1 Topic by Manuel (edited by Manuel 2024-10-21 18:47:24)

  • Manuel
  • Manuel
  • S/Mux specialist
  • Offline
  • From: Madrid, Spain
  • Registered: 2007-10-03
  • Posts: 241

Topic: Microphone input clipping help needed

I've a dynamic microphone (Sennheiser e935) connected to IN1 of my UCX II, using headphones for tracking. When I talk into the mic from a distance of about 7 cm, normal speech level, I often see clipping in TMFX. I have turned the gain down a little which eliminates the clipping but then the mic signal becomes too weak, so much so that I hear my own voice directly and not the voice coming form the headphones. If I play background audio material (mp3 or whatever) it is always louder than the microphone signal and dominates, again to the extent that the microphone signal cannot be heard at all. If I amplify the mic signal using plugins, the noise floor becomes audible.

Seeing how people use these things on stage, literally screaming into the mic from close proximity, I'm wondering how they get away with it. What's triggering clipping is short peaks that are of no value. Adding a pop shield obviously helps a little. I can use a compressor in my DAW, a de-esser, etc, but all of that is "after the fact" so it doesn't fix the problem.

How do people set things up then? Would I benefit from using an external pre with built-in analog compressor to reduce the dynamic range going in? But then I don't get it, if the UCX has it's own preamps, it must be becasue they can be used directly without the need for external hardware.

  • Registered: 2023-06-30
  • Posts: 146

Re: Microphone input clipping help needed

It's better to describe your use case first.

Fireface UCX II + ARC USB > ADI-2 Pro FS R BE > Neumann KH 750 DSP + MA 1 > KH 120 A
  • Manuel
  • Manuel
  • S/Mux specialist
  • Offline
  • From: Madrid, Spain
  • Registered: 2007-10-03
  • Posts: 241

Re: Microphone input clipping help needed

unpluggged wrote:

It's better to describe your use case first.

At the moment I don't have a clear-cut use case, but I anticipate recording mostly acoustic guitars, vocals and speech.

4 Reply by waedi (edited by waedi 2024-10-21 20:51:34)

  • waedi
  • DAW Mastermind
  • Offline
  • From: Swiss Zürich
  • Registered: 2020-12-08
  • Posts: 4,453

Re: Microphone input clipping help needed

Mix in Totalmix less background music and turn up the volume of the headphone.
During recording for monitoring better avoid plugins it would induce latency and you hear yourself with delay.
Totalmix has built in compressor, use this if need.

M1-Sequoia, Madiface Pro, Digiface USB, Babyface silver and blue
  • Manuel
  • Manuel
  • S/Mux specialist
  • Offline
  • From: Madrid, Spain
  • Registered: 2007-10-03
  • Posts: 241

Re: Microphone input clipping help needed

waedi wrote:

Mix in Totalmix less background music and turn up the volume of the headphone.
During recording for monitoring better avoid plugins it would induce latency and you hear yourself with delay.
Totalmix has built in compressor, use this if need.

Thanks. Yes you are right about plugins, although for mixing in a little EQ and reverb the latency isn't noticeable. I use the TMFX compressor but that doesn't prevent clipping the converter, since it's applied post (it has to, because it's a digital effect).

6 Reply by ramses (edited by ramses 2024-10-21 22:01:26)

  • ramses
  • DAW Mastermind
  • Offline
  • From: UTC+1
  • Registered: 2012-10-14
  • Posts: 13,134

Re: Microphone input clipping help needed

Are you sure that you so not try to record with a too hot signal, too narrow to 0 dBFS?
Try to set the gain so that even loud signals do not exceed -18 dBFS.
You need this headroom later for mixing and mastering of multiple tracks.

See this article: https://www.soundonsound.com/sound-advi … -recording

BR Ramses - UFX III, 12Mic, XTC, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, RayDAT, X10SRi-F, E5-1680v4, Win10Pro22H2, Cub14
  • waedi
  • DAW Mastermind
  • Offline
  • From: Swiss Zürich
  • Registered: 2020-12-08
  • Posts: 4,453

Re: Microphone input clipping help needed

You did reduce the gain and the signal no longer is clipping, thats perfectly fine.
you say the signal is too weak, I disagree, I think the other signals are too loud.
Reduce the background music.
You say the headphone is not loud enough, is there a way to make the headphone louder ?
The volume knob at the interface is fully open ? In Totalmix the fader of the Phones output is up at zero ?

M1-Sequoia, Madiface Pro, Digiface USB, Babyface silver and blue
  • Manuel
  • Manuel
  • S/Mux specialist
  • Offline
  • From: Madrid, Spain
  • Registered: 2007-10-03
  • Posts: 241

Re: Microphone input clipping help needed

I need to try a better pop shield. ATM I'm using just a foam one that sits directly on the microphone. Microphone technique will help but in some situations (e.g. recording someone who is not a vocalist) a preamp with a built-in compressor could be useful just to prevent clipping the converters.