Sphere Mic - Low recording Level/Playback Volume

[orlaboutorla]

Good afternoon all.

I have just managed to spend some time with the Townsend Sphere I got last year in a deal. Sounds wonderful but I am having issues with record/playback levels. Sounds great in headphones but once recorded the levels are painfully low and this is reflected in a waveform that you can barely see even if you maximize the view. I turn up the preamp and it distorts and there is lots of noise... I don't have any issues with my other mics.

What am I doing wrong?

Thanks in advance...

 

[orlaboutorla]

Bump... Please

 

[rodd]

Strange. What interface are you using, an Apollo? What is the daw? If it’s an Apollo, and you’re monitoring via Console, have you stereo linked the channels and adjusted input levels to around -12 on the channel meter?

 

[orlaboutorla]

Strange. What interface are you using, an Apollo? What is the daw? If it’s an Apollo, and you’re monitoring via Console, have you stereo linked the channels and adjusted input levels to around -12 on the channel meter?

Thanks for the reply... It's much appreciated... Yes I am using an X6. Using Logic. And yes to all the other queries. It does seem very odd.

 

[Nicolher]

Thanks for the reply... It's much appreciated... Yes I am using an X6. Using Logic. And yes to all the other queries. It does seem very odd.

Hello
I seem to also have low levels and distortion problems on my brand new LX, so I’m interested to see if you solved your problem ?
Did you opened a ticket ?

Edit :
I ordererd another cable and problem gone, at least for low level, I was missing some of the mid and low end
I did an A/B test and it's crystal clear, you can hear it and see it on the waveform.
As for the distortion problem, I guess it could have been due to the cable as well or could be some gain staging adaptation to a new mic?

 

[nickgcr]

I am getting muffled and muddy sound from my LX mic. I see videos on youtube from people using the mic or even UAD channel where it sounds crystal clear and mine just sounds bad on vocals, very dark and harsh if for example I choose the LD-800.

I have an apollo Solo, I feel like I have to set my gain input very high to get decent levels, for example on the neve 1073 I use 45db gain + 12db output just to get around -18 dbs in logic. If i turn the gain higher it just distorts too much.

I really don't know what to do, I don't know if it's the mic or the cable like Nicolher or what but it's driving me crazy

 

[Nicolher]

The sphere seems super sensitive and I have a feeling that there's a learning curve more than I had with any other mic, but again, I'm not a professional engineer and I don't know a lot about mics.

If you can buy an extra cable online to check if it's working better, you'll be out of trouble.
I did that and then send it back but you can keep it as spare of course.
Then open a ticket at uad explaining all of this and they'll send you a new cable very quickly.
Good luck

 

[orlaboutorla]

Good afternoon all.

I have just managed to spend some time with the Townsend Sphere I got last year in a deal. Sounds wonderful but I am having issues with record/playback levels. Sounds great in headphones but once recorded the levels are painfully low and this is reflected in a waveform that you can barely see even if you maximize the view. I turn up the preamp and it distorts and there is lots of noise... I don't have any issues with my other mics.

What am I doing wrong?

Thanks in advance...

Hi All,

I know its been a while but I don't record much with this Mic... However, I am still having the same issue. When I am monitoring, everything sounds great, levels look good but once its committed to recording the levels are incredibly low. I have to turn channels in both Logic and Console AND turn up the output all the way in the L22 software. Its crazy! The visual waveform of the recording is barely visible...

I am not a pro engineer but I have been recording and producing for many many years but I am scratching my head... Everything works fine with all my other mics. Is there something I am missing???

 

[Nicolher]

Hi All,

I know its been a while but I don't record much with this Mic... However, I am still having the same issue. When I am monitoring, everything sounds great, levels look good but once its committed to recording the levels are incredibly low. I have to turn channels in both Logic and Console AND turn up the output all the way in the L22 software. Its crazy! The visual waveform of the recording is barely visible...

