Hiss problem

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Mick Doobie

Mick Doobie

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I'm using a Boss DR-670 to record "drum" tracks. I'm recording each drum on a separate track, muting all other drums inside the Boss to get the one drum for each track. I'm running a midi cable between the two, my Tascam 2488 as the master, and the Boss being the slave. I'm getting a hiss on the recorded track(s), progressively worse and compounded with each additional track.

It doesn't seem like in the past I have had quite as much problems with hiss. It doesn't seem to matter if when setting levels I cut back on the trim and crank the volume on the Boss(about 3/4 up), or crank the trim and ease up on the Boss volume.

Any advice on solving or minimizing the problem? Is there a proper method of setting the levels(Drum machine vs trim) in the signal chain to minimize(or get rid of) the hiss?

The final product is useless unless I can do something about the problem. Sounds like doo doo.

Thanks
 
Could be that the drum machine puts out hiss (everything does) I know mine has a bit. You just notice it more because you have 8 (or however many) tracks of that hiss instead of just 1 if it was playing all at once.
 
For sure. But, preferably, i'd like to have all the individual "drums" on separate tracks for mixing purposes.

Would placing a gate in the signal chain(between the drum machine and the tascam) help get rid of the hiss?

Google "gain staging"
Click to expand...

From what i've been reading(from a google search), I should crank the drum machine and then set my level by adjusting the trim/input on the recorder? Sound right?
 
If I understand you correctly, you are running the audio from the Boss into the mic inputs on the 2488 (I have one of those too.)

Ideally, nothing in a chain should ever be 'cranked'; you find a sweet spot for each item in order to avoid either hitting the bottom noise floor or the noise that comes with a cheap output driven beyond its means.

If you haven't tried, you can experiment with this: plug the Boss into the Tascam line inputs so you bypass the 2488 pre-amps, set the fader on the channel at "0" and tweak the Boss output so it resembles Line out in volume.
You can see when you hit a good area if the 2488 is giving you, say, -16db on the readout on average with no audible clipping or other artifacts. Remember, you don't need to hit zero with this stuff at all. I am just saying.

An external pre-amp could boost your Boss considerably and more quietly than the pres in the 2488. They are ok to work with, but only so quiet, especially at the 'mic' end of the range.

The bottom line: how many more instruments are going to be on top along with your reading, and will it be noticeable then?

Good Luck,
Cosmic.
 
Hey Cosmic, thanks.

Yes, coming out of the Boss(mono/L output) and straight into the 2488 mic input.

Perhaps a poor choice of words on my part, "crank". (i think) I've been turning the Boss to about 50(plus a bit) of full volume, then setting my level at -16db by adjusting the mic input trim. I wasn't sure if I should be going up to, say, about 80%, or maybe even back off below 50% for best results...that is, to minimize hiss. From what i've been reading, it seems I should have the Boss volume fairly high(?).

Sorry, i'm not certain what you mean by "bypass the 2488 pre-amps". Could you elaborate?

How many more instruments? Well, the "drums" will be, hm, probably 5-6. Then probably 6-7 instruments and 4 vocals. I also have one track that is just a count-off hat which will be muted(or recorded over, whatever) later. The hiss is audible before anything starts, and also during breaks/quiet sections in the song. It's quite audible. If I can hear in those areas, it's obviously there other times as well, obviously.

The 2488 has a noise filter in the effects section. Would that be of any use in silencing the hiss from the Boss? Dunno. :rolleyes:

Anyway, thanks for the reply. All help appreciated.
 
Stand back guys, i'll handle this question.

Hey Knube, I had the same problem with hiss. After a bit of experimentation, oddly enough, I cranked the shit out of the volume on the Boss "drum" machine and adjusted the trim/mic input on the 2488 until I was peaking at -16 db, and this achieved the results with the least amount of hiss. When I say "cranked the shit out of", I mean I turned the volume up as far as it would go.

Someone suggested(thanks Cosmo) that the pre-amp on the 2488 was causing the hiss rather than the drum machine. So I reckon if i'm getting most of the gain from the Boss rather than the 2488 pre-amp, that helped cut down on the hiss. I'm thinkin' that is what's going on.

I hope the input of the 2488 can handle the maxed output of the Boss without suffering damage. Can the input of the 2488 handle the maxed output of the Boss dr-670 without suffering damage?
 
Hey Rami!

Sorry, I thought this thread had died.

I'm not sure what you're getting at....can you explain?

edit: Doh!

Oh, wait, I get it now. har har :laughings:


If i'm not mistaken, you use a 2488, right?

What do you think about what has been said so far. Am I on the right track, or totally clueless?...partially clueless? :o

Give it to me straight, I can take it.
 
hiiiiiisssssss :mad:

:D

No worries. Got any words of wisdom(that'd be you) for the clueless(that'd be me)?
 
If it's like a low level buzz it means that the speakers are still vibrating at an audio frequency. Accordingly, it either needs to be re-tuned or some electrical circuit has to be replaced. have you tried plugging it into another computer.
 
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