Owners Manual

8
Setting Up the Signal Level
In order to get a good signal, first be sure that the C5 is connected to a mixer or recorder input that is microphone level.
As explained in the previous section “Powering the C5”, be sure that the Phantom power is turned on. Most quality
mixers, mic pre’s and DAW’s provide microphone inputs with a mic trim (“trim” is jargon. the control is usually called Mic
Gain or Level) control. The purpose of the mic trim control is to set a good signal level and minimize any noise associated
with the mic inputs electronics. A good mic pre will also have a Clip or Peak LED to show you when the input is at
overload, the level which distortion begins to occur. To set a good clean level, set the C5 up in front of the desired sound
source and slowly turn up the mic trim until you see the Clip LED light up. Then, turn the trim control down until the
LED does not light any more. On most microphone inputs, the best setting is when the trim control is turned up as high
as possible without lighting the PEAK LED.
Microphone Placement
To help maximize the quality of your recording, you must pay careful attention to the placement of your C5, and
specifically, how it is positioned for the instrument or vocalist that you’re miking. As you become more experienced
in miking techniques, you’ll quickly realize the microphone placement is critical to getting the sound you want. Or
more information on typical miking, see the Application Notes section of this manual. But remember, these examples
are at best an approximation of where you should place the microphone to get the best sound. While placing the mic
around any instrument or sound source, monitor the signal through a set of good quality closed-back headphones
and take notice to how just a slight adjustment can make a huge change in frequency response. As you’re changing the
microphone’s position, be sure to check that the mic input is still set to a good level without clipping, as described in the
previous section.
Operating the C5