Recording vocals with no background noise

M

M3TA1

New member
When I record vocals, I get background noise. I don't have the space or money to buy those acoustic panels so is there a way I can eliminate background noise without spending too much?
 
Background noise can be caused by your mic....your AI.....your PC......your power situation.....your environment (windows.....fans......lights)........etc.........etc.........but acoustic panels as you call them are not basically designed to keep the noise out. They're mostly to make your recording space less of an influence on your recording. So.......can you tell where your background noise is coming from? What's your set-up? Are you recording voice......guitar.......??? We may be able to assist.........if you provide a little more info.
 
I'm recording voice and acoustic guitar but mainly vocals. I am using a Shure SM57 with a pop filter. My computer is fairly close to my mic. My room isn't exactly loud, when you listen closely, you can hear small noises from the fan of my computer, some noises outside, and some other noises in my home.
 
As with all things when recording, you want to eliminate the problem as early in the chain as possible. In this case, you're probably better off getting rid of the background noise before you hit record. Can you set up an isolation room away from the background noises? Maybe a closet or something?
 
Your room isn't exactly loud? What does that even mean? As in there's not much ambient noise?

Microphones record stuff... it's what they do. If you think it's bad with that mic, then try a condenser.

If you don't want it recorded, don't make it. If your mic is close to your PC, then move it further away, or put something in between the mic and the PC to baffle the sound.

If your mic is picking up the sounds of birds, dogs etc, then you either need to get the mic into a situation where the mic can't "hear' these noises, or get a gun and go shoot everything making the noise. The neighbours will understand if you take the more permanent option, I'm sure.

You also need to understand about signal to noise ratio - what can, and can't be heard, in a final recording, depending of course upon what the finished product is intended to be.

Welcome to home recording... :D
 
How far away is the mic when recording? I have some background noises to contend with and get around it with closer placement of the mic. Of course, watch your levels/gain. I'll often have to move closer/further away when singing louder/softer passages.
 
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If you move away, you change the tone, so you either adjust the gain for the loudest section, or record the track in two sections. Moving is bad.
 
My mic picks up small sounds like my fan from my computer. Unfortunately, I don't' have the space or money to make a vocal booth. I want to get the best results I possibly can with the gear I already have. If I keep the gain low on my interface and I get closer to the mic, it helps a bit and when I enable compression and noise gate through Logic it helps.
 
You don't need a booth. My obvious suggestion is to get away from your computer as much as possible, and place you mic in a way that minimises the bleed you're getting from your fan. Putting some blankets between your recording position, and computer can help a little as well. There are much better solutions, but these can be done without spending a dime.
 
M3TA1,
A post of the noise would aid diagnosis. Set up as you normally would then shut up for 20 seconds and attaché the resultant recording as an MP3.

Dave.
 
Changing the fan, moving the computer to another room and using keyboard, monitor and mouse extension cables would all be good solutions, as would the acoustic treatment you can't do.

However, for some quick and dirty improvement, make the physics of acoustics...

-Every time you double the distance from a sound source, you quarter the amount of sound you're hearing...so, if you can move twice as far from the computer, you'll only have a quarter the fan noise.

-You don't mention how far the mic is from your sound sources but, just as with the first point, if you can halve the distance from mic to to your mouth or guitar, you'll have four times as much level compared to the background noise.

-Your SM57 is a directional mic...it picks up strongly directly in front and has very little pickup directly behind. Use this and arrange your room so when the mic is pointing straight at the guitar or your mouth, it's pointing directly away from the fan.

-Finally, it's not acoustic treatment but if you can hang something soft (duvet, movers blanket, etc) behind you when you record, it'll stop some of sound from behind the mic being reflected into the sensitive end.
 
M3TA1 said:
My mic picks up small sounds like my fan from my computer. Unfortunately, I don't' have the space or money to make a vocal booth. I want to get the best results I possibly can with the gear I already have. If I keep the gain low on my interface and I get closer to the mic, it helps a bit and when I enable compression and noise gate through Logic it helps.
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I had similar issues lately and solved them very easily. Try:

1) Get away from computer
2) Are you using an AI or a preamp? I use a preamp and was making the mistake to plug the preamp output into the "mic" jack at my soundcard so it was amplificating a LOT the sensibility of the system and catching a LOT of noise. Instead, in this case you should plug the preamp output at the "line in" jack. It made miracles to me. It doesn't apply if you are using an AI instead.

PS: You dont have to have a lot of money to have a vocal booth. You can do a simple one by just stuffing a cardboard box with some foam. However I don't think you need it. I am using a SM57 clone, don't use a booth and am doing fine now. I live at countryside thougt and my environment is quite quiet.

:)
 
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