for $30, but I'm small time, this is likely the only mic I'll ever buy (unless I need a second to record drum machine out of a 2nd amp) so I figured the investment is a Shure thing. ��

The quick answer with the info provided is No... if the sound is medium loud in the room then signal already has the potential to be sufficient and needs no further amplification in front end analog stage

I would suggest you list your exact signal chain (including computer and DAW) with the specific brands and models and the type's of connections . Then more targeted suggestions can be made.

[DupleMeter]

Probably not - your little mixer likely has all the mic pres you'll need.

What are you using to get the sound from the mixer to the computer?

[XYRN]

Thanks for the responses!

Right now I've got the mic going by XLR into the mixer, and then 1/4 inch output from mixer into the 1/8inch mic input on the laptop.

My mixers are cheap, I have a 4 channel Ammoon F4 and a 6-channel Nady Audio MXE-612.





The laptop is a Toshiba 550 and I'm using Audacity software.

[FrankHudson]

As folks have already mentioned, you may want to replace the mixer with an USB audio interface. One example would be the Focusrite Scarlet 2i4 with two mic/line/or instrument level inputs (each input is switchable). There are many others, and as cost goes up, the number of inputs can increase.

The input jacks on laptops from the past few years are a very poor way to get audio into a computer. A USB audio interface will let you connect from your mixer or ditch the mixer entirely (they will include at least one mic input already). The main reason to use a mixer at all would be if you wanted to keep a larger number of inputs all setup and ready to use, but for one guitar amp it's redundant really.

One good thing you did was get the SM57. A flexible, durable, classic microphone.

[KevWind]

I may be possible that the using the mini input jack on the laptop is the issue But first try some diagnostics


So it sounds like you are using the Nady correct OK so with the XLR plugged into the mixer you are using the mic pre which has 60 db of gain (and should be plenty)
You stated your only getting 2 LEDs of the the 10 (Nady correct ?)
So It appears me that for starters you have a gain staging problem at the mixer

You stated Mixer "line" gain is at 80 % (so "line gain" does not really make sense) So are you referring the individual channel "input gain" at the bottom of the channel or the "Master Mix" output gain on the right side as being at 80% ?

Diagnostic test procedure:

First set all gain controls (Trim , Gain , Master Mix) to unity (straight up at the 12 o'clock position)


If it is the master mix control at 80% (approaching +15) then turn it back to unity (12 o'clock )

Then with all controls at unity see what the master meters read . if still low then turn up the channel input Trim to say the 3 o'clock position max , if still low then start turning up the channel gain to say the 3 position max , if still not hitting yellow on the peaks then start turning up the Master Mix to 3 max .
Also check to listen to the volume in the Head Phones and or the main speaker outs if they seem loud enough

If the above yields getting a better output signal from the mixer (Hitting yellow on peaks). then try again recording into the DAW.

If your still not getting a good input reading on the DAW channel meters i. e. peaks at -6 to -8 with the channel level set a unity then it may indeed be the mini plug on the laptop is not putting out sufficient level . But I would first try switching the Ammoon mixer for the nady and re try the process if it is still low coming into the DAW then may require rethinking your signal chain to include a small USB interface mic pre unit

[DukeX]

Originally Posted by midwinter

It sounds like you need a D/A Interface.

^^^^^^^^^This.

[DukeX]

Originally Posted by YamahaGuy

...While a tube mic pre would surely give you more control, it would be redundant with a tube amp already being used...

With respect to personal preferences, I cannot agree with this statement. It's done all the time by both professionals and experienced home recordists. Tube mic preamps vary in tone. So do SS mic preamps. Either can be clean or colored based on the circuit design. YMMV.

[YamahaGuy]

Originally Posted by DukeX

With respect to personal preferences, I cannot agree with this statement. It's done all the time by both professionals and experienced home recordists. Tube mic preamps vary in tone. So do SS mic preamps. Either can be clean or colored based on the circuit design. YMMV.

Come to think of it, some of the best tone I had with my electric was with my tube pre-d pedal board going into the front end of my Bugera V22. I see your point.

[midwinter]

None of that matters if OP doesn't have a D/A interface.

Originally Posted by DukeX

With respect to personal preferences, I cannot agree with this statement. It's done all the time by both professionals and experienced home recordists. Tube mic preamps vary in tone. So do SS mic preamps. Either can be clean or colored based on the circuit design. YMMV.

[DukeX]

Originally Posted by midwinter

None of that matters if OP doesn't have a D/A interface.

That's why I agreed with you in my first post.