I am not a pro engineer but I have been recording and producing for many many years but I am scratching my head... Everything works fine with all my other mics. Is there something I am missing???

did you try my cable testing advice ?
Other than that, the only way to be sure is to test another sphere and compare. Ask a colleague/friend ? Buy and send it back ?

 

[orlaboutorla]

did you try my cable testing advice ?
Other than that, the only way to be sure is to test another sphere and compare. Ask a colleague/friend ? Buy and send it back ?

Worth a try... Thanks.

 

[Nicolher]

Worth a try... Thanks.

And obviously but might want to double check
1. Make sure you're connecting the cables the right way
2. The mic is correctly oriented towards the source

 

[Matt Hepworth]

Hey all, are you monitoring through Sphere instead of printing? Sphere has its own output level.

You can also do both print and keep a safety.

See here -

 

[orlaboutorla]

Hi all, I am still having big issues, actually even more bizarre than the original issues, including NO sound coming out randomly, the signal in console only showing right channel activity, pop ups telling me the "detected level on front (left) channel is too low" and this only when the MON button is engaged!? And not all the time...

Oddly I think I have narrowed it down to an issue with the Sphere software, could be I need an update... This is mainly because I just watched Matt's video and used the Bill Putnam Mic Collection and ta da!! I am not getting the same issues... I am going to update my UAD software and see if that fixes it if not I will raise a ticket. My main concern is that I bought this mic just before UAD released the UAD branded mics and therfore its out of any kind of warranty I suspect but I have literally used it only 4-5 times... I checked it when it arrived and it was having these issues from the get-go but I assumed it needed a learning curve... I could have a very expensive white elephant or pretty ornament. Do you guys think UAD would help if it was faulty after this much time?

Anyhow, it seems to be working with the BP mic collection fine... I will report back.

 

[orlaboutorla]

Hey all, are you monitoring through Sphere instead of printing? Sphere has its own output level.

You can also do both print and keep a safety.

See here -

Matt your tutorial is great, I wanted to try and print the wet and dry but I use logic and I cant seem to work out how to record/enable both a Stereo and Mono track that uses the same input at the same time. For example, the Stereo input is obvs 1-2 but the Mono would be 1. In this way Logic wont let me arm both tracks to record. It will however if I change the mono input to 3, but of courde this is no good. Any Ideas??

Or any logic users have a way to do this?

Many thanks in advance...

 

[orlaboutorla]

@matthepworth

 

[Matt Hepworth]

Matt your tutorial is great, I wanted to try and print the wet and dry but I use logic and I cant seem to work out how to record/enable both a Stereo and Mono track that uses the same input at the same time. For example, the Stereo input is obvs 1-2 but the Mono would be 1. In this way Logic wont let me arm both tracks to record. It will however if I change the mono input to 3, but of courde this is no good. Any Ideas??

Or any logic users have a way to do this?

Many thanks in advance...

The stereo track would be your inputs 1&2, but Console would be Aux 1 L's input assignment.

 

[orlaboutorla]

The stereo track would be your inputs 1&2, but Console would be Aux 1 L's input assignment.

Thanks Matt... I saw that in your tutorial but from what I can see I don't have an option in Logic for an Aux 1L ... I'm a long time Logic user, cant say I have seen a L/R option for an Aux. Although I have never had the need so I am not saying its not there. Any further thoughts? I see you are a PT user so it could be that I am asking you for something you may not be able to help with...

@Matt Hepworth

 

[orlaboutorla]

Bump...

 

[mr peaceful]

I am having the same issues. I have a huge sound coming through my mic. I have it set to rec mode in the console so I am committing to the sound. I have it so loud that it is almost painful to sing because of the volume. Then the play back is small wave and half the sound that I am expecting. So strange.

 

[bigshinyT]

There are a number of reasons this could be happening. I.e the input level to DAW is fine but you’ve got the cue turned right up. By the way, never a good idea to have the cans so loud that they’re hurting your ears! Also sound from them will likely be bleeding back into the mic.

Post a screenshot of Console.