DP24SD and Røde NT1-A mic issue

[Bugatti]

Hi everyone

I need to turn the trim almost all the way up (90+%) to enable me to get a good enough level for recording vocals and that’s only when I stand a few inches from my Röde NT-1A condenser mic and sing loudly.

The mic has been tested on other equipment and is in perfect working condition. I’ve checked all of my cables and their routing and have reset the machine back to factory settings, but the problem still persists.

Has anyone else experienced this issue and if so, did you manage to resolve it?

 

[BazzBass]

have you turned Phantom power on? (obvious I know, but just in case you didn't know)

try a tube preamp, it'll provide you with more gain ,plus it will add tube compression. ART do a few at a very reasonable price,

 

[Bugatti]

Hi Bazz, thanks for your reply (to a fellow bassist!)

Yes, in trying to make my question brief, I didn’t confirm that I was using phantom power.

Thanks for your suggestion of the tube preamp, which is something I hadn’t previously considered. I’ll certainly look into that.

Do you or anyone else know of a tube preamp being used successfully in these circumstances?

 

[-mjk-]

@Bugatti that is exactly what tube preamps are made for. Use the Line input on the DP machine from an external preamp.

 

[Bugatti]

Thanks !

I’ll certainly look at that, sounds like a good option.

I was wondering whether other Røde NT1-A users had the same issue.It’s a popular mic, so I guess they must include DP24SD owners.

 

[-mjk-]

I don't have that particular mic, but every mic I have used has worked well with my DP-32. I've used dynamic and condenser mics, both with an external power supply and with the internal phantom power (with condenser mics, of course) and in every case there was plenty of gain.

 

[Bugatti]

Thanks again.

I’ve also used a dynamic Shure SM58 mic with the DP24SD and though it achieved more level than the Røde , it was still quite a bit lower than when it was used with other recording equipment. Plugging it into input H with the ‘guitar switch’ on did the trick, though hardly ideal.

Obviously, this procedure wouldn’t work with a condenser mic which needs phantom power. It’s as if my machine didn’t like mics in general - and Rødes in particular!

 

[Mark Richards]

The OM spec for the mic circuit (below) is designed to accommodate easily a wide range of microphones. I've never had any issues with the Mic input levels.

The Trim Knob is supposed to be set full-right (to MIC) as described in detail in this post found in the "Production Tips" sticky. Anything less attenuates the incoming analog mic signal.

The Trim Knob should only be moved off full-right when necessary to attenuate a hot mic signal.

The Level Diagram in the OM (below) shows more than enough analog headroom (-14 dBu to +2 dBu) to accommodate avg + peak mic signals at a nominal recording level of -16 dBFS after conversion from analog to digital.

 

[Bugatti]

Thanks for your comprehensive and most helpful reply. Much appreciated.

 

[Cosmic]

It sounds rather strange that a Phantom-powered mic should be that low going in...I would expect that kind of behavior from the Shure 58, as you said.

Double-check that none of the effects/EQ/digital level settings are engaged on that input.
They tend to stay on once engaged...I had a surprise when trying to record, and when it sounded terrible, I realized the compressor had stayed on since I re-started the machine.
If you haven't already, test with another channel on the 24 to see if it is the same.

That said, a good quality external pre will be better than the built-ins.
Set the DP24 input to "line" (turn far left) and use an external pre-amp; set a good in/out level on the pre-amp to pass the signal.

Just some ideas...
C.

 

[Bugatti]

Thanks for your interest in my issue!

I agree that you have to check everything you can think of if the DP24’s not behaving as you think it should. The reason’s not always obvious, as you know.

After trying everything I could think of, I restored it to factory settings, which turned off any effects etc. that I might have missed. But that didn’t help.

I was thinking seriously about getting the preamp that you and others have suggested. But by pure chance, someone suggested using just the gain of the compressor to hike up the signal - and it worked! I now have all the level I could have hoped for.

Though this method might not be recommended, it’s cheaper than buying a preamp!

 

[-mjk-]

This is why @Phil Tipping strongly recommends the use of a default template that is loaded before song creation, because so many parameters are carried over to new songs.

 

[BazzBass]

But by pure chance, someone suggested using just the gain of the compressor to hike up the signal - and it worked! I now have all the level I could have hoped for.

Though this method might not be recommended, it’s cheaper than buying a preamp!

woohoo glad you got it sorted. In the digital world,if it sounds good,it IS good

 

[-mjk-]

But by pure chance, someone suggested using just the gain of the compressor to hike up the signal - and it worked! I now have all the level I could have hoped for.

Were you using the compressor all this time?

 

[Bugatti]

No, the compressor hadn’t been on previously and of course, it wouldn’t have been on after I’d performed the ‘factory reset’.

It was by chance that someone’s brainwave led to me using the compressor gain to enhance the mic’s level.

I quite agree that Phil Tipping’s advice is invaluable. If only the manual was as direct and informative as Phil’s book - which I have by the way !

 

[Axe Victim]

I had the exact same issue with the same mic. Tracking mostly instrumental stuff lately, I don’t recall how I got around it but I did. Not much help, I know. But I just wanted to chime in supporting the above mentioned issue.
If I have time I will look into it again and post my findings

 

[BazzBass]

I recently bought a Rode NT1A and have had no problem with it's gain at all.

 

[Bugatti]

It’s comforting that Axe Victim has the same issue with recording with the Røde NT-1 - so ‘not just me then’.

Pleased to see that A.V. was able to work around it!

 

[Axe Victim]

The OM spec for the mic circuit (below) is designed to accommodate easily a wide range of microphones. I've never had any issues with the Mic input levels.

The Trim Knob is supposed to be set full-right (to MIC) as described in detail in this post found in the "Production Tips" sticky. Anything less attenuates the incoming analog mic signal.

The Trim Knob should only be moved off full-right when necessary to attenuate a hot mic signal.

The Level Diagram in the OM (below) shows more than enough analog headroom (-14 dBu to +2 dBu) to accommodate avg + peak mic signals at a nominal recording level of -16 dBFS after conversion from analog to digital.

View attachment 2264 View attachment 2265

Very interesting. It’s an attenuator in this case and not a level (volume) setting. It makes sense now. I’ll need to remember that….and probably go shopping for a mic pre.

 

[Phil Tipping]

It's not an attenuator. The trim controls the amount of gain for the pre-amp.
The 1/4" jack input goes via a fixed attenuator into the pre-amp, whereas the XLR input goes direct.
If you are using the 1/4" input, the trim acts as both an amplifier and an attenuator... there is unity gain when the trim is at approx the 1 o'clock position.
If you are using the XLR input and your mic has a low output, either due to the mic itself, or your mic position in relation to the source, and the trim is at max, you need to boost the signal some other way.
You can either use an external pre-amp or use the extra gain provided by the dynamics compressor. The choice depends on whether you want additional 'colour' from an external pre-amp, in which case the choice of pre-amp is up to you. If you just want plain old 'gain', try inserting the compressor and adjust the controls so it doesn't compress, but still adds gain. It's a simple and cheap thing to try out before committing to more gear.