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Preamp question


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Hi, I am using a shure sm58 microphone with an akai E2 headrush loop pedal and the volume is very low. I've been doing some research but I can't seem to make up what kind of preamp I should get.

The impedance on the mic is low and the one on the pedal is high I think that's what's causing the biggest problem. But should I get a pream to change the mic impedance, to balance the signal before entering PA (the AKAI only has 1/4 connections even for the mic) or should I get one that simply boosts the volume up?

 

I'm very confused please help me.

 

Thank you :)

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The impedance has nothing to do with your peoblem, it's a level issue. If you know how low you are (or how much more you need), you might be able to determine one of two ways to solve this. How are you getting into the 1/4" input currently? If you are only a little low, an impedance conversion transformer will also shift the level (yes, I know I said it's not an impedance problem, which it isn't, but you can use the impedance ratio difference to step up the level as it's a potentially useful byproduct of the process). If the level difference is large, you will need a preamp to do this.

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agedhorse wrote:

 

 

--snip--

 

If you are only a little low, an impedance conversion transformer will also shift the level (yes, I know I said it's not an impedance problem, which it isn't, but you can use the impedance ratio difference to step up the level as it's a potentially useful byproduct of the process). If the level difference is large, you will need a preamp to do this.

 

So this is essentially a corollary to my thread regarding impedance matching for passive vs. active guitar pickups?  Basically putting a high input Z device downstream of a low-signal strength source will increase the strength of the signal.  Correct?  I still can't say that makes any intuitive sense to me but I do accept it.

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To answer the OP's question, it sounds like a mic preamp is needed to boost the level before it hits that looper pedal. If that pedal is AC-powered and you're running a power line anyway, then you could try something compact and AC-powered like the Rolls MP13 (around $72 USD). There are other compact mono mic preamps available that run on battery power, but the good ones tend to be expensive, designed for the video/ENG crowd like the Sound Devices MP-1.

If you want to add more effects, you could get one of the TC Voice Live series of pedals that have mic preamps ahead of the FX. Then you could send the output of that processor pedal to your looper.

 

 

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