Audio Recording Is Too Quiet

Steinberg Lounge
1

Hello everyone

I am having trouble recording audio with Cubase Artist 8, the signal coming in is far too quiet. I have tried to do a lot of reading and searching to resolve the issue, but I can’t seem to find a solution.

The two main things I am recording a baritone ukulele (piezo pickup) which is running through a L. R. Baggs para acoustic D.I. as a pre-amp, and vocals through a Shure Beta 57A microphone.

Both of these are running through a Lexicon Alpha USB Audio Interface, and I am using Cubase Arist 8 (64 bit). I have the VST Audio System set to Alpha ASIO and it picks up the input, it’s just really quiet. This is evident from the fact that the waveforms are really small, along with the fact that audio mixdowns are really quiet (even with the output fader maxed on the MixConsole).

I have tried making sure the Line In level and the Output level on the interface are right up, as well as cranking the gain on the D.I. that the ukulele runs through. I have even tried running the ukulele and microphone through an Alesis MultiMix 4 mixer to boost the signal before it goes to the interface. It still comes through really quiet.

The ukulele and D.I. normally comes through at a normal level through amps and PAs, and I would have thought the level of the microphone should be pretty normal.

So is it the interface? Or is it the settings in Cubase? Am I missing something really obvious?

I’ve used Cubase loads for producing music with VSTIs but I have very little experience recording audio, so apologies for my ignorance!

2

Are you using the para’s XLR output into lexicon XLR input?

When you turn up the gain do the clip lights flash?

3

Hey TEEF,

I was actually using the jack output from the para to the “instrument” jack input on the Lexicon. I then had the Beta 57A going straight to the Lexicon seperately.

However, I have just tried using the Alesis MultiMix 4 instead of the Lexicon. So running the ukulele through the D.I. and then to the mixer which is then connected via USB.

The audio signal is way more normal level. Even with the gain relatively low on both the D.I. and the mixer. I don’t know if this means the issue was coming from the Lexicon?