Ableton Forum

This will be a really dumb question that in no way is meant to be snide:
Do you have the mic turned 180-degrees from where it should be? (i.e. speaking into the back of the mic would necessitate cranking up the gain to hear anything)
Only thing I could think of.
Maybe someone else will have a better idea to help get it sorted out.

(love your website, too! Thanks for all the good stuff over there!)

**edit: or is the input impedance switch set to mic level or line level?

and you have activated the phantom power switch on the Audio Kontrol?

3.1.2. Rear Panel
The AUDIO KONTROL 1 rear panel is equipped with the connections that you won’t necessarily change for each new project. These include the main audio outputs, the MIDI input/output and the USB2 connection. It includes also the phantom power switch for the microphone input.

I have to crank up the volume to

....thats why

turn down the mic input level, for me its ~10% in your sound settings, no mic boost (assuming mac has those), bring up the track vol you are recording to, and the master to monitor it. rec at low levels then gain after......personally i would just go direct in, no preamp (if thats what audiokontrol is) to rec spoken word...a little hiss removal after is fine to, even audacity can do that if its not too bad

this works for me anyway