Mic Preamplifier,

Level Meters

 Microphone level
 A mic-level or microphone-
  A line-level signal is approximately
level signal is the voltage
level that comes out of a
microphone when someone
speaks into it, typically just
a few ten-thousandths of a
volt. Of course, this voltage
varies in response to
changes in voice level and
and in the talker-to-
mic distance.  But the signal
is still quite small.  what the mic input will accept.
Line level
one volt, or about 1,000 times
greater than a mic-level signal.
Connecting a microphone to a line-
level input will result in almost no
sound at all because the mic signal
is so faint that the line input cannot
hear it.

Connecting a line-level source
(such as mixer output) to a mic-
level input will cause the sound to
be loud and distorted because the
line signal is much stronger than
Inputs and outputs on many
mixers are switchable for either
mic or line level operation.
 Mic Preamp

 A Microphone preamplifier is a device that prepares
the microphone signal to be processed by other
equipment
 Preamps are an essential part of any recording studio
setup
 The audio signal from mic is weak, preamp
translates it into a stronger "Line level" signal
 The word preamp can mean two things:
 a built-in preamplifier within any device
 a dedicated external device
Interface with Preamp

 Mic Preamp

 Any microphone benefits from a good preamp
- Condenser, Ribbon, or Dynamic
 Condenser Mic requires 48v phantom power to work,
a mic preamp provides it
 Most current audio interfaces come integrated with
mic preamps
 They all have pre-amplifier section simply as a matter
of necessity, not because they were to be a great
preamp in the first place
Dedicated Preamp

 Dedicated Preamp

 Dedicated External Mic preamps have certain
advantages over audio interface’s built-in preamps
 Better sound quality
 High quality external preamps are equipped with
more sophisticated circuitry that retains full
transparency even at their highest gain settings
 More gain
 The built-in preamps of an audio interface rarely offer
more than 60 dB gain. Ext. Preamps offer up to 70 dB
gain
Dedicated Preamp

 Dedicated Preamp

 Lower noise
 If you record very quiet sources and/or use low
output microphones (such as ribbon mics), you may
benefit from an external preamp.
 A special sound character
 Adding a special flavor of 60s style tube sound or the
smooth vintage sound of an 70s style transistor
device then using Ext. preamp will be ideal
 Additional features
 Phase reverse, low cut or pad switches
Tube Mic Preamp

 Preamps

 Using Mixers As Preamps
 MOST MIXERS HAVE DEDICATED MIC PREAMPS
 Plug your mics to a mixer, and then send audio to
your audio interface
 Most mixers have at least one or two dedicated mic
preamps with phantom power and XLR input
 Basic Types

 Preamps are offered in single-, dual-, or multi-
channel configurations:
 A  Single mic preamp will do for singer-songwriters
who want to keep a small set up, straight recordings
from a single mic.
 A two-channel (or "Dual")  preamp is  desirable for
stereo miking techniques
 A single-space rackmount unit with 8 preamps
used for multichannel recording with instruments
Level Meters

 Decibel (dB)

 The decibel (abbreviated dB) is the unit used to
measure the intensity of a sound.
 The decibel scale is a little odd because the human
ear is incredibly sensitive.
 Your ears can hear everything from your fingertip
brushing lightly over your skin to a loud jet engine.
In terms of power, the sound of the jet engine is
about 1,000,000,000,000 times more powerful than
the smallest audible sound. That's a big difference!
 
On the decibel scale, the smallest audible sound (near total silence) is 0
dB. A sound 10 times more powerful is 10 dB. A sound 100 times more
powerful than near total silence is 20 dB. A sound 1,000 times more
powerful than near total silence is 30 dB. Here are some common
sounds and their decibel ratings:
 Near total silence - 0 dB
 A whisper - 15 dB
 Normal conversation - 60 dB
 A lawnmower - 90 dB
 A car horn - 110 dB
 A rock concert or a jet engine - 120 dB
 A gunshot or firecracker - 140 dB
 Level Meters

 VU or Volume Units is a display in audio equipment
that represents the loudness of signal (Signal Level)
 Originally it is called Standard Volume Indicator
(SVI)
 The ASA standardized it in 1942 for use in telephone
installation and radio broadcast stations
 A VU meter responds in a fashion very similar to how
human ears perceive loudness
 The slow response of VU’s was optimized to match
the ear’s perception of Loudness

 Level Meters

 The original VU meter is a basic volt meter that takes
simple average of the signal in about 300ms (milli
sec)
 It displays volume of sound fairly accurately using a
Decibel scale - dBu
 It is carefully ballistics controlled (speed controlled)
to conform to specific ANSI standards
 In VU Ref power is : +4dBu sine wave = 0 VU
 Most modern equipment with VU meters include LED
indicators as a supplementary peak display

LED Indicators

DAW dBFS
