Dazed And Confused

Greetings O Wise One.

I have come from afar to seek out your wisdom. I pray for many blessings on you and your home in return of your time with me.
So I don’t have the foggiest clue what the hell I’m doing in front of a computer. Well at least in front of a computer with an audio interface plugged into it. I built a complete studio with a semi soundproof sound room and all the equipment about 16 months ago. I use a PC with Adobe Audition and a digital audio interface called a Presonus Firebox. My mic is an AKG perception 200. At one point everything worked well as I have hosted VO courses at my home (Venue only not instructor). My instructor and mentor, Deb Munro, said it was a good system. Since then somehow my recording levels have been very low. About the -20 point on average. I have even tried bringing in an intern sound engineer to rectify the problem and even he could not find the source. He figures it might be my mic but not too sure and I haven’t heard from him since. (Today I am trying a new mic)
I know I have to play with it myself to learn, and I haven’t, mostly because I don’t have the confidence of even the basics. I found it frustrating that the software and hardware come together fine but there wasn’t any kind of tutorial on the basic recording steps. So I’m stuck and I hate to have work come my way and not have a way of recording it at home. So what’s your prognosis, doctor? Oops, I mean O Wise One…
Thanks for your time. You have no idea!

Greg

Calgary, AB

You have chosen wisely to venture to the Temple of Modern Modulation. Its a long walk from the Canadian High Prairie! Ye Hah~

The prognosis is very good Grasshopper Greg. You say that "Since then" your levels have been low,-20db.

Simple logic would make me ask what occurred between "then" and "now?"

Looking at your system, you've maintained your mental consistency and have chosen wisely again, component wise. THe AKG Perception is 200 is an excellent VO mic. A Presonus Firebox is a workhorse, 2 channel DI. I use one myself here in the legendary "Black Hole Of Calcutta" studio. Its real quiet. The software mixer that comes with it is a tad confusing, and if you're not recording K.D. Lang's next album for her, you really don't need it.

Adobe Audition is a favorite recording software of many. Personally, I have gone to Adobe's newer single voice track recorder "Soundbooth CS3." listen to my experts podcast review of it at:
ExpertsPodcasts

Adobe is upgrading that to CS4 and I've tested the Beta. It now has multitrack capability and sounds even better as they are using improved codecs. It should be out sometime this summer.

Your audio level problem should not be from your microphone, unless of course you dropped it. No, I think your level problems are most likely computer based. Many times, for whatever reasons, the gods at Microsoft make their operating systems mysteriously glitch, sending settings of various systems into complete disarray. Try:

#1 going into your control panel (Windows that is) and check your audio settings there. First make sure the Firebox is your default audio input source. If it is not. Make it so. Also, check the Presonus Website for any Firmware updates. IF thats all good, try raising your levels up from there (From the windows mixer). If its still low,

#2. the problem lies with the Firebox. And Its not a problem, its a setting. Use the Firebox Control (its software that came with the drivers)(The Icon has a hammer on it) and make sure it is recognizing the Firebox. Also there is a +12db boost switch on the Firebox control window. Try that and see if that raises the levels.

The Firebox sounds great when you get it configured right. Its tricky but worth it. I might suggest you get a mic pre-amp too, but the Firebox has a good pre-amp for Condenser mics, which need very little boost.

I think anyone unfamiliar with these steps can be left as dazed and confused as you were. Now however, you have become enlightend. Of course if I'm wrong, you might consider the great, personal touch, tech support service PreSonus has. They know their stuff and they respond with real humans.

Report back to the VO DOJO and let us know if that worked.

Master VO ...Out

((((((GONG)))))))