Uh, "full blast" gain is why you are hearing an ant pee on cotton. Turn the mic's gain DOWN, bring up the record level.
It's a balancing act called "gain structure".

OP here, if I increase the sound input on my Windows machine, a white noise is created which is why I have it down. So is there any other solution here?

Think about it a second. If you have the gain on the mic all the way up, you are picking up WAY more background than you need. You are telling the Shure's tiny A/D converter to GREATLY BOOST everything it picks up...and that includes background noise present in the microphone's pickup patterns...whatever your mic's is. How much that will actually handle without introducing digital distortion..I don't know.

If your onboard sound is making noise (we'll assume you have this USB-software directed to the computer's inferior and noisy onboard sound)...then you should look into getting a proper interface. Which...will render that Shure thing useless...though you could still likely run it through the computer to the interface.

How IS it connected, by the way? We know you have a mic, and that Shure thingy...plugged into a USB port. We know you have the headphones.

What are the phones plugged into, for monitoring? Do they plug into that Shure, or do you have them plugged into the computer audio out?

Anyway, if you have to turn down a software input that far, you are pumping way too much level in. Not only are you telling the mic to pick up way more background than you need, you are likely introducing the real possibility of channel input distortion or digital distortion (in the Shure A/D).

Recheck all your software assignments, and make sure you have that USB directed to act as line-level input, and not a Mic-level one. If your sound card makes noise...it makes noise. That's what internal built-in computer sound devices do best. They were installed as cheaply as possible to just pass sound...quality is not factored in.

BTW...does your onboard sound still make all that noise without this plugged in? Have you checked that?

I bet if you had a better interface, and still ran that through the computer assigned to a better interface, it would even sound better.

Shure makes good professional products...and they also make handy consumer problem-solvers. You got the latter. You can't really expect pro-level results from a "handy-gadget". But, you can expect worse quality by not properly gain-staging things, or having them assigned to improper level software inputs.

Kapt.Krunch

Unregistered, post: 383733 wrote: Think about it a second. If you have the gain on the mic all the way up, you are picking up WAY more background than you need. You are telling the Shure's tiny A/D converter to GREATLY BOOST everything it picks up...and that includes background noise present in the microphone's pickup patterns...whatever your mic's is. How much that will actually handle without introducing digital distortion..I don't know.

If your onboard sound is making noise (we'll assume you have this USB-software directed to the computer's inferior and noisy onboard sound)...then you should look into getting a proper interface. Which...will render that Shure thing useless...though you could still likely run it through the computer to the interface.

How IS it connected, by the way? We know you have a mic, and that Shure thingy...plugged into a USB port. We know you have the headphones.

What are the phones plugged into, for monitoring? Do they plug into that Shure, or do you have them plugged into the computer audio out?

Anyway, if you have to turn down a software input that far, you are pumping way too much level in. Not only are you telling the mic to pick up way more background than you need, you are likely introducing the real possibility of channel input distortion or digital distortion (in the Shure A/D).

Recheck all your software assignments, and make sure you have that USB directed to act as line-level input, and not a Mic-level one. If your sound card makes noise...it makes noise. That's what internal built-in computer sound devices do best. They were installed as cheaply as possible to just pass sound...quality is not factored in.

BTW...does your onboard sound still make all that noise without this plugged in? Have you checked that?

I bet if you had a better interface, and still ran that through the computer assigned to a better interface, it would even sound better.

Shure makes good professional products...and they also make handy consumer problem-solvers. You got the latter. You can't really expect pro-level results from a "handy-gadget". But, you can expect worse quality by not properly gain-staging things, or having them assigned to improper level software inputs.

Kapt.Krunch

The headset is plugged into the Sure X2U for monitoring. The amp is plugged into a USB 3.0 port on the case.

"USB directed to act as line-level input, and not a Mic-level one" How in the world do I do that?

Yes it still makes the sound with the device not plugged in.

What better interface do you recommend?

OK. Do a couple of things, maybe. Apparently that will just go ahead and install as a "Sound recording" and Sound playback" device. So, disregard the "Mic/Line" thing I stated.

Here's a couple of things.

You monitor through the Shure. That's OK.

From the (scant) manual:

"Monitoring While Recording
The headphone jack provides direct monitoring of the microphone
signal while recording, without any of the delay
that occurs if you were to monitor this signal through the
Warning: Turn the VOLUME control down before plugging
in headphones.
You can also monitor previously recorded tracks while recording
a new track. Adjust the MONITOR thumb slider to
balance levels from pre-recorded and live audio.
Note: Be sure to turn off monitoring in your software for
the track to which you are recording."

Check that last "Note". Make sure you are doing that.

As far as your Windows settings, you may want to go in and play around with the levels in those, as you are also adjusting the levels on the Shure.

Go to "Start>Settings>Control Panel". Choose "Sounds and Audio". Choose the "Audio" tab. Make sure your Shure is chosen for both Playback and Recording. Hit the "Volume" under "Sound Playback". This will open up your Windows Volume Control Panel.

Go to "Options", and then "Properties". Uncheck ANYTHING that you are not using. There is no reason to have them active, and possibly passing noise, and it will slim down your Volume Control choices. Do that in both "Playback" and "Recording" sections.

