Fast Track PRO Ultra Gain problem

I just got a Fast Track Ultra because the Fast Track Pro I had was giving me problems now I am having the save problem with the Ultra. I have to crank the gain up allmost all the way to get a good level. I'am using a Audio-Technica AT2020 cardioid mic and a 3ft Mogami cable. I didn't have the problem when I was going from the mic to a Behringer mixer and then into the Fast Track Pro with a 1/4" (to bypass the preamp on the Fast Track Pro)
I'am using Windows XP Pro and either Adobe Audition 2.0 or Camtasia Studio that I use for making video tutorials. The store I returned the Fast Track Pro did a internet search and found similar problems listed in various forums but no fixes.

Two circumstances are probable. The great majority of microphone preamps fall in two general categories, those having around 40dB gain and those having 60dB to 65dB gain. This is a rather large difference. The 40dB gain type is quite common.
The M-Audio site provides no specifications for either the Fast Track Ultra or the Fast Track Ultra Pro. The Fast Track Pro is specified as 40dB gain. The lack of audio specifications for the USB 2 devices seems rather suspicious overall. I would guess that the preamps in your soundcard are the lower gain type. The mixer may have higher gain preamps. The difference would be quite easily noticed.
Another "feature" that is very common until you get to serious money is the use of linear potentiometers as gain controls rather than the inverse log ones that should be there. The gain is linear but our perceptions, and the dB scale, are logarithmic. The result of this is that the perceived gain is mostly in the last few degrees of the control’s movement. As you turn up the gain knob, you gain a little loudness, a little more, a little more, then suddenly the major part of the gain (as measured in dB) kicks in over a very small range of rotation. This saves about 25 cents per unit manufacturing costs.

The manual for the ultra say's 60dB or greater, there should be plenty of gain available. Make sure the 20dB pad isn't engaged.

Thank you very much for the reply Andy,very interesting.
TechKnowledgy, the pad has been changed for the Ultra it's now integrated with the pots as a push/pull so yes I'am sure the pad is not engaged. So with 60db of gain I can't figure out why this is happening.
I'am now thinking it's just a computer issue. The Bios or particular chip set of my motherboard. It's a Asus K8N-DL with dual Opteron 246's (Single core 2Ghz) and 2 gigs of ram.

I brought the M-Audio Fast Track Ultra into the store where I bought it an they hooked it up to a laptop with Mac OS. They got only very slightly better gain. So why would I spend the extra money if I have to crank both the Ultra and Pro up to get good levels, so I returned it and got back my Fast Track Pro. Here's what the salesman suggested as the reason why using the Behringer mixer's preamps worked much better than the Fast Track Pro's and the specs I've found.
M-audio Fast Track Pro
http://www.m-audio.com/images/global/manuals/051212_FTPro_UG_EN01_V3.PDF
Input Impedance: 2.7k Ohms unbalanced, 5.4k Ohms balanced
Preamp Gain >40dB
Behringer
http://www.behringerdownload.de/XENYX_GRP1/IMPL%20Tech%20GLOB_P0576_M%20Web%20EN_2007-11-27_Rev.2.pdf
Impedance: approx. 2.6k Ohms balanced
Gain range +10dB to +60 dB
Audio-Technica
My mic AT2020 IMPEDANCE 100 ohms MSRP* US$169.00
Other models:
30 Series:
AT3031 IMPEDANCE 250 ohms MSRP* US$259.00
AT3032 IMPEDANCE 250 ohms MSRP* US$259.00
AT3035 IMPEDANCE 250 ohms MSRP* US$349.00
AT3060 IMPEDANCE 400 ohms MSRP* US$499.00
40 Series:
AT4050 IMPEDANCE 100 ohms MSRP* US$895.00
AT4060 IMPEDANCE 200 ohms MSRP* US$1,495.00
AT4047/SV IMPEDANCE 250 ohms MSRP* US$745.00
AT4033/CL IMPEDANCE 100 ohms MSRP* US$595.00
As you can see the Behringer has much lower impedence than the Fast Track Pro. Only the AT4050 and AT4033/CL mic's have the same low impedance as my AT2020 and each are much higher in price. I'am not saying my mic is better than these others on this spec alone, just that when using it with the Fast Track Pro without a mixer what I'am geeting now is the maximum gain I can get.

I spent 15min.,15 min and 20min waiting on hold long distance to M-Audio then finally gave up. Then I left a messege online at their "Customer Web portal" They posted that the issue was being escallated to a higher level. Then they posted that someone tried to call me but they got an error message, so I re-posted my phone number. I tried to call the number they posted (not toll free) and it went straight to voice mail where I left a message. A tech called me back and refused to refund my money even though I meet the criteria in their warranty. I bought the product less than a year ago from an authorized dealer and I have a reciept and the packaging.
He only offered to exchage it and I told him that would not solve the problem. I proved it by testing it at the place I bought it and that I didn't have the problem when I used the preamp's on the Behringer 802.
The problem on Fast Track Ultra is it's high impedence compaired to a external mixer and with the Fast Track Pro it's a combination of high impedance and low (40db) gain. The tech also suggested that the problem mite be that my mic does not have a balanced output, I checked an it does have a balanced output.
Bottom line you have to read their warranty very carefully
http://www.m-audio.com/images/en/warranty/One-Year.pdf

or refund the purchase price at its option.

So I ordered a Alesis Multimix 8 2.0 through the store where I bought the Fast Track Pro and they agreed to take back the Fast Track and apply the credit toward the Alesis.
A word of advice to anyone thinking of buying a M-Audio Fast Track Pro or Ultra, test it in the store with YOUR mic and if you have a laptop use it or try to get the store to let you bring in your desktop. But I can tell you unless you want to crank it up allmost all the way you will need a mixer and since you'll need a mixer anyway why not get a usb mixer then you'll save money on cables and it will be all-in-one. Then buy the longest extended warranty FROM THE STORE NOT M-AUDIO you can get. My warranty lets me return it for a REFUND for ANY reason within the warranty period. Rememer to ask the details for your warranty, who pays shipping, can I get a refund or just exchange ect. I am still going to file a Better Business Bureau complaint against M-Audio.

My advice (again) is to never rely on manufacturers for tech support. They'll do their best, but ultimately most manufacturers aren't good at it, and more often than not you'll be frustrated. At the end of the day, it is the responsibility of the dealer to 1) ask you questions and offering advice to make sure you are getting the right thing, and 2) provide you technical support when you need it.
If your gear supplier is either unable or unwilling to do these two basic things, then why are you paying them? This, in my opinion, is how a dealer should earn the profit they make when you buy something.