FettHead or Cloudlifter for my setup

[sillybunny]

I have a Motu audio express and a re20 electro voice microphone.
Obviously when I record I have to turn it up too loud and the equipment makes background hissing on the recording.

So I need to convert my preamp into decibles.

I really don't want to spend the extra money on a cloud lifter and extra cord. Will the FettHead boost my decibles enough so I don't have to turn up my gain to the point where there's hissing in the background?

Now I'm just using noise cancel on audacity to edit it out. Does that make the audio sound a little worse?

Any Free or cheap audacity alternatives? I heard that audacity doesn't record in true 24 bit.

Also Should I be using the fetthead on my shure sm 58 or just the preamp alone?

[Wonks]

Are you using the RE20 for vocals? If not, for what? And what interface are you using?

[Mike Stranks]

You could check-out THIS

Getting some good reviews and cheaper than both the FetHead and Cloudlifter.

Another approach might be to consider upgrading your audio interface - particularly if you're getting lots of hiss. Using noise-reduction in Audacity is a solution but very far from ideal. It could well be introducing artefacts - can you hear any?

[sillybunny]

I'm using it for rap and for talking/podcasting.
The interface is the Motu Audio Express xlr .

[sillybunny]

I couldn't possibly upgrade my interface i spent 400-500 for this one.
thx for the item recommendation.
I heard the cloudlifter is 5db louder than the fethead do I need that?

If I turn it down the hissing is gone.
Theirs no artifacts in audacity but i bet its not ideal

[permanent_daylight]

If the source is quiet then i'm sure either would help.
Looking at the specs, the fethead is 2db louder though? And its cheaper....
But i have one for a ribbon mic, and it does the job on a ribbon mic around the same sensitivity levels. though i'm sure others can chime in about advantages of the cloudlifter. And what about the previous ebay suggestion that's even cheaper...I'm sure either wil get rid of the majority, but which is better?-probably a hair between them, but there might be slight tonal differences, even though their objective is to be transparent....

[Dynamic Mike]

http://ronansrecordingshow.com/2012/04/triton-audio-fethead-vs-cloud-microphones-cloudlifter-cl-1/

Does this help?

[Mixedup]

What are you recording? Have you tried moving the RE20 closer to the sound? There's no proximity bass boost with this mic so you can do that. Are you running the MOTU off bus power? If so try using the external PSU. After that lot my first thought would be to use a different mic before looking at Cloudlifters and the like.

[Tomás Mulcahy]

Any Free or cheap audacity alternatives? I heard that audacity doesn't record in true 24 bit.

Reaper is the best low cost DAW out there, easily as good as Pro Tools or Logic, better in many cases.

[ConcertinaChap]

I heard that audacity doesn't record in true 24 bit.

My copy of Audacity offers me a choice of 16-bit, 24-bit or 32-bit float ...

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