In this article, we’ll show you how to set up and connect the Logitech Blue Sona Active Dynamic Microphone to the M-Audio M-Track Solo Audio Interface. We’ll explain how to properly set everything up and what we would use them with to get that clean audio in your recordings.
Quick Answer: Position the Blue Sona 2-3″ away from your mouth. Make sure phantom power is off and the gain level is turned down on the M-Track solo before connecting it to the microphone through an XLR cable. Once connected, turn on phantom power and increase the level on the audio interface to 6.
Price & Specs
- M-Audio M-Track Solo: http://currentprice.io/mtrack_solo
- Logitech Blue Sona: http://currentprice.io/blue_sona
Blue Sona Windscreen
Right out of the box, you will get the Logitech Blue Sona Active Dynamic Microphone and an alternate windscreen.
The windscreens come in black and red with no acoustic differences between either of them on the microphone.
The microphone, on the other hand, has two color variations: black or white.
Mic Stand / Boom Arm
It comes down to two options when it comes to selecting the stand for the microphone: a table mic stand or a boom arm.
Table mic stand
They are:
- Inexpensive
- Durable
- Portable – you can unscrew the top from the base and it falls flat
There are two cons when using this in your setup:
- There is no sound isolation. Taps and other sounds caused by movement around the table can travel up through the stand into the microphone.
- They take up valuable table space.
Boom Arm
We recommend the Rode PSA1+ boom arm.
They are:
- Designed to offer sound isolation from any taps and shuffling on the table.
- Flexible
- No tools required!
- Customizable. Rode’s logo can be taped over with gaff tape.
Mount the Logitech Blue Sona Active Dynamic Microphone.
To connect properly, use the thread adapter that comes with the Rode PSA1+ boom arm.
The benefit of using the Rode PSA1+ boom arm compared to other brands is that it hold the mic in position. The mic will not move nor drop, it will stay the way it is.
Microphone Placement
Position the mic 2”-3” away from the mouth just slightly off the side.
The Logitech Blue Sona is a broadcast dynamic microphone. We need it to be a fist away from the mouth for the best results.
If it is too far away, you will end up turning up the audio interface way too much and end up capturing too much of the background.
If it is too close to the mouth, you will notice it gets kind of boomy and poppy.
M-Track Solo Setup
Before we connect the microphone, we need to make sure the audio interface is properly set up. Make sure that:
- the levels are turned down
- the phantom power switch is off
There is one in a million shot when you connect the XLR to the audio interface while phantom power is on it could create a short within the system.
XLR Cable
Logitech Blue Sona Active Dynamic > XLR cable > M-Track Solo
Connect the XLR cable to the back of the microphone.
Connect the male end to the M-Audio M-Track Solo Audio Interface.
We are using the Canare XLR cable. They are the standard cables with black connectors and come in a variety of colors. They are flexible and easy to use.
They come in a star-quad design which offers protection from electromagnetic interference within the studio environment.
We recommend using cables that are over 6’ long so that you’d fall short while running your connections.
48v (Phantom Power)
Turn on the phantom power switch on the M-Track audio interface.
The Logitech Blue Sona is a dynamic microphone but it has an in-built mic activator/ inline preamp. This means it needs to be powered by 48 V of phantom power to get the mic to work.
When turned on, the light will pulse on the audio interface’s corresponding mic input.
Gain / Level Setup
Turn the knob on the audio interface to 6.
We are using OBS studio on our computer. OBS Studio is a free software that is used for recording or live streaming.
For best results, we want our peak to be at the yellow spot somewhere between -18 and -12 dB. You do not want to be in the red.
Unlike the Shure SM7B and EV-RE20, the M-Track audio interface powers this microphone so that you get low to no noise coming from it.
- No outboard gear needed
- No inline preamp needed
Microphone Processing / Switches
The microphone comes with two switches at the bottom of the mic: the bass cut and the presence switch.
Here is how they sound:
Bass cut/ Low pass ON – You will get a cleaner sound and a little muddy. Basically, this setting takes the microphone out of the subwoofer of the mic listener.
Presence ON – You will sound more intelligible
Bass cut ON + Presence ON – This setting gives the audio a low cut and mid-frequency boost.
For this setup, we turned off the switches. The levels on the OBS Studio will still be recording properly.
Headphones
Headphones are needed in this setup so that you can hear yourself while podcasting, live streaming or recording.
We recommend the Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro 80 Ohm version. They are clean and articulate.
The 32 Ohm version work just as well.
However, the M-Track Solo audio interface cannot power the 250 Ohm version of the headphone very well.
M-Track Solo & Logitech Blue Sona | Setup & Demo | Price & Specs
- M-Audio M-Track Solo: http://currentprice.io/mtrack_solo
- Logitech Blue Sona Microphone: http://currentprice.io/blue_sona
- Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro Headphones: https://currentprice.io/beyer_dt_990
- XLR Cable: https://currentprice.io/xlr_cable
- TRS Cable: https://currentprice.io/trs_cable
- Mic Stand: https://currentprice.io/desk_stand
- Rode PSA1+ Boom Arm: http://currentprice.io/psa1_plus
- Quality Acoustic Treatment Panels: http://currentprice.io/soundpanels
M-Track Solo & Logitech Blue Sona | Setup & Demo | Topics
- 0:00 – Introduction
- 0:30 – Price & Specs
- 0:50 – Blue Sona Windscreen
- 1:18 – Mic Stand / Boom Arm
- 3:15 – Microphone Placement
- 3:47 – M-Track Solo Setup
- 4:15 – XLR Cable
- 5:15 – 48v (Phantom Power)
- 6:00 – Gain / Level Setup
- 7:50 – Microphone Processing / Switches
- 9:08 – Headphones
- 9:45 – Final Thoughts
