Grem Posted October 17, 2021 Share Posted October 17, 2021 I have someone who is trying to record vocals with this combo Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 and Rodes NT1 (into a Mac with Logic). They keep getting muffled vocals, like someone has a lite weight blanket draped over the mic. I haven't never used any of these products. I am just seeking anyone's experience with a Scallet or a Rodes mic if there are any little quirks that I don't know of. Checked the specs of both the Scarlett and the mic to see if there is a mismatch, but I am not seeing anything that would help me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msmcleod Posted October 18, 2021 Share Posted October 18, 2021 Are they singing into the back of the mic? Note the upright position of the mic below, and in particular where the gold dot is. That is the side you should be singing into. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Byron Dickens Posted October 18, 2021 Share Posted October 18, 2021 I have a Focusrite 18i20 and a Rode NT1A and everything is clear as can be. If anything, there might be a bit of edge on the high end. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bitflipper Posted October 18, 2021 Share Posted October 18, 2021 I have an NT1-A, too. It's actually a fairly bright mic. But back when I first got it (it was my first condenser) I did in fact accidentally record into the back side of it more than once because looking at it, it isn't obvious which side's which. So I got into the habit of singing into one side and then the other as a test, to make sure I had it the right way around. Another thing about the NT1-A is that it has a strong proximity effect and it's easy to overload it with plosives. It's a mic that likes to keep its distance, so you'll probably get better results by simply backing away from the mic a bit. Assuming, of course, that your room sounds OK and you have a little acoustical absorption in place. If the room sounds bad, standing further from the mic won't be an option. I, too, use a Focusrite interface. Not the same one you have (it's the Firewire version of Byron's 18i20) but with the same type preamps. They're pretty transparent and work well with the NT1-A. Their only limitation is they lack sufficient gain to do well with ribbons, but condensers like the Rode put out plenty of signal. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msmcleod Posted October 18, 2021 Share Posted October 18, 2021 Another thing it could be.... the 2i2 is USB powered, and the NT-1 requires +48V phantom power. Is it possible the Mac just isn't giving it enough power through its USB ports? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bitflipper Posted October 20, 2021 Share Posted October 20, 2021 Good point. I had to check its specs because I couldn't believe such a relatively expensive (for a 2-input interface) device didn't include a jack for an external power source. It doesn't. You can also run into issues with inadequate current if you use a USB breakout box. For example, my keyboard has two very handy USB ports built into it. But I cannot plug in a second device if either my external backup drive or a DVD are already plugged in. Not enough current. There are also some mics that require quite a lot of current to operate correctly (e.g. Earthworks) that simply wouldn't be compatible with a USB-powered interface. I'm a fan of Focusrite, but I would not want this one. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacques Boileau Posted October 20, 2021 Share Posted October 20, 2021 On 10/17/2021 at 3:19 PM, Grem said: I have someone who is trying to record vocals with this combo Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 and Rodes NT1 (into a Mac with Logic). They keep getting muffled vocals, like someone has a lite weight blanket draped over the mic. I haven't never used any of these products. I am just seeking anyone's experience with a Scallet or a Rodes mic if there are any little quirks that I don't know of. Checked the specs of both the Scarlett and the mic to see if there is a mismatch, but I am not seeing anything that would help me. Hum, I may not be of much help, but in any case: I have a Rodes NT1 and a Scarlett 2i4, and they work well together. I have a PC running Windows. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grem Posted October 21, 2021 Author Share Posted October 21, 2021 (edited) @msmcleodnever thought about singing into the wrong side. Thanks for that info. I just took it that it would be obvious, but with bitflippers story... got me wondering for sure. @bitflipper Also excellent point about the USB power not being sufficient. I checked to make sure it was (and it is) USB 2.0 compliant, but didn't think about the power required by the mic. That is a point to check into. Again, I took it for granted that it would supply the needed power. I thank everyone for the responses. This person I am helping has health issues that would not be good if they caught Covid. So I cannot go there and look at the situation, we are doing it over text and cell phone. Again, I greatly appreciate all the input from everyone. It all helps. I will update when I get more info. Edited October 21, 2021 by Grem 