Very High SPL using UMIK-1 on MacBook M1 Pro

[elboogz]

Hi all,

I’ve a similar issue to a thread posted by @tobiasga a couple of years ago.

I have a UMIK-1 which in the past I’ve used to run REW on a 2012 MacBook Pro (2012), running macOS Catalina v10.15.7 with no issues. However, I’ve recently updated to a newer MacBook M1 Pro (2021) running MacOS Ventura v13.1 and find that I am getting very high SPL from the same mic in a silent room. The M1 is connected to my Denon 4800H via HDMI.

When I open the SPL meter in REW on the new MacBook Pro, with no audio playing, I get a reading of around 82 dB from the UMIK-1. Like tobiasga, I’m unable to take any reasonable room measurements, since I can’t set the volume on my receiver to 75dB.

I still have access to my old MacBook Pro, and when I open the SPL meter in REW, I’m getting a reading of around 43dB from the UMIK-1, which seems about right.

I even went ahead and purchased a USB C to Mini USB cable and adapter, thinking that maybe the hub I was using to connect the UMIK-1 to the newer Pro, was possibly affecting the SPL level in some way. However the UMIK-1 still gives me a reading of approximately 82dB.

I also reloaded REW but the issue still remains, and I couldn’t spot any differences between the 90-degree calibration files on both machines.

Can anyone help, as I’m now at a loss?

In case it helps, my UMIK-1 details are: Sens Factor =-0.669998dB, SERNO: 7080784

Thanks in advance, and much appreciated

 

[John Mulcahy]

Please post screenshots of your REW soundcard preferences, the calibration settings for the UMIK entry in the Cal files preferences (the one that is shown when clicking on the cog for the cal entry) and the Audio Midi Setup app entry for the UMIK.

 

[dotnet]

Did the gain settings in Audio Midi Setup get cranked up by any chance? On my M1 Mac mini (just like with the 2012 Mac mini before that) it looks like this by default:

With the sliders all the way to the right you’d be at +24dB.

 

[Audio_Guy_UofW]

Hi, for what it is worth, I sometimes have this problem with my Win 10 laptop and Umik-2 mic, and find unplugging the mic and plugging it back in usually resolves the issue...sometimes but not always with a REW relaunch.

Good luck

Mark

 

[elboogz]

Big thanks for all the help guys! Much appreciated. Back home tomorrow, so I’ll take some screenshots and apply the suggestions.

 

[elboogz]

Hi guys,

As suggested I first checked out the Audio Midi Setup on my M1, and found that the gain was indeed cranked all the way up by +24dB as @dotnet suggested.

After adjusting the sliders to 0dB I now have an SPL of around 46-47dB.

Just posting the below Soundcard Prefs and Calibration settings screenshots as a reference, but once again a huge thanks guys, and to you John as I can now get measuring!