I'm still a noob @ enhancing

I currently have a L10 seafoam, L7 monk and L7 volcanic. Is it normal my armor only goes +1 LV if I use 4 basics? And how long should I keep on using basics?

Also, armor like volcanic has both earth and fire. Is 4x fire basic the same EP as 2x earth and 2x fire?

Sorry if it's been asked already, I just haven't got a clue what to farm to lvl up armor. I've seen snakeskin get mentioned etc, but that's for the "big 4' or something