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msmcleod Posted October 21, 2021 Share Posted October 21, 2021 If it is the USB power that is the issue, then something like this might help... I'm not necessarily recommending this particular brand (it's the cheapest I could find), but it'll at least provide separate power the mic:https://www.amazon.com/Depusheng-Condenser-Microphone-Recording-Equipment/dp/B07JR7JP9Z 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grem Posted October 21, 2021 Author Share Posted October 21, 2021 (edited) @msmcleod wow!! Didn't know they made cheap power supplies for mics!! Thanks. Good to know that if power is the issue there is a viable alternative. Edited October 21, 2021 by Grem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grem Posted November 17, 2021 Author Share Posted November 17, 2021 Update: I have the Rode NT 1 in my studio and have hooked it up to my UA Apollo. And I can confidently rule out it's not the mic. In fact I may end up getting one of these if I come across a good deal. Next question I have is to the Scarlett users. I also have the Scarlett AI in my studio. I want to try it out and make sure it's not having any issues. What I want to know is do I need to register this AI before I can use it? Or can I just install the drivers and test it out that way? Also, if there are any Mac users that also have a Scarlett, how do you hook the Scarlett to the Mac? This person has an adapter of some sort that allows them to plug the USB Scarlett into the Mac. (Mac's don't have USB?) I am starting to think this adapter is the problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
telecode 101 Posted December 24, 2021 Share Posted December 24, 2021 I use Focusrite Scarlett 8i6. I really like it. FWIW.. if you can afford a Clarett, get that one. It's much better for vocals and acoustic guitars. The pre-amps are night and day difference. But I switched for the Scarlett as I don't really do vocals or acoustic recording much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grem Posted March 14, 2022 Author Share Posted March 14, 2022 Update: It ended up being a USB hub that she was using. I got her to get a good UBS cable that would then go directly into the Mac, and not use the hub. Works like a charm! Thanks for all the help. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starship Krupa Posted March 14, 2022 Share Posted March 14, 2022 19 hours ago, Grem said: It ended up being a USB hub that she was using. Good shootin'. I'd guess it wasn't supplying enough juice for the 2i2 to provide proper phantom power to the mic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grem Posted March 15, 2022 Author Share Posted March 15, 2022 3 hours ago, Starship Krupa said: Good shootin'. I'd guess it wasn't supplying enough juice for the 2i2 to provide proper phantom power to the mic. That's what I was thinking too. When Bit and Marc said something about not enough power may cause the problem, and I found out (much later) that she was using a USB hub that she had laying around.... So I got her to get a good USB to TB cord and bypass that hub and she is happy now!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starship Krupa Posted April 19, 2022 Share Posted April 19, 2022 On 11/17/2021 at 10:36 AM, Grem said: Next question I have is to the Scarlett users. I also have the Scarlett AI in my studio. I want to try it out and make sure it's not having any issues. What I want to know is do I need to register this AI before I can use it? Or can I just install the drivers and test it out that way? Also, if there are any Mac users that also have a Scarlett, how do you hook the Scarlett to the Mac? This person has an adapter of some sort that allows them to plug the USB Scarlett into the Mac. (Mac's don't have USB?) I know you already sorted this, but for the sake of lurkers, no, you shouldn't need to register any audio interface before using it. Download whatever drivers from their website and go. And Macs do have USB, so that Scarlett could be plugged straight into her computer, which is the way I would do it. Since the 2i2 is "class compliant," you can plug it into either a Windows or a Mac system and it will work without special drivers, but of course you always want to use Focusrite's ASIO for production work. I always plug audio interfaces straight into the computer if at all possible, and if at all possible, not even have them share the internal bus. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grem Posted April 19, 2022 Author Share Posted April 19, 2022 (edited) 3 hours ago, Starship Krupa said: I know you already sorted this, but for the sake of lurkers, no, you shouldn't need to register any audio interface before using it. Yes, Starship, I should have stated this (as I found out) that it's exactly like you say. D/L drivers from the Focusrite website (no registration required), install and use. 3 hours ago, Starship Krupa said: I always plug audio interfaces straight into the computer if at all possible, and if at all possible This was the solution. Using a good cable, not some USB cable out of the junk drawer. Edited April 19, 2022 by Grem 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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