Recording VU-Meters Uneven
I recently installed a new sound card for my brother-n-law. It is the Sound Blaster Audigy 2. For some reason, while using the line-in, the recording vu-meters are uneven. Left side may read 0 when the right side may read -5.7. There is an average difference of about 6 between the 2 sides. We’re running a condenser mic through a phantom power box directly into the line-in. If we try the mic-in, everything is even. Is there a way to even up the two channels in n-track? What’s causing this?
Rodney
If you try swapping the 2 line-in cables over (ie reverse left and right) does the same channel still read the higher level or is it the other? If it’s the former, then it’s something on the soundcard or computer, if it’s the latter then it’s before that in the signal chain.
I assume the the condenser mic is mono, so is the output from the phantom power box splitting the signal to stereo? If not then I’d expect the two channels to have different output.
A few more details about how you’ve connected this and what the phantom power box is would be very helpful.
Ta John
We’re using a 1/8" stereo plug into the line-in. So i’m not able to switch the lines around. I’m not sure about the details of the phantom power box, i’m not around it at this time, but basically, the mic plugs into the input on the phantom power box, then the output is used to run cable to sound card.
It sounds to me as though the “phantom power box” is just a mono mic pre-amp with phantom power, which you are then routing down a stereo cable to the soundcard. If this is the case, you’d expect to see much higher output on one channel (ie the signal) and much lower on the other (background noise).
If you disconnect the cables to the soundcard completely are the levels the same? If so, it’s outside the computer, if not it’s soundcard/PC related.
The make of “phantom power box” will shed some light.
Ta John