Advice on Vocal Signal Chain

Guys...after 5 years using a budget Behringer condenser mic I decided it was time to upgrade. After looking around I finally decided on a Rode K2 mic. It was delivered last week and I have been testing it out for a few days. I am still sussing things out but the very 1st thing I noticed was how 'weak' the signal from the K2 was. Please note that I am going from the Mic straight into me Edirol UA25 interface. I have the Gain/Sensitivity = 0 on the Edirol. If I turn up the gain on the Edirol my signal is stronger but a lot more noisy. So I went back to the shop and explained my situation and the guys tells me that I should be using at least a preamp after the mic and before going to my DAW. Why do I need a preamp...is it just a way to boost the signal without adding noise or unpleasentness (which is what happens when I turn up the Gain on the Edirol).

not sure which edirol unit you're talking about, but the general rule is: 'if it has a mic plug on it and has a gain knob, it is a preamp'. If you've upgraded from behringer to rode and you're getting more noise, you're pretty unlucky. Someone with experience on this mic might be able to tell you whether that's expected or whether you've got a dud. edit: just realised you said ua-25. you shouldn't need a preamp before this. A pre-amp will just amplify the signal. if the signal noisy, it will amplify the noise too.

Thanks for that mate. Actually the noise isn't too bad just going straight to the Edirol UA25. It only starts to be an issue when I boost the gain on the Edirol. If I hear you correctly, adding a dedicated pre-amp before the Edirol will not fix the issue (as it will boost noise also). The K2 mic is a valve condenser mic but is supposed to be very quiet. Any other K2 users out there who can set me straight? Also...for semi serious people who have a home studio (e.g someone with 6-7 years expierence)....do you use a preamp for vocal recording?

One other possibility - you may just have a noisy room. I know when I first got a decent condensor I thought it was unacceptably noisy, but then I realized the noise was my computer fan, the fridge in the kitchen, and cars in the street... I never noticed this stuff with a crappy mic, but even my very modest condensor can hear stuff that my ears can't. The other thing to bear in mind is that you don't necessarily need to be tracking at -6dB. If the noise floor is low and you're using 24 bit you shouldn't need to crank your ua-25 - just take what it gives you cleanly and boost it in Reaper. No shortage of clean gain in there.

Thanks again. I will A/B the Rode with the Behringer do diagnose where the noise is coming from. Actually I know my room is much noiser than ideal (air con, PC fan, general house noises) so will look into that also. As my rig gets more complex I am finding that when I add new gear it takes me a good few hours to get 'settled in'. Perhaps I just need to play with my settings and I will resolve the issue.