Microphone makes static/buzzing noise

C

ColeDaGod

New member
So I'm using a Rode NT1A microphone with a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 on my Samsung RV520 Notebook. I never had any issues with it but I recently had to restore my notebook and now I hear this buzzing noise everytime im recording. I figured out that the volume of the noise changes depending on how high the "gain" on the scarlett 2i2 is but even if I turn it down to the minimum the noise is still too loud to work with. I tried recording with the built in microphone from my laptop just to see if the noise is there as well and I dont have any background noises there. I really dont know much about engineering yet so it's hard for me too figure out the source of the problem. So please help your boy out lol
Thanks in advance, any help is greatly appreciated :)
 
Do you have a different mike lead you can try? That would be the easiest and cheapest thing to check first.

Does the noise occur if you don't have the NT1A connected to the Scarlett, but just the lead?

Does the noise occur if nothing is plugged into the scarlett?
 
We'd need a sample to be certain, but as it's a Scarlett, I suspect what you are describing will be data bus noise. Not static - but a digital whine that changes as the computer screen changes to the mouse moves, or you pull stuff in or out of a drive. some interfaces just do this. restoring your notebook could have put back an old driver? Worth double checking. Some computer-interface combinations just defy all tricks to cure. If you have a powered USB hub, try this to take the load of the computer 5v rail.
 
Gecko zzed I dont have a different lead to try, but the noise doesn't occur when I only got the lead without the NT1A plugged in same thing goes for if nothing is plugged into the scarlett.

rob aylestone can I post a sample of it on here? If so I will do that as soon as I get back to the microphone.
 
Are you running the 2i2 with the Focusrite ASIO drivers? If not Windows takes control and jacks up the recording gain. Are you on W7 or W10? If the latter you might have fallen foul of a Msoft update meddle.

Dave.
 
ecc83 said:
Are you running the 2i2 with the Focusrite ASIO drivers? If not Windows takes control and jacks up the recording gain. Are you on W7 or W10? If the latter you might have fallen foul of a Msoft update meddle.

Dave.
Click to expand...

I'm using some drivers I downloaded from the Focusrite website but im not sure if those are the ASIO drivers you mentioned could you maybe send me a link to make sure I got the right ones? I'm on W7.

rob I recorded a sample of the sound now and put it on sound cloud but apparently I'm not allowed to post links on here yet..



I also tried using the second XLR input on the scarlett to see if the noise is there as well, good thing is there is no noise but for some reason every thing i try to record on there is so quiet that you can barely hear anything at all.
 
Here you go - this is the link.Noise by Emmanuel | Free Listening on SoundCloud



Blimey - that was NOT the noise I expected. It sounds sadly, like a real fault here - things to possibly try are the obvious ones that require substitution - so swap the mic, swap the XLR cable but I suspect it could be a fault in the switch mode power supply of the computer (I assume you are powering the 2i2 from the USB feed from the computer. Try disconnecting the computer from the charger and running on batts. Does the noise suddenly stop? If it does the power supply is the probably cause. The ground on the XLR cable could have lifted, or the ground failed in the mic - substitution is really the only solution, although a multi-tester could also suggest the direction to go?
 
Alright thanks a lot Dave I just did everything like they say on the website so driver should be the right one now. Unfortunately still the same issue. I also have this pogram ASIO control panel now that came with it where I can set up the sample rate (currently at 44.1 kHz) and the buffer size (currently at 64). Do I need to change something there?


Thanks a lot Rob I just sent it to you.

Edit: Damn you're quick lol thanks again :)
 
rob aylestone said:
Blimey - that was NOT the noise I expected. It sounds sadly, like a real fault here - things to possibly try are the obvious ones that require substitution - so swap the mic, swap the XLR cable but I suspect it could be a fault in the switch mode power supply of the computer (I assume you are powering the 2i2 from the USB feed from the computer. Try disconnecting the computer from the charger and running on batts. Does the noise suddenly stop? If it does the power supply is the probably cause. The ground on the XLR cable could have lifted, or the ground failed in the mic - substitution is really the only solution, although a multi-tester could also suggest the direction to go?
Click to expand...

Oh my god thank you times a million you're a hero lol just tried it without the charger and everything works perfectly fine. I would've never thought of that. So for now I will just record without the charger plugged in. But in the long run, does that mean I need to replace the charger?
 
ColeDaGod said:
Oh my god thank you times a million you're a hero lol just tried it without the charger and everything works perfectly fine. I would've never thought of that. So for now I will just record without the charger plugged in. But in the long run, does that mean I need to replace the charger?
Click to expand...

Any chance the charger (power adapter) you're using is not the correct one for the Focusrite? Sometimes easy to get them mixed up and grab the wrong one.

Scratch that..... I didn't realize OP was talking the power supply for a laptop and forgot that interface is USB bus powered and not wall wart.
 
Last edited:
The power supplies on so many laptops are dreadful. I've never, for instance, found any Dell that can be plugged into a PA system without awful buzzes and hums. they are much gentler in character than yours, hence I suspect it's faulty - probably smoothing, but the high pitch of the buzz makes me think it could be oscillating. For mild hums and buzzes ferrite rings in the DC cable can help. if you have the time too experiment and have a big loudspeaker laying around as scrap - you can remove the circular magnet, and then you wind as many turns as you can of the DC cable around it - which obviously shortens it. This can have an impact - perhaps even curing mild buzzes and hums. Yours may be too severe and of course, the damn magnet will stick to anything it can find!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top