Mic/Room noise question

Raymond S Kohn

New member
Hi folks new here and hope alls well with everyone :)
Might as well jump right in , right ? Lol

K so I'm using my pc with Reason 8.2
I have a lexicon IO-42 interface .
Mics I'm using are a Monoprice large diaphragm mutli pattern and a blue spark .

So I record acoustic guitar mostly what I'd like to understand and try and fix is my mic noise or floor noise .

Unfortunately I don't have an idosolated room as I'm recording in my living room .

I'd like to know what is causing the white noise if possible. Is it the Mics ? Is the interface ? Is the pc ? And or the room ?

It could be all the above but I don't know how to go about checking each component to identify its noise level . Yes if I unplug it everything is quiet as a mouse lol

Thanks for help
Ray
 
Hi Ray, this is a very common noob problem but there can be several, even multiple causes.

First step! Make 30 second 'Mary had..' clip but don't forget at least ten seconds where you STF up so we can judge the background noise and analize it. Save as .wav then turn it into MP3, highest quality you can then attach it. ('go Advanced post) You CAN send a music clip by other means but an attachment saves me work! (be even LESS work if you could attach .waves!)

Next, your noise floor. Set a mic up and yodel at about 200mm and get an average level in the DAW (don't know Reason but meters are all the same)of around -18 to -20dBFS. Keep recording then unplug the mic (kill 48V first!) . Where does the meter drop to?

I would expect it to fall to below -90dBFS and if not you have a problem with the AI but that is unlikely. Most commonly it is 'room' noise of some sort, often computer fans.

Oh! BTW. Welcome to the mad house!

Dave.
 
Hi Ray, this is a very common noob problem but there can be several, even multiple causes.

First step! Make 30 second 'Mary had..' clip but don't forget at least ten seconds where you STF up so we can judge the background noise and analize it. Save as .wav then turn it into MP3, highest quality you can then attach it. ('go Advanced post) You CAN send a music clip by other means but an attachment saves me work! (be even LESS work if you could attach .waves!)

Next, your noise floor. Set a mic up and yodel at about 200mm and get an average level in the DAW (don't know Reason but meters are all the same)of around -18 to -20dBFS. Keep recording then unplug the mic (kill 48V first!) . Where does the meter drop to?

I would expect it to fall to below -90dBFS and if not you have a problem with the AI but that is unlikely. Most commonly it is 'room' noise of some sort, often computer fans.

Oh! BTW. Welcome to the mad house!

Dave.

Yodel ! Your kidding right that could cause unparalleled destruction to the universe !
STF = ?

I'll try get a track this weekend in the mean time I can link a SoundCloud tune that would show my noise at the end of the track it was weird because the song is only one track till the ending note where added a second track to add a second ending chord that's were the noise kind blossomed out of know where lol

Here's the song it's at the end , sometimes what's weird is it comes and goes in intensity in this the only thing different was changing inputs from track 1&2 to 3&4

https://soundcloud.com/agradeleous234/life-on-the-fringe
 
Last edited:
Yodel ! Your kidding right that could cause unparalleled destruction to the universe !
STF = ?

I'll try get a track this weekend in the mean time I can link a SoundCloud tune that would show my noise at the end of the track it was weird because the song is only one track till the ending note where added a second track to add a second ending chord that's were the noise kind blossomed out of know where lol

Here's the song it's at the end , sometimes what's weird is it comes and goes in intensity in this the only thing different was changing inputs from track 1&2 to 3&4

Life On The Fringe by Ray kohn | Free Listening on SoundCloud


That does sound like equipment noise. So what dB are your peaks hitting when you are recording?
 
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