Backgroung noise when recording

[Lev]

Not sure if this is the right place or not, since its not an .mp3 submission, or a guitar tech tip heh.. but anyway, when I record I get quite a lot of background noise even when I turn the input level down. I have a pretty bad mic though so is that the problem or is there another way to handle it? I'm using Cakewalk Guitar Tracks 2, does it have a noise trim or something that I'm not aware of?? Any help appreciated [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[Newc]

Re: Backgroung noise when recording

Back off the mic gain and crank the amp higher. Sounds like the mic gain is high enough that it's picking up whatever's going on it the background (tv in another room, people yakking, etc).

Newc

[Black Mariah]

Re: Backgroung noise when recording

A friend of mine has a mic that can barely pick up what's sitting in front of it. So, we just stick it in the middle of the room and record with it that way.

It's probably the fact that it's a crappy mic. I've noticed that cheap mics tend to be more omnidirectional than more expensive mics, unintentionally.

[Lev]

Re: Backgroung noise when recording

well mine picks it up just fine, but also picks up tons of noise lol.. I'll try what Newc said, turn down the gain and crank the amp. I'll try it tomorrow, don't feel like waking up the building right now lol. Thanks!

[redmanjj]

Re: Backgroung noise when recording

Are you playing near a computer monitor? If so, your pickups and your mike will be rudely affected by the monitor itself.

I find that I push the record button on the computer, then I turn off the monitor while I actually play. It's a pain, but if it's the only way I can record and play in close proximity.

If it's strictly background noise (and not intereference), it probably is more your mike and it's placement. (Placement: art or science?)

[ May 03, 2003, 02:16 AM: Message edited by: redmanjj ]

[rodrigo_echeverri]

Re: Backgroung noise when recording

well, my understanding is that different mics have different characteristics when it comes to the way they collect the sound aruond them. A shure 57 is a directional mic, which means it picks up stuff that is in front of it and most of the ambnience of the room is not collected. The shure 58 has more of an Omni behaviour, which means that is does collect sound from all directions.

In my case I dont like either of the above. I decided to go for a condenser cardioid microphone. These things are fairly directional but not as much as a shure 57, which is most people's chioce for miking up guitar cabinets. The reason I got this mic is because I also want to use it for vocals as well and mics that are too directional dont do a very good job there...

Recording people argue that putting a sharp high-pass filter (around 100 Hz) in front of the micophone will help reject rattle sounds from the room and other annoyances. Some microphones have a switch that activates this filter, which is built in.

There is something called a "polar plot", which shows you how the microphones takes or reject the incoming soudn in differerent directions. You should ask for this information when you purchse a mic as well as its frequency response which should be nice and flat going as low as 50 Hz above the -6 dB mark (at least).

Also, some microphones will do both but their frequency response will be different in each case (tends to have less gain in Omni mode).

[ May 03, 2003, 04:36 AM: Message edited by: rodrigo_echeverri ]

[Newc]

Re: Backgroung noise when recording

Unfortunately the CAD and the MDKII cost too much, when you can get a Sennheiser e604 drum/tom mic instead. It has a great bass response (as it is engineered for drums) and it's very even and lifelike.

Newc

[Lev]

Re: Backgroung noise when recording

Wow great info [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img] I play at lower volumes too because I live in an apartment.. so a condensor mic would suit me the best as well since I won't be cranking my amp. Now its just a matter of how much I'm willing to spend. The CAD seems great, but for $230 its a bit steep.. I may go for it anyway though.. ah decisions. I'm ruling the Shure out, I don't have a good enough post EQ right now to make up for the lack of low frequencies. Thanks again, this is way more help than I expected lol.

[ May 03, 2003, 04:12 PM: Message edited by: Lev ]

[rodrigo_echeverri]

Re: Backgroung noise when recording

MXL is the cheap input level condenser stuff I think, why don't you check this out and look for some reviews for quality and support:

MXL Mics

The MXL2003 looks sweet because it seems to collect all the features everybody has pointed out here in only one package.

The frequency respose of this mic looks like this, can you tell the difference with the Shure 57?...



It looks pretty damn dead-on to me!... (it is plotted from 20 Hz though but still pretty impressive).

[ May 03, 2003, 04:39 PM: Message edited by: rodrigo_echeverri ]

[Ace]

Re: Backgroung noise when recording

A few things you should know before you buy that CAD or another mic

1. According to the specs on the CAD it is a Supercardioid, which means that it will reject sounds from the sides, but there is a small angle behind the microphone that WILL get picked up, so watch for what is directly BEHIND your mic when you are recording. Also, to get rid of background noise, you want to roll off the low end at about 100Hz. That will get rid of the sounds of people walking down the hall, cars pulling into the garage, stuff like that.

2. The CAD has XLR outputs. You will need to get an adapter of some sort, or, preferably a mic-pre, before you can hook it into your computer.

3. The CAD is a condenser microphone, which means that you will need to supply it with phantom power also. A mic-pre SHOULD have phantom power, but if you don't use one you will have to get a seperate phantom power box.

These aren't to discourage you, but I don't want you to go buy the CAD and get home and realize that it's not plug-and-play. You will need accesories to use it. They are not terribly expensive, or too difficult to set up, and you will FOR SURE notice the difference in your recording. IMO mics are always a good investment, because you can never have too many, and nothing sux worse than getting up on stage and realizing that the venue's mics BLOW and you don't have your own. Like when someone hands you a EV RE20 and an SM57 for your twin kickdrums, and you go around sounding like a car with a flat tire.

[rodrigo_echeverri]

Re: Backgroung noise when recording

Yeah, I solved the problem of the phantom power and the mixing into the soundcard by getting me one of these:

EURORACK MX602A Mixer

I have to say that Behringer products have always been the best value I have found in recording... for home stuff that is.

Once you have this, your mic and your XLR cable, the week link in your audio chain will be you!... [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[ May 03, 2003, 04:46 PM: Message edited by: rodrigo_echeverri ]

[Ace]

Re: Backgroung noise when recording

Hey, that thing looks pretty cool, how well does it work?

And why is a MIDI cable listed as accesories? [img]graemlins/scratchhead.gif[/img]

[Lev]

Re: Backgroung noise when recording

yeah thanks for the heads up.. I have the phantom power stuff, its the XLR in/outs that I don't have, but I think you can get small MIDI boxes that can do the trick.. or I could just go all out and get a mic preamp. That MXL has a perfect frequency response lol, damn, too many to choose from.

[rodrigo_echeverri]

Re: Backgroung noise when recording

Ace, there is a very important reason for the Midi cable to be there!... they need your money!.. [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img] ... there is no midi anywhere on these things... [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

Those Behringer mixers work GREAT!... I mean, I am no recording studio so I just need a console that gives me all the functionality and doen't destroy my sound. This does it nicely.. no complaints there... I actually own the UB802 myself.. the price difference is so small among them that I should have bought one of the bigger ones...

If I don't make a note here somebody will jump in and say it and I will look bad: this is no fine top-of-the-line mic-preamp!... that preamp is only one of the capabilities that it has but I am sure there are better ones out there... keep in mind that we are talking about 60 bucks for a new item... not bad for the price!...

[rodrigo_echeverri]

Re: Backgroung noise when recording

Lev,

Yeah, if you compare the 57 to the MXL, the 57 it is like taking your sound and putting all the high frequencies up on your EQ and having no way to take it down!... that's what Jakson1 identifies as "nasal" sound... just a high ferquency boost that the mic is artificially imposing on you... I dont enjoy that.