Question Time ?

Hilch · #1 January 6th, 2007

Question Time

I use a Fender acustic -Electric plugged into a 12 channel mixing board which is then plugged into my PC ..I use Audacity to record on , then save as a MP3 ..My mixing board is a Alto 100 fx ....

If you listen to my latest post " Relaxation Music " there is noise coming from my speakers back ground noise it is { have a listen you will hear it }

I have tried playing around with the mixing board , my settings on my PC , playing around in Audcity settings but can not get rid of this noise ...

I am willing to try anything , I am sure it will be something simple but at this very point in time I can not think of what it is ..

All help is very much appreciated ....

Thank you in advance

Trev...

__tsidewinder__ · #2 January 6th, 2007

well, you can try a notch filter (which you have to download as a plugin for audacity) at 60 Hz, and some other key areas (which I don't know about.). Better yet, try line in, then they're shouldn't be any noise.

Hope this helps

Matty22 · #3 January 6th, 2007

I dont have access to sound at the moment, so i cant hear the noise, but heres a couple of ideas.

Try your leads, if you plug into an amp do they make noise as well? Ive found dicky leads to be fairly common.

Try a different chanel on the mixer. And check the master/tape out of the mixer, the leads there could be dicky too.

Quote:

there is noise coming from my speakers back ground noise it is

if your speaker/master out volume is up when your recording it could be feeding back through the guitar pickup. try turning the master volume down when your recording, or playing away from the speakers....

Just a couple of ideas for ya..

grathan · #4 January 6th, 2007

It sounds like background white noise static type stuff. Your not getting a good signal into audacity.

Which fender acoustic? Does it have a volume knob and if so is it turned up most of the way? It almost sounds like you used a microphone?

Which input are you using on the mixer? Since you probably need a preamp for the acoustic I imagine your plugging into Mic 1 line in. I wonder what effect adjusting the trim knob would have on the recording. The outside ring is for mics and the inside ring is for 1/4 line level. You wanna adjust that so it's loud but not clipping (the peak light should just start blinking). ALso i would turn down all other inputs and outputs on the mixer except the Main Mix Level which should be almost loud enough to reach the clip led.

The mixer must plug into your soundcard on the computer which has its own mixer software (if not and probably as well need to check windows ((you use windows?)) volume controls) and make sure the line in or recording levels are appropriate.

Does the sound appear in Audcaity as well as in the mp3?

Hilch · #5 January 6th, 2007

I have a Fendr acustic -Electric Dg series

I did not use a mic at all

Guitar plugged into mixer , Mic 2 slot

I use Windows XP

I have Line in selected still there

The main mix level is on zero along with all other control knobs , trim is selected to a little to the right 1 slot past the upright position

Any way thanks for the feed back I'll keep playing around

The noise is there in Audacity

Matty22 · #6 January 6th, 2007

Do you get the noise if you play back realtime?

Hilch · #7 January 6th, 2007

Matty yeah

I think I discovered the problem ....My teeage son has a web cam with a built in Mic and since ensuring it was completely turned off I was getting this feed back sort of noise .

I disconnected the cam and noise disappeared ....has anyone else came across that before ?

I am hopeful that is the problem as the noise has disappeared since pulling the plug on his cam ..

Trev...

Matty22 · #8 January 7th, 2007

I cant see how the webcam would cause it... Unless its some kind of interference fcrom the USB power or something similar..

At least you figured it out, thats the main thing....

Hilch · #9 January 7th, 2007

Matty

I'm not totally sure if the webb cam was the problem since posting that ...

Guess what ....

Its' back ...I was recording my practice session and played it back and that noise was there ...grrrr

Now practice session ends with a few choice words and me trying to work out what the @$$^$%# is oing on ...

Darn this ....< ----- I did not even curse

grrrrrrrr
Trev....

Matty22 · #10 January 7th, 2007

if you have a 6.5f to 3.5m adapter, try plugging the guitar straight into the mic in of your sound card. You may have to turn on the mic boost thing in windows volume control. to get enough signal. If there is no noise then the guitar and lead are fine, the problem lies in the mixer/leads side of things. If the noise is still there the guitar lead could be damaged, or perhaps the pickup itself is damaged, at which point, id take it to a shop and get it looked at. Really small fiddly things arent my forte, if i cant fix it with a 3/8 ring spanner its too precise for me

Hilch · #11 January 7th, 2007

ahhhh thanks master grasshopper finds problem .. after plugging guitar into Pc ...

I'm the same 3/8 ring spanner way too small for my likeing though ....

I have a very big gentle persuader in my ute ......( big bl00dy sledge hammer and the PC was going feel the full brunt of it if I could not find the problem )

Hav a mate who is a wizz on mixers and so on I'll till he gets home from his holidays and take my leads and board over to his place ..

Grasshopper thanks you master

cheers

Trev....

Matty22 · #12 January 7th, 2007

[quote=hilch]
I have a very big gentle persuader in my ute ......( big bl00dy sledge hammer and the PC was going feel the full brunt of it if I could not find the problem )
QUOTE]

The old technical tap.... I did that for satisfaction to my behringer mixer

Kirk Lorange · #13 January 7th, 2007

Getting rid of unwanted noise is why I love Adobe Audition*. I record in my office/studio where I have the air conditioner going, or heater in winter, two computers humming away ... As long as I record a few seconds of 'silence' (which is really all the fan noise going on), I can use the 'Noise Reduction' feature. You select the silence, it analyzes it, then you select the whole track and click OK and it goes through it all and removes the noise from the whole track. It's like magic ...

*I'm sure others have this feature as well.

Matty22 · #14 January 7th, 2007

Audition really is a powerful package... And is SO much nicer once you give it two monitors to play with...

I guess its best to get the cleanest sound possible, at the start. I dont worry too much about noise, considering my playing level is sub par, so the recording quality far outweighs the playing :s

Hilch · #15 January 7th, 2007

Where would a little Grasshopper like I obtain such a wonderful programme ...

Oh yes Kirk

Me and Clancy have sorted my problem out of buying on line { he he }

I got a beautiful CD on line a little while ago { that I paid for } thanks to your Clancy

I have got my 2nd computor now I just have to them talking

Its' a bit like when you get married really getting my family to embrace the wifes folks , no-one said they have to love each other just get along ...

My new computor just don't like my old one { little laugh }

Cheers

Trev...