Problem or clueless?

[SDST]

Hi,

I have the DP-32SD and am having trouble with volume/recording levels. When I'm recording, if I don't have the line/mic trims turned all of the way up and am not very close to the mics, the recorded volume level is very very low and the monitor level input lines almost don't move. I even have a hard time trying to make the mics clip for just test purposes. I've tried several mics and phantom power and it didn't change at all. I have an Alesis mixer and if I use my computer based recording software and run my mics through the Alesis, it records normally. What I mean is I can be two feet from the mics, trims in center, and the recorded volumes are twice as high with the Alesis than the Tascam cranked all the way up. If it matters I am using Samson, Shure, and MXL mics.

Thanks

 

[Gravity Jim]

I found the same thing going from a Yamaha digital console to my DM-3200. It seems that Tascam uses some mighty low-gain preamps.

However, I only have to crank the pres when I'm using a big dynamic mic, like an EV RE20 or Shure SM7. Condensers don't seem to require all the gain the board has got.

 

[SDST]

Thank you for your reply Gravity Jim, I was hoping that wouldn't be the answer.

I've never used a preamp before, would that solve this without a noise increase?

 

[Gravity Jim]

Yes, in general, a good, cheap preamp will not be noisy. Preamps by ART, Studio Projects, Presonus and others are all over eBay for way under $100 (the fact that thousands of people take a stab at home recording and give up means crazy deals on low-end gear).

Now, if the room is noisy, then bringing up the mic gain will let you hear that more clearly. But most modern preamps are plenty quiet on their own.

BTW, phantom power won't do anything for a mic that doesn't need it (for example, a dynamic mic like a Shure SM57). Only condenser mics and a very few ribbons require phantom power, and it doesn't increase their gain: it just makes them work.

What mics specifically have you tried with the Tascam preamps?

 

[SDST]

I use an MXL 990 for vocals, a Shure Beta 58A for the guitar, and a Samson 8kit for the drums.

The MXL is a condenser, the over heads from Samson are condensers, and the others are dynamic. For the drums I only use the 2 overheads and the bass mic.

Thank you for your input and help, I appreciate it!