If you would record a 12" guitar combo at a relatively quiet volume (in a house or appartment) around what sensitivity would the mic you would want to use be. Like between which numbers in db.
Long story: I have an older small mixer and want to buy the cheap behringer UCA 202 audio interface* to start recording ideas digitally. I have an old akai microphone from the 70’s with 1/4" plug that I made a test recording with straight into the on-board souncard of my pc. The result was good but with a lot of noise because the line-in of the mixer is less sensitive than the xlr input. I had to crank my amp too loud and the pre gain of the mixer up full with the other controls on 0 db to get near 0db if you know what I mean. The pre gain being cranked fully introducing too much noise.
So I thought about getting a xlr dynamic mic like the shure pga57 (because of the xlr input of the mixer being more sensitive than the jack input that i used for the mic that I have) but then started reading about microphone sensitivity. The pga57 has an input sensitivity of -56db. Seems to me I’d be better of with a higher sensitivity as to minimize pre gain levels to further reduce noise levels.
So I could go for a, for example, -49db dynamic mic, or switch to a condenser mic which generally have even higher sensitivities… What do you think?
*The UCA 202 doesn’t have a pre amp like the other more complete audio interfaces that you plug your guitar or mic into. I’m just looking at this thing because it’s cheap and ok quality and I already have the mixer and want to put that to use. The UCA 202 (UCA 222 is the same thing) only has rca inputs. So it would be rca out from the mixer into rca in of the audio interface into pc usb port.