Smash
Hack
I purchased an inline pad to kick down the dbs between my mic and preamp, but the connections are xlr 3 pin on the pad, and my mic is a tube mic, so I have the 7 pin connector there.
7704A
Well-known member
If you've been sending a 3-pin into your interface (after coming from a power supply box or something?), I'd stick the pad right before the interface input. So mic -> power supply -> pad -> interface input.
Smash
Hack
The mic is a tube mic, so has 7 pins. The preamp has 7 pins from that side, it goes to three pin AFTER the preamp to the interface.
My pad is 3 pin. So i am trying to figure out how to hook it up, not necessarily where. I know i need it before the preamp
Smash
Hack
If i stick it there, i feel like the preamp still gets overloaded from the volume of my amp
thegame
Well-known member
The right pad is critical to limit this electron heavy flow day
Smash
Hack
I have been doing research and maybe you are right. A lot of people recommend it between the mic and preamp, but some say they like the overloaded preamp and want it before the ada conversion...thanks for the help. I thought about it when i saw that it would fit there, but just assumed it was wrong
fusedbrain
Well-known member
Not sure what tube mic you're using, but the box that the mic connects to with the 7 pin connector is the power supply for the mic, not a preamp. The 3 pin connector coming out of that box is the raw mic signal. Put the pad here between the power supply and the interface/preamp.
The reason for the 7 pins from the box to the tube mic is 3 pins for the audio signal, and 4 pins for the voltage that the tube needs to operate.
The reason for the 7 pins from the box to the tube mic is 3 pins for the audio signal, and 4 pins for the voltage that the tube needs to operate.
Smash
Hack
Makes sense, so the preamp is inside the mic..
fusedbrain
Well-known member
What tube mic are we talking about, and what are you plugging the mic into?
I'm not understanding what preamp you are talking about?
I'm not understanding what preamp you are talking about?
7704A
Well-known member
No, I think @fusedbrain is referring to what this sweetwater article calls a "head amp": https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/what-is-a-tube-microphone/
In short, condenser mics usually have some circuitry built-in, but only enough to get the signal to something suitable for handing off to an actual mic pre-amp. That internal tube circuitry is what the box you mentioned is providing power for, probably. Unless you're using other gear not mentioned or we're misunderstanding, your interface is providing the pre-amp, and is likely what's being overloaded.
Rackman
Active member
There are two "preamps" involved in a condenser mic. On is the amplifier physically inside the mic that is powered by the power supply (the box a tube mic hooks up to or 48v phantom power for solid state). That device has no commonly used name - "pre-pre-amp" might be about right.
From a tube mic the 7-pin cable goes to a power supply. That splits off the signal and puts it on a normal XLR, and then puts high voltage power on the other pins for the tube in the mic to run off of. The power supply is NOT a preamp and should not clip.
The second preamp is the one the XLR from the power supply connects to. In DAW-based systems it's called an "interface": and combines an analog pre and a ADC to convert the signal to the digital realm.
If something is clipping, it might be the internal mic pre-pre-amp or the interface pre-amp. If it's the pre-pre-amp the only solutions are
A) reduce the SPL at the condenser (move away from the amp etc.)
B) use an available pad switch on the mic
C) modify the mic (effectively adding a pad)
No external electrical device will help with that problem.
If the problem is at the interface preamp, then you could
A) reduce the SPL at the condenser
B) use a pad switch on the mic
C) Turn down the gain on the interface if it's not already at minimum
D) Use an inline pad device which would go between the power supply and the interface
Most problems with tube mics clipping when close-micing guitar amps are in the pre-pre-amp, so only the first set of solutions are helpful
From a tube mic the 7-pin cable goes to a power supply. That splits off the signal and puts it on a normal XLR, and then puts high voltage power on the other pins for the tube in the mic to run off of. The power supply is NOT a preamp and should not clip.
The second preamp is the one the XLR from the power supply connects to. In DAW-based systems it's called an "interface": and combines an analog pre and a ADC to convert the signal to the digital realm.
If something is clipping, it might be the internal mic pre-pre-amp or the interface pre-amp. If it's the pre-pre-amp the only solutions are
A) reduce the SPL at the condenser (move away from the amp etc.)
B) use an available pad switch on the mic
C) modify the mic (effectively adding a pad)
No external electrical device will help with that problem.
If the problem is at the interface preamp, then you could
A) reduce the SPL at the condenser
B) use a pad switch on the mic
C) Turn down the gain on the interface if it's not already at minimum
D) Use an inline pad device which would go between the power supply and the interface
Most problems with tube mics clipping when close-micing guitar amps are in the pre-pre-amp, so only the first set of solutions are helpful
