Good, Cheap(free?) noise reduction...

J

jameslucas

New member
I have the mixer and magix/sonar 1.0 as well as a few decent mics and such but still there is a hiss and random room noise in my recordings, can anyone recommend a good cheap noise reduction program? Which is your favorite? Also, what is a good reverb for adding space to recordings?
 
Noise reduction comes while tracking, usually. What are you running that could be giving you hiss? It could be a bad cord or something.
 
Make sure you shut off your frig, washer, dryer, HVAC, anything else that could add noise. Keep away from outside doors and windows. Get as far away from the actual PC as possible (separate room is best).

What mics and "mixer" are you using? Do you have a preamp?
 
I've got a behringer mixer with invisible mic preamps, I'm not just running at line. The actual problem is that in order to get sufficient volume levels while tracking I have to turn up the gain on the preamp so high it gets extra sound. I've got 48v phantom power too but still I get this hiss and less volume than I would like.
 
Sounds to me like you just have ambient noise in your room. Like everybody said, turn off every possible machine and electronic gizmo you can. You'd be surprised what air conditioning and computer fans will do.

Whatever you do, don't solve the problem with noise reduction. That will kill your sound quality. A good recording doesn't even need noise reduction. Find out what is causing the noise in the first place, and eliminate it.
 
jameslucas said:
The actual problem is that in order to get sufficient volume levels while tracking I have to turn up the gain on the preamp so high it gets extra sound.
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what are you recording with this mic- accostic guitar? vocal?- what type of mic is it. And you dont need phantom power unless the mic you're using is a condenser. I different mic that requires less gain may be a solution. Or a nicer pre maybe.
 
I'm recording pretty much everything with an sm57 through a behringer mixer (I bought it for the preamps). It seemed to me like a cheap pre was a cheap pre, is this not the case? If I buy a better pre could that help? I see these cheap "tube preamps" but the've just got a 12ax7 for color, so they aren't really tubes doing the work, just coloring on top.
 
If you really need noise reduction Cool Edit Pro's a good bet - not free but still a real bargain considering how good it is. That doesn't mean the noise reduction is unnoticable though (like they say above all noise reduction screws with your audio in some shape or form). Much better if you could fix it while recording. First work out whether it's the room that's the source of the noise by unplugging your mic and turning up the Pre - is the noise still there? If it is, I stand corrected. If it's not, you need to work out a way to get rid of the ambient noise. Not easy and not cheap if you want to do it properly but you can try a few cheap things. The first is buy/build an isolation box for your computer, put it in another room or maybe even stick it in a cupboard (but make sure it doesn't get too hot). The second is furnishings. Thick curtains cut down on outside noises getting in or maybe try making a tent out of duvets and recording in there. Don't expect it to work brilliantly but it cost's nearly nothing to try - helps to get rid of room reverb as well. If that doesn't help you're looking at spending money and doing it properly or finding another room to record in!
 
Sounds like the preamp/mixer is working too hard. Any other places in the chain to turn up volume? Are you recording to a computer? If so, try turning up the input level.

For room noise blankets are an easy and cheap way to make a sound booth. For about 10 bucks you can get a set of hand grips at a home improvement store to hold them up.
 
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