Now, start adjusting levels back and forth in there, and with your Shure. See if you can reduce a lot of that noise.

Then, report back.

Just something to try.

Kapt.Krunch

Unregistered, post: 383800 wrote: OK. Do a couple of things, maybe. Apparently that will just go ahead and install as a "Sound recording" and Sound playback" device. So, disregard the "Mic/Line" thing I stated.

Here's a couple of things.

You monitor through the Shure. That's OK.

From the (scant) manual:

"Monitoring While Recording
The headphone jack provides direct monitoring of the microphone
signal while recording, without any of the delay
that occurs if you were to monitor this signal through the
Warning: Turn the VOLUME control down before plugging
in headphones.
You can also monitor previously recorded tracks while recording
a new track. Adjust the MONITOR thumb slider to
balance levels from pre-recorded and live audio.
Note: Be sure to turn off monitoring in your software for
the track to which you are recording."

Check that last "Note". Make sure you are doing that.

As far as your Windows settings, you may want to go in and play around with the levels in those, as you are also adjusting the levels on the Shure.

Go to "Start>Settings>Control Panel". Choose "Sounds and Audio". Choose the "Audio" tab. Make sure your Shure is chosen for both Playback and Recording. Hit the "Volume" under "Sound Playback". This will open up your Windows Volume Control Panel.

Go to "Options", and then "Properties". Uncheck ANYTHING that you are not using. There is no reason to have them active, and possibly passing noise, and it will slim down your Volume Control choices. Do that in both "Playback" and "Recording" sections.

Now, start adjusting levels back and forth in there, and with your Shure. See if you can reduce a lot of that noise.

Then, report back.

Just something to try.

Kapt.Krunch

I tried all of that and still get a white noise while recording...everything is unchecked and all that jazz. Kind of annoying at this point <,<

Trust me, it's all operator error. You have no actual reference from which to be starting with. My first recommendation would be to insert a well known, commercially released, hit making CD into your computer. Rip that CD to ".wav " file format. Import that track into your software and play it back through your headphones. Adjust the level for a good listening level. Without changing your listening level, enable your software for recording and listen to your microphone. The microphone plugged into your SHURE mixer should not be set to line level but to microphone level. You'll then find things working better and sounding better. Your problems are because you didn't start with any actual reference.

There may also be an issue with the Operating System mixer? If you are utilizing the Windows based mixer, you don't quite understand its actual operation. When you bring that mixer up, that is merely the monitoring section. Utilizing the file drop-down menu, you'll be able to select the recording side of the mixer. And that mixer is multifunctional. So you can actually have both the monitoring playback side mixer opened and the recording side levels & selecter opened, simultaneously side-by-side. This is where I believe you're actually having your problem. Understanding the Windows mixer can be slightly confusing. That's where you want to select line input and mute microphone input. Not on the SHURE which should be line level output. What you are having problems with is getting your " gain staging " backwards which will result in what you are hearing wrong. Like I said, it's simple operator error. You'll get it working right if you have understood what I've been saying. There is nothing inherently wrong with your equipment but only the usage thereof.

There was a young man with a mixer who couldn't understand how to fix her. He said with a grin while wiping his chin if my SHURE was a Kleenex, I could've blown my nose.
Mx. Remy Ann David

RemyRAD, post: 383879 wrote: Trust me, it's all operator error. You have no actual reference from which to be starting with. My first recommendation would be to insert a well known, commercially released, hit making CD into your computer. Rip that CD to ".wav " file format. Import that track into your software and play it back through your headphones. Adjust the level for a good listening level. Without changing your listening level, enable your software for recording and listen to your microphone. The microphone plugged into your SHURE mixer should not be set to line level but to microphone level. You'll then find things working better and sounding better. Your problems are because you didn't start with any actual reference.

There may also be an issue with the Operating System mixer? If you are utilizing the Windows based mixer, you don't quite understand its actual operation. When you bring that mixer up, that is merely the monitoring section. Utilizing the file drop-down menu, you'll be able to select the recording side of the mixer. And that mixer is multifunctional. So you can actually have both the monitoring playback side mixer opened and the recording side levels & selecter opened, simultaneously side-by-side. This is where I believe you're actually having your problem. Understanding the Windows mixer can be slightly confusing. That's where you want to select line input and mute microphone input. Not on the SHURE which should be line level output. What you are having problems with is getting your " gain staging " backwards which will result in what you are hearing wrong. Like I said, it's simple operator error. You'll get it working right if you have understood what I've been saying. There is nothing inherently wrong with your equipment but only the usage thereof.

There was a young man with a mixer who couldn't understand how to fix her. He said with a grin while wiping his chin if my SHURE was a Kleenex, I could've blown my nose.
Mx. Remy Ann David

Things do sound alot better when I do that.

How do I change it from a mic input to an in line input when it is connected via the USB? Thanks.

Update: I managed to fix the issue a bit, white noise seems to be down now when the recording input is on full blast. I turned the gain down on the mic to a reasonable level. I just use audacity to remove the noise which it does a fine job of. I am just worried if I get into live videos. Oh well, that be for the future.