Levels Not Right on Sony Sound Forge - Advice?

Lisa Foster · **Voice Talent** Joined: 13 Sep 2006 Posts: 24

Hi all - hope you can help a tech-challenged talent here! I have a studio running WinXP Pro with a new Mbox2 audio interface, Sony Sound Forge 8 editing software and a Shure SM58 mic. I just upgraded the MBOX2 last night and reloaded all my software, but for some reason, I cannot get an increase on my mic gain to get the record level up on the Sony recording software. I am recording as high as I can, (gain is pretty maxed on the mbox) and still I have to "normalize" the recording to get it anywhere near audible. I am obviously missing some setting in the system - any ideas on what I need to do? (Step by step please, remember, I am a complete dummy!) Thanks so much for any help!
Lisa Foster

Keith D. Milby · **Voice Talent** Joined: 01 Feb 2007 Posts: 570

The only thing that comes to my mind is making sure you have the phantom power on. This is probably not the case though.

Brian Hart · **Voice Talent** Joined: 07 Jan 2006 Posts: 326

Keith D. Milby · **Voice Talent** Joined: 01 Feb 2007 Posts: 570

All I can say is, thankfully no one listens to me in the first place. Sorry for the crappy advice. Next time I will know better.

J.S. Gilbert · Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2007, 20:53 (GMT) Post subject: try these places

DigiFreq is Scott Garrigus site (He is a Sound Forge Guru)

http://www.digifreq.com/digifreq/tip.asp?ID=11

Gear Slutz has a Sound Forge Forum. These guys are major 10's on the geek richter scale.

http://gearslutz.com/board/showthread.php?t=66989

And when all elese fails go to the source

www.sonymediasoftware.com

Good Luck,

j.s.

Colin Campbell · Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2007, 21:13 (GMT) Post subject:

Just a long shot. Is the mic plugged into the MIC input via an XLR connector and not the LINE input (1/4 inch connector?)

Lisa Foster · **Voice Talent** Joined: 13 Sep 2006 Posts: 24

Thanks for the replies - I'll check out those links J.S. and see if I can sleuth out some answers to this little perplexer. And I do have an xlr connector, plugged in tight.

J.S. Gilbert · Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007, 20:08 (GMT) Post subject: maybe try this

Go into options, preferences and audio and then screw around with a few things. see if you get more than one MBOX device under default and see if you get any advanced options. try changing the input tracks for audio recording device

Also it is possible that the MBOX installed some sort of virtual mixer, which may have a button for input and may be overriding the physical knob on the MBOX

finally - you might need to find somewhere under MBox where "synchronization" is and set that to MBOX and not to PC (or perhaps vice a versa)

Maya Kuper · **Voice Seeker** Joined: 04 Oct 2006 Posts: 97

If you have the Mbox 2, instead of using Sound Forge, why not use Pro Tools? It comes with the Mbox 2. Even if you prefer Sound Forge, this could help troubleshoot. If you're getting levels in Pro Tools, you'll know it's a problem with the software, and if you're NOT getting levels in Pro Tools, you'll know it's a hardware problem.