RadioFeed Microphone or line input?

[HappilyRetired]

I am finally ready to put my four feeds on the air. One thing I've noticed is that if I try to use the line level it's a little bit too low on the audio. If I use the microphone and put it brings it up considerably but then I get hum and what sounds like the computer inside the 996 P2 clock running. It's rhythmic with a regular interval of tick tick tick tick tick tick tick. I have heard this on many online scanners here. Or hum. I actually try to avoid those feeds because it gets annoying after a while of hearing the constant hum or the tick. I don't want to be that type of feed. I want crystal clear audio. I bought a M-Audio 1010 LT sound card that I put into an old Dell PC. That gives me four feeds plus the XLR inputs if I want to run a fifth.

So how do I want to do this? Line level or mic level? I know that I can use an external mixer and line level and then bring the audio out but that would limit me to two channels. I have an 8 channel Behringer mixer and I have experimented and noticed that I can use the send/return because this audio mixer has a preamp at the front end. It seems as if line level has the least amount of noise. It seems like a lot just to get for feeds online.

My ham radio Elmer told me I should use an external power supply and wire all the power cords to the power supply and that way I could avoid the hum. This was actually pretty easy. I was able to buy 5.5 mm plugs that has eight wires on it plus the input side that I attach to the power supply.

What do you experts have to offer as advice on as far as getting clean audio? I'm most concerned with the tick tick tick coming in and keeping the feed live all the time with hiss and static and tick tick tick.8

 

[Deziel0495]

A ground loop isolator will likely solve both the hum and the tick and can be found on amazon for around $10. You would need one for each feed as they just go in-line with the 3.5mm audio cable.

 

[HappilyRetired]

But what of the question as to whether to use line level or microphone level?

 

[iMONITOR]

But what of the question as to whether to use line level or microphone level?

Line Input

 

[littona]

And if your line level audio is low, make sure you check the "microphone" levels in Windows.

 

[ProScan]

In addition to the ground loop isolator suggested before.

If using the Line In input then set the Win Mixer level to 100%.
If using the Mic Input then set the Win Mixer Mic level to about 10 - 20%. {EDIT} Ensure the Win Mixer Mic Enhancements are not on.

Adjust the scanner volume to the point of clipping then back off a bit. Scanner knob should be about 40%. If the volume is still low then perhaps a cable problem. Cable should be a stereo cable both ends.

If you really want crystal clear audio, the BCD536HP and SDS200 Ethernet audio offers the best audio as it doesn't have the problems associated with copper and analog interfaces.