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Gain / Volume Issues

Posted: Wed Dec 28, 2016 12:32 pm
by armandorosario
So I have a the iTwo package setup with only what came in the kit (iTwo box, M7 Mic, and HD7 headphones), but have some major issues with the Gain/Volume.

With the mic, if I put the gain on anything lower than the second-to-last notch, even with having the mic practically IN my mouth, vocals are INCREDIBLY low. The problem is anything ABOVE that notch is so sensitive it picks up every noise outside my room, and worst... my breathing (I don't believe I'm a heavy breather either). I primarily use the setup for conference calls (yeah, over kill I know) and screen recordings with talk tracks.

With the volume on the headphone port, if I'm just listening to audio from the computer then I have to turn the knob almost completely down, else its painfully loud. But with playback from conference calls I have to turn it to at least half-way.

I have checked the input/output levels options in the Sounds panel of OS X (10.12.2 if it matters), on 3 different macs ( 1x 3-year old Macbook Pro, 1x brand new 2016 Macbook Pro touchbar, and 1x 12" Macbook), all three going through a USB hub and without. Picture of my box attached.

Image


Any thoughts one what could be wrong/corrected?

Re: Gain / Volume Issues

Posted: Wed Dec 28, 2016 1:10 pm
by klypeman
By the looks of the pic it seems that you have the gain knob on input 1 way high, one-third is normally the sweetspot on gaining condenser mics with 48v phantom power. That can explain you hearing your breath too. And proximity to the mic.

Re: Gain / Volume Issues

Posted: Wed Dec 28, 2016 1:32 pm
by SwitchBack
When that mic picks up your breathing and noise from the next room then there's plenty gain. Are you using that mic correctly? Most large-diaphragm mics are side address... :reading:

Re: Gain / Volume Issues

Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2017 3:07 pm
by victorbazarov
Armando,

Just to let you know, your situation is not unique. I was struggling with the same trouble on my iOne (my post about it is here). It's not you or your microphone. I got a different interface (from another manufacturer), and no more gain problems.

When I communicated with Presonus tech support about this gain behavior of iOne, they told me it was designed that way. I wish I knew that before buying it...

Re: Gain / Volume Issues

Posted: Wed Jun 14, 2017 1:56 pm
by nathanvandermolen
Hi, I'm having the exact same issue. When recording guitar directly into the input, the gain knob works as intended and is plenty loud enough at half way. But when using my mics (I have both the M7 and a dynamic), I have to crank the gain nearly to max just to get a strong enough signal, and even then it's too quiet in playback.

So what victor is saying is that I either have to live with it or buy a whole new interface? Is there really no other solution?

Edit: Using iTwo into Studio One 3 Artist on Windows 10 64 bit, if that helps.

Re: Gain / Volume Issues

Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2017 7:22 am
by isuruw
Exact same issue. I changed 3 microphones and still the problem exists. Very low levels until the knob is turned beyond the last 2 notches and all of a sudden it is easy too much. I tried Audio Technica AT2020, AT2050 And Senheiser MK4. Same with line inputs.

So after reading this thread it seems it's the device's fault?

Re: Gain / Volume Issues

Posted: Tue Jul 11, 2017 10:12 am
by Aph
I wrote this in another post in Oct of 2015:

"Yes, of course. I complained a few months ago.
That's how it is.
I assume the taper of the potentiometer they use doesn't really match with the design of their preamp."

I don't believe this is "by Design" or "that's the way we made it". I think the factory put in the wrong taper control and Presonus does not want to admit it.

Re: Gain / Volume Issues

Posted: Wed Oct 11, 2017 11:56 am
by paulvillarreal
Hi. So I'm having similar issue. Gain knob about 2 notches less than max. I didn't think much of it before. Just went about my business, but now, weirdly, all of a sudden the sensitivity jumped way up! I had my sound dialed in for recording and don't want to mess with the settings mid project if I don't have to.

Anyone know why this sudden change might've happened? I didn't touch anything physically.

Only other variable I can think of is that yesterday I did open up studio One without being connected to iTwo Audiobox, and listened to some bits through laptop speakers.

I've restarted everything a couple times. I'm using windows 10.

Hope someone has some suggestions.

Thanks.

Re: Gain / Volume Issues

Posted: Tue Oct 24, 2017 1:15 pm
by amadeumagalhaes
Same with ione too, but it only happens with dynamic mics, condenser ones just get hot sooner.

Re: Gain / Volume Issues

Posted: Wed Nov 01, 2017 6:38 am
by brianjones29
Same issue here with my iTwo. I even sent the first one back thinking it was defective. All dynamic mics I use, including my Shure headset, don't get a sufficient level until the last two notches and the last notch clips, so there really is only ONE usable notch on this for most mics. I have not tried any condenser mics yet, but this is unacceptable.

Re: Gain / Volume Issues

Posted: Sun Dec 17, 2017 10:06 pm
by amadeumagalhaes
Sent my iOne back and almost two months later they sent me another...
...exactly same problem!

Re: Gain / Volume Issues

Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2018 3:06 am
by annazappia
YESSSSS I never realised so many people have the same problem. I wish I knew this. Have you fixed this issue or have u gotten a different audio interface.

Re: Gain / Volume Issues

Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2018 10:45 am
by jonathannegus
Good morning and thanks for the forum. I'm using audiobox itwo with iPad pro. My problem now is when using guitar with GarageBand amp feature the signal is very noisy... After each note /chord there is a post note "echo" of static / distortion. If I adjust the clipping slider on the garageband track it sounds to... Clipped...

