Recording Buzz

[Chozz]

I've been trying to record some acoustic guitar lately as a bit of a mess around, and I've been get this strange buzz.

Has anyone come across this sound before? And know what could be causing it.

Just to let you know, I've done recordings before and this has never happened, it's only become a recent thing.

[sorohanro]

How you record it ?
mic or electroacoustic in line ?

[CWN]

Doesn't sound like the typical 50/60 Hz buzz you get from powerlines etc..
I'd say it's some major cable damage.

[palee81]

You could check if the microphone boost is turned on, it causes similar noise. (Its at the microphone's advanced settings in the volume control)

[Chozz]

At 12/26/09 08:49 AM, sorohanro wrote: How you record it ?
mic or electroacoustic in line ?

Mic.

And the cables not damaged, I get this with my headset for gaming also :S

I'll check the microphone boost thing too.

[Chozz]

Okay, I've worked where the fault is coming from..

It's something to do with my front mic port. Possibly because It's nearer to my extension lead/ plugs? Or possibly because my front port is fucked :P

If I find out definately what it is, I shall inform

[Khuskan]

Sounds like you're using a laptop internal soundcard or motherboard integraded soundcard. If the former, try recording with the laptop unplugged from the mains. If the latter, buy a quality external soundcard.

[loansindi]

Most noise issues (in nearly any given sound system) can be traced to ground issues. Basically what happens is that you end up with multiple paths to ground that are at different potentials and that makes electronics sad.

Invest in equipment with ground lift switches, or '3 to 2' adapters (which are effectively an extension cord with the ground prong cut off [though generally they're just big enough for the plug.])

[Khuskan]

At 12/26/09 07:15 PM, loansindi wrote: Invest in equipment with ground lift switches, or '3 to 2' adapters (which are effectively an extension cord with the ground prong cut off [though generally they're just big enough for the plug.])

And then cry when you accidentally short your motherboard one day and you brick your whole system.

Safest bet is to get an external with its own power supply. Desktop computers should always be grounded.

[loansindi]

At 12/27/09 07:03 AM, Khuskan wrote:

At 12/26/09 07:15 PM, loansindi wrote: Invest in equipment with ground lift switches, or '3 to 2' adapters (which are effectively an extension cord with the ground prong cut off [though generally they're just big enough for the plug.])

And then cry when you accidentally short your motherboard one day and you brick your whole system.

What? If you short your motherboard, it's going to die regardless of whether there's a ground plug. What the ground plug does is make sure that the case of the computer won't ever end up at a high potential, keeping you from getting shocked.

Safest bet is to get an external with its own power supply. Desktop computers should always be grounded.

I wasn't specifically talking about computers, anyway. More about audio equipment in general.

[Mushroomhead18nc]

or you can just use software that removes ground loops such as adobe audition

[masheenH3ad]

I think your cable wires are causing the trouble. There is a possibility that it is grounded.

[moose3642]

At 12/27/09 09:23 PM, Mushroomhead18nc wrote: or you can just use software that removes ground loops such as adobe audition

Or even do it manually: record the buzzing noise in a separate track, then invert the signal. Juxtaposition this track such that it matches peak-to-valley with the (relatively) silent part of the track with the instrument on it. Voila, the buzz cancels.

Another method is to analyze the buzz's frequency, then filter out that frequency alone.

This is what we have balanced lines for.