Popping in VO recordings on Adobe Audition

cgprince

New member
Hello! I frequently record VO auditions from home using Adobe Audition on an old macbook pro and a relatively cheap/simple audio-technica mic w/ pop filter plugged in via USB to the laptop... when I playback, I'm hearing so much popping in the audio that is not from my voice - maybe it's interference of some sort? Help! Is it cords? Crappy mic? Other devices? Wifi? I've attached a sample to hear what I'm talking about. So frustrating!View attachment SIR Conference Video.mp3
 
It can be a plethora of things. You will need to troubleshot it. But i would start with these:
1. Check to make sure you are not clipping when you are recording.

2. Check and make sure your sound card drivers are set up properly. this can cause artifacts like popping, if the driver mode settings are wrong and set to a wrong buffer that your computer cannot handle. You may need to raise your buffers.

3. Check your entire signal chain and gain stage to make sure nothing is clipping.

4. Check your monitor cables. Make sure they are balanced and not near any electrical wires/chords

I would do all those things in that order and then go from there
 
CG,
How much editing/splicing did you do to this clip? Did you cut out a bunch of bad takes and splice it back together?
Dale

PS- I just reread your post. When you pull up the spectral view of your audio track, is there a pattern to the pops, or same frequency?
 
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Screenshot 2019-03-23 at 09.01.30.pngScreenshot 2019-03-23 at 09.04.41.pngThat sounds to me to be processor based - buffers running out and not being refilled quick enough and possibly even drive read/write sluggishness. Absolutely not problems caused outside the computer, so discount cables, leads, and even mic gain. They're glitches that could, I thought, be removed as they are a very small number of samples, and you can probably rescue the recording - BUT - looking at it in Audition, some glitches cover quite a few samples and are repetitive - sharp 'jiggles' in the waveform. You say it's an old MacBook? One that always behaved before, or one you just started using? Could be even drive space meaning lots of housekeeping being done that is causing dropped frames in the audio. In audition, zoom in and look at the waveform.

Some can be fixed but others are more tricky. Your level is VERY low, so normalising to see the errors shows the background quite high. Some of the errors are also data missing, a positive value sample leaps straight to negative with the curve missing. These can be smoothed out and are often called crossing point errors. You need to run some tests - record some tones and repetitive waveforms and see what happens. Try new drivers for your interface too. Create more disk space if you are short, alter the buffer sizes - this is probably the quickest fix but will impact on latency.
 
I’d suspect a buffer problem as well so you might try a lighter weight recording app like Audacity just to see if the problem is recreatable with that.

And, if it’s a low powered older MacBook Pro (like my 2010 - originally 4GB, 5400RPM, Core 2 Duo) then the usual optimizations should be tried: disable internet and Time Machine and close every app not actively being used.

I’d also move the project to an external drive. I found that was necessary for tracking large projects. RAM and SSD upgrades can help too.
 
I’d suspect a buffer problem as well so you might try a lighter weight recording app like Audacity just to see if the problem is recreatable with that.
..

Agreed... Especially after seeing Rob's super-sleuthing waveform pic.
Dale
 
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