Thanks

J

Re: Gain / Volume Issues

Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2018 8:16 am
by ljubomirgorscak
+1 on this issue. I bought an iOne yesterday to do laptop recording when I travel (or use my car as a vocal booth LOL). I'm using an ATM650 which is like a 57 but the output is strong for a dynamic mic. Gain seems low most of the way and then suddenly jumps at the last few notches. It's too bad because I'm either too low or too high and can't fine-tune a sweet spot. I did some recordings with the gain a bit low and the sound quality was very good, so I'll likely keep it. Price, integration with Studio One and all the driver/firmware processes seem solid. Only complaint is this issue. At least I know I'm not the only one.

Re: Gain / Volume Issues

Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2018 9:49 am
by basmeijer
Usually with design and/or manufacturing flaws a company will try to arrange a
call-back of the affected products.

I also have an Audiobox iTwo in use which I just used like a few times and realized this problem after a while, as described above in other posts.
There is definitely something wrong with the linearity of the preamp gain and I presume the 1-2 pots need replacement or another modification in the preamp design (like a change of a resistor value), depending on the design with I do not know, is needed.
I am an electronics engineer and designed preamps myself.

I am planning to open, invesigate and modify the unit if nothing will happen from the side of Presonus or the dealer.

Presonus represatative, you are welcome to chime in and instruct how to proceed.

Re: Gain / Volume Issues

Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2018 12:12 am
by benoitpeeters
Absolutely INCREDIBLE that after alllllll those complain along the years Presonus didn't even take a reasonable position!

I got the same problem too with a iTwo and Rode Nt2-A microphone... but worse, I got a Beyerdynamics DT770 250 ohm Headfone and to use it with the presonus, I had to buy a External headphone amplifier!!!!

What a crap this Audio interface!.... I surely post a youtube video about it shortly and I will put the link here, so, anyone that got that complain will be able to react worldwide.

That was my first Presonus hardware, and It will be the last! Focusrite all along now!

Re: Gain / Volume Issues

Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2020 8:43 pm
by charlesliving
I was having same problem as others descibed..... it was doing my head in. I then discovered that the sample rate of Universal controller was set to 44K and DAW was at 48K. Changed sample rate in UC app and gain is beghaving nicely now. Hope this helps with others.

Re: Gain / Volume Issues

Posted: Fri Mar 06, 2020 3:38 pm
by basmeijer
Are you sure your findings have to do with this product, @charlesliving, or you need to recheck them?
Even if you connect the AudioBox iTwo to a USB power supply, so completely running it stand alone, and obviously turn the Mix pot to Inputs, it is very noticeable that this issue is analog and not digitally related.

On the last bit of pot taper, just before the pot is totally to the right and thus completely 0 Ohms beyond that point till the mechanical end, there is a big, I would say around 10 dB jump in gain.

Completely undesirably and an obvious design flaw that most likely PreSonus does not want to know about towards the owners, as you would think they would have mentioned something here at this point in time.

Anyway, because you mentioned it and the warranty was already overdue I decided to open up the unit to see if an eventual pot replacement or so would be among the options.
But there is nothing to find on the pot, and I had a good look on the web at the site of Mouser / DigiKey and some other electronic suppliers.
Nothing to be found that bears the name DELTA and Q153; as the type.
Not sure what Q suppose to be anyway. I know about A (logaritmic/audio) and B (linear) types and I know some more types are out there but a Q-type I have never heard about.
The other pots in the front panel say A or B depending on their function so that is clear.

Also regarding the preamp design it is not very clear to me what the logical choice of pot would be and I totally do not feel interested to reverse-engineer such a cheap and mediocre performing device.
Interesting to see that the good old cheapa$$ TL084 is still used in an audio device that I presumed to be of a higher pro audio class than I regard it to be right now. Obviously matching the entry-level quality (of which PreSonus on second thoughts might better stay away from).
Anyway case closed, no lawsuit, so everybody at PreSonus does not have to fear something from me.

But still no really nice preamp for mobile field recordings on an iPad, the purpose that I bought it for. This was pretty revolutionary at the time some years ago but in the meantime a bunch of brands offer devices that can also be used with a USB battery brick and iOS so I go somewhere else soon for something new (and less noissssssssy!)...

Pictures, because they do not want to be inserted normally:
https://ibb.co/WWGFcvD
https://ibb.co/Tt5mQyL
https://ibb.co/tXG5vdk

Re: Gain / Volume Issues

Posted: Wed May 27, 2020 12:23 pm
by alanhelzer
Just checking in here to say that I made the mistake of buying this before doing my due diligence of researching the Audiobox iTwo and it's issues. I'm having the exact same issue of having my gain 2 or 3 clicks down from max to get any decent recording levels. Using a AT2020 and a Win 10 PC. Unless a magical fix has been found I'm going to be returning this right away and staying away from PreSonus.

Re: Gain / Volume Issues

Posted: Wed May 27, 2020 3:44 pm
by basmeijer
The equipment in the “higher” market, referring to the big mixing consoles and almost any 19” equipment has always been prettty decent, but from this lowend product range I would never ever buy any PreSonus piece of junk from again.
It surprised me to find out that this brand could produce such low quality gear and still make you think reviewing its specs that this is a proper piece of audio equipment.

Now we all know better and shame on you PreSonus - also for not chiming in here (as you always did in the past with serious issues)!