Troubleshoot Microphone Input & Mixer for Resolve Build

This is kinda long; I am having difficulty with audio going through the mixer on shared Davinci Resolve systems I've been given to make work. Here's a list of the main components involved:

3 iMacs
OS Catalina
SNS EVO
Blackmagic DeckLink 4K Extreme 12G
Cisco Nexus Switch
BMD Smart Video Hub Clean Switch 12x12
Blackmagic Design Videohub Master Control Pro
FS4 1RU 4K/UltraHD/HD/SD frame sync and converter
Sonnet Echo Express SE I Thunderbolt 3
Blackmagic UltraStudio 4k Extreme
OWC 14-Port Thunderbolt 3 Dock
Davinci Resolve 17.2.2
Desktop Video 12.1
Mackie 1202-VLZ4
Shure SM58-LC
Genelec 8010AP
Focusright Scarlet

Now, all the storage and networking stuff seems to be fine and the systems are getting their signals. Things started to fall apart when I decided to try to record VO into the Fairlight panel. The audio was set up thusly; From the Ultrastudio to the Mackie to get the audio from the EVO media. From the Mackie to the Ultrastudio to record audio from a Mic. From the OWC dock to the Mackie to get the computer audio. From Mackie to Genelecs.

In Resolve’s audio I/O settings, I chose the Ultrastudio as the input. At first, I wasn’t getting any signal into Resolve by going mic>Mackie>Ultrastudio>Resolve. Then I tried Mic>Utrastudio>Resolve, also with no results. Then after some Googling I learned that people didn’t have luck going through an Ultrastudio to record VO.

Next up I tried a Focusright Scarlett to record VO. Mic>Mackie>Focusright>OWC hub>Resolve.
I changed the Mac sound settings to the Focusright, and in Resolve’s Fairlight panel, the VO track automatically picked the Focusright as an input. I was then able to record VO. However, while recording, the waveform and VU levels looked good, but when finished recording, the waveform got smaller. It played back very low but still looked fine on the meters. I had to crank up the Mackie gains and controller knobs to hear anything, and the meter lights on the Mackie didn’t move.

Next I tried bypassing the Mackie completely for VO, and went straight into the Focusright with the mic and into the OWC hub. I was able to record VO, but the waveform was still small, thought the meters were good. I still had to crank up the Mackie output, and couldn’t get its meter lights to dance unless I cranked up all the gains, and even then it didn’t go up beyond three lights.

Clearly I’m patching something wrong, or am using the wrong gear (I wish a had a Big Knob on hand to test). Does anyone have some hints, or even what would be the best hardware for this?

Thanks in advance

while recording, the waveform and VU levels looked good, but when finished recording, the waveform got smaller. It played back very low but still looked fine on the meters

What are the input signal levels? Do input signal levels match playback levels?
How far is the talent from the microphone?

Are you recording in an untreated environment? A dynamic mic is never a first choice for voice over or dubbing duties, where a condenser is always preferred.

Which Scarlett interface is in use? Looking at the eight different Scarlett options on the Focusrite site, you may require more clean gain than the Scarlett interfaces are able to provide.

A Cloudlifter would provide an additional 25dB of clean gain required with dynamics microphones, alternatively the sE DM1.

what would be the best hardware for this?

https://www.sounddevices.com/product/mixpre-3-ii/

+1 for the Cloudlifter, the sE DM1, or what I use with a dynamic mic, the Triton FetHead.