CQ-20 Gain Assistant not Assisting

[EE_AV]

We just purchased a new CQ-20 with the latest firmware, accessing it via a laptop computer and so on.
I am in the process of familiarizing myself with it.
I have an old dynamic mic plugged into channel 1. Having manually set the gain, I know that it has to be upwards of 40 to 55 dB to get decent levels.
Now I exercise the Gain Assistant.
I select the Gain Assistant button. I begin talking into the mic jabbering away while I watch the CQ-20 do its ling. It says that it is listening.
If I am any distance away from the mic at all, I am told that there is no signal.
If I am closer, the Gain Assistant will stop at somewhere around 13 dB. There is no possible way that this is right.
What am I doing wrong … or … why is it doing this?

[SQuser]

> If I am closer, the Gain Assistant will stop at somewhere around 13 dB.
You’ve probably already seen the video below from A&H.
So during your auto-set process, watch the level meter on the right, which should reach the 0dB mark.
I can’t really imagine that it’s any different for you.
I would even consider it conceivable that these levels are reached because your old (perhaps not high quality?) mic or your cable (a good balanced?) is producing some kind of (e.g. HF-) noises that may not even be audible.

[EE_AV]

Yes

[EE_AV]

I just tried to reply to your post. I recorded a very short, 4MB, screen capture video showing what is (isn’t) happening. With the upload limit at 1 MB, I could not upload it. Instead, I uploaded it to a Google folder and *tried* to provide a link to that file in the post. Weirdness ensued.
Yes, I watched the video. Yes, I followed the instructions. No, the level meter didn’t twitch or wiggle or anything else during the “listening time” of the Gain Assistant.
I can set the gain manually.
I just tried it again with me right up close to the mic and it is perfectly happy to set the gain at 0 dB.
I have uploaded a txt file with this post that has the video file link in the file.
Hopefully this will be allowed to work.

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[SQuser]

Yes, your informative video is visible and I am pretty surprised by what I see.
I don’t have CQ so I can’t try it myself.
Since many users here would protest, I assume it works for most.
So the only standard question I can think of is whether they are using the latest firmware (although I can’t find anything about this problem in the releases).
Now I’m curious to see what the cause will turn out to be.

[EE_AV]

Well … here is an update …
I resurrected another VERY VERY OLD mic. This one requires Phantom Power. It has a MUCH, MUCH higher output level.
The Gain Assistant works fine with that one.
So, it appears that the gain assistant requires an input above a particular level for it to “know” that there is something connected to the input. The very low amplitude output of the Shure mic is not sufficient enough to be “seen” by the gain assistant. Thus, it does nothing.

[Author]

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