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Use of mike pre-amp to record digital audio

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Topic Use of mike pre-amp to record digital audio
Hi, I'm new to home recording and this is a very basic question. I've just got Cubasis VST and want to start just by recording some audio tracks with vocal and acoustic guitar. My mike is a Realistic/Shure dynamic unidirectional. My pc doesn't have a separate soundcard but it's built into the motherboard.

I've also bought a B-Tech BT26 pre-amplifier - as I understand a pre-amp is essential to boost the power of the mike when recording. I've tried a test recording using the Microsoft XP controls (the pre-amp doesn't have a separate volume control) but the volume indicator on VST shows very low and can hardly be heard on playback (even when I've set it high on the Windows control) - there's also a great deal of feedback from the mike. I've tried both the mike and line inputs of the pc.

I realise that the answer might be that I need to buy a separate soundcard but I don't want to do that if I then still get the same problem of low volume. It may also be that I've not got the right kind of mike pre-amp for the purpose or I might be missing some other really basic point.

Any advice will be really appreciated.
2
Retep,

I checked up on the amp and mic and it seems they are designed for karaoke/phono pre-amp usage. I don't know what the output of the pre-amp is but from my experience, these are usually line-level amps that can handled sufficiently by the 'sound card' line inputs. However, it seems either the pre-amp is not up to the task or your onboard sound is insufficient. The mere fact you are experiencing feedback tells me that

Give me some indication of what your pc is. What motherboard, cpu, how much ram, etc. If you intend to upgrade your equipment, what's your budget? I could recommend stuff that would suit your needs and budget.
3
Kit,

Thanks for the helpful reply. Just after posting my enquiry, I decided to go right through the setting-up process again to record on Cubasis VST and found that I'd missed out 'clicking' one of the items - and when I did, I found that the recording and playback levels were OK! I was still getting some feedback, but not as much as before, and seemed to be able to control this by the positioning of the mike.

I'm going to try out some more test recordings, including to see if the duplex facility works on my built-in soundcard. If I have any problems in this respect, I'll be very pleased to take you up on your offer and seek your further advice. Thanks again.