Haze's apartment studio/BEAT LAB sessions

Haze · Post by **Haze** » Wed Feb 09, 2011 12:11 pm

I'm getting some bad humming out of my recordings... yes, i'm using an old amp that does have a hum but nothing over powering unless it is cranked. It isn't audible when playing and is very much so when recorded.

Equipment is - Jaguar [p-rail humbucking in series] > Bassman > e609 > Xenyx808 > UFO202 > Audacity
http://soundcloud.com/mttrckmn

both of the tracks have the same humming.

Is the mic just picking up the amp's hum THAT badly or is this coming down to my mixer/pre and cheapcheapcheap interface???

James · Post by **James** » Wed Feb 09, 2011 1:39 pm

It's hard to say which piece of equipment is causing it but it sounds like a recording harware issue to me. You should look into a noise reduction plug in for now.

See this thread for brief talk of one.

same link with the www

Al_ · Post by **Al_** » Wed Feb 09, 2011 5:05 pm

Can you monitor the signals you're recording before you start? One approach is to set everything up at the level you'll be recording at; then listen to your monitors and see if you hear any hum. If it's ending up in your recording, you should. Then start unplugging or taking things out of your signal chain one by one and see if you can find a culprit. Small external power supplies are often a culprit. If it's one of those, see if you can move it around to where it's not hashing things up; or wrap some foil around it. Another likely culprit could be a bad cable. Check the XLR cable you're using to make sure it doesn't have a cold solder joint or something else that's garbaging up the signal. I don't really know what the Xenyx 808 or UFO202 are; but if either of those are some sort of digital signal processor then they could be causing hum as well. Your cleanest signal chain would be something like mic-->preamp-->audio interface/converter.

Haze · Post by **Haze** » Wed Feb 09, 2011 7:08 pm

The 808 is a mixer/preamp and the 202 is a usb interface. I can monitor my levels when recording and I can tell that it is going to hum/see the hums level. Ill mess around with cables and move some psus out of the way and hopefully figure this thing out

Haze · Post by **Haze** » Wed Feb 09, 2011 7:39 pm

audacity has a pretty good noise reduction plugin that'll work for now, I checked all of my cables and removed any psu's that might interfere and the hum persists. I don't think it was in that bass demo thing i recorded the other day so something has changed.

Al_ · Post by **Al_** » Wed Feb 09, 2011 8:02 pm

What type of cable do you have running between the mixer and USB interface; and where is it coming out of the mixer (e.g., a master output or an individual channel output)?

lank81 · Post by **lank81** » Wed Feb 09, 2011 10:22 pm

Al_ wrote:What type of cable do you have running between the mixer and USB interface; and where is it coming out of the mixer (e.g., a master output or an individual channel output)?

Yes, depending on what cords you're using this could be your noise issue.

lank81 · Post by **lank81** » Wed Feb 09, 2011 10:31 pm

Haze,
Check out homestudioguy. He always has some great ideas for cheap studio ideas whether it be desks, monitor stands, or gobos/panels. Building your own Traps/Panels is pretty easy if you have at least a bit of handyman ability.

http://mysite.ncnetwork.net/resqg90a/

Also, you mentioned about ProTools eariler in your thread. I used to have ProTools 7 and as simple as it could be I'd look in to Reaper (due to price) and Sonar. I definitely dig Sonar more than ProTools but PT9 is out and now it's not hardware dependent. Overall though, PT is the standard out there.

Also, some cheap mics for you to check out in the future that are all pretty cool:

Condensers:
Samson C02 pair. They run for 100$ and they are pretty cool. Here's a track my buddy, myself, and my wife did with these on acoustic guitar:
http://soundcloud.com/thewhiteroses/so-now-ill-go-on

MXL V67G - really decent low end condenser

Cad M179 - They run about 150$ but they are a great neutral condenser with a shockmount and mutliple patterns

Dynamics:
SM57 of course and AKG D112 if you do bass or bass drum recordings

I can give you some more info if you like just ask me what you wanna know. I'm not guru or great but I've done a little bit of recording over the past couple of years.

I did this album for my friend using my old Pro Tools Rack/M-Audio DMP Pre / CAD M179/SM57/Shure SM81 x2/AKG D112. Some decent priced stuff but nothing big time.

http://www.last.fm/music/Steve+Thompson/NoVA

You'll only be able to hear 30 second clips.

Al_ · Post by **Al_** » Wed Feb 09, 2011 10:45 pm

lank81 wrote: Condensers:
SM57 of course and AKG D112 if you do bass or bass drum recordings

Good info overall, but those are dynamics (likely a simple mis-type).

lank81 · Post by **lank81** » Wed Feb 09, 2011 10:46 pm

Al_ wrote:
lank81 wrote: Condensers:
SM57 of course and AKG D112 if you do bass or bass drum recordings

Good info overall, but those are dynamics (likely a simple mis-type).

Al, good catch. I've put that in wrong place. Damn scattered brain

Haze · Post by **Haze** » Wed Feb 09, 2011 10:56 pm

My mixers rca outs into my little usb interface (only has rca l/r in)
Thanks for all of the advice, Matt. Ill read into those mics. I think some new hardware is in order...

Al_ · Post by **Al_** » Wed Feb 09, 2011 11:11 pm

RCA cables/connections can get dodgy. If you've got different ones to try; give it a shot. You could also try getting a splitter of some sort/configuration and going out the headphone output of you mixer to see if that makes any difference (e.g., if the master output of the mixer is causing the issue).

Haze · Post by **Haze** » Wed Feb 09, 2011 11:13 pm

ah good idea, al. I'll try some different rca cables and a 1/4" to rca splitter from the phones jack.

Haze · Post by **Haze** » Sun Feb 13, 2011 7:31 am

Recording little bits with the new Band. Here is a little snippit of our song, nothing is final. Vocals and bass are not final, drums tomorrow.
photobomb

► Show Spoiler

Al_ · Post by **Al_** » Sun Feb 13, 2011 5:15 pm

Fun times!

Haze · Post by **Haze** » Sun Feb 13, 2011 6:28 pm

really fortunate that my band mate's parents are cool with us recording/practicing there. My neighbors would be piiissssssed and it'd be cramped with drums and another guitar setup

Haze · Post by **Haze** » Mon Feb 14, 2011 4:28 am

Picked up an audio-tech AT4040 today, damn its a good amp. e609 close miced, 4040 about 4 feet back - very accurate sound, very pleased.
Also tried it as a drum overhead mic with great results.

Al_ · Post by **Al_** » Mon Feb 14, 2011 9:23 pm

That's a cool mic. Works well on acoustic guitar too.

Haze · Post by **Haze** » Mon Feb 14, 2011 9:45 pm

had a chance to record some vocals last night, sounds damn good for female vocals with the bass cut switch. Night and day difference from the perception we have been using.

Haze · Post by **Haze** » Fri Feb 18, 2011 12:36 am

Heres the/a result

e609 close miced, at4040 4 feet away from amp
e609 is hard left, at4040 hard right - sounds really good to these ears.