Almost about to give up on this Mic/Audiobox Please help!

[dekoder]

So i purchased an Audio Technica AT2020 Mic a while back. Since it was an XLR i purchased a presonus usb audiobox which would convert. Ever since I got it I have been struggling with this background noise. I have done everything from install a good frame, pop filter, a special usb hub from belkin and I still hear the noise. Now, when I disconnect the XLR mic from the box I am still getting the noise, which makes me think it the Presonus Audiobox.

I have listed two recordings of my mic. If someone can for the love of god help me with this I will be your friend forever.

The first one is without my voice.
Vocaroo | Voice message

The second one is with my voice.
Vocaroo | Voice message

 

[mjbphotos]

Pretty much everyone tells you not to use a USB hub with an audio interface.

 

[Chili]

All that noise in the background is room noise. ventilation, appliances, etc. Condensor mics are sensitive, they can pick up everything.

But you say you get the noise even with the mic disconnected??? That means you are listening to another mic. Are you using a laptop or computer with a built-in mic?? I bet you are and I bet you have it selected in whatever program you are using.

About the hub.... although Mike is correct, it is unrelated to the problem you are experiencing.

 

[dekoder]

I am using a PC. The only other mic is a webcam and I have it turned off in the recording devices, as in disabled. I ordered a windscreen yesterday im hoping itll help.

All that noise in the background is room noise. ventilation, appliances, etc. Condensor mics are sensitive, they can pick up everything.

But you say you get the noise even with the mic disconnected??? That means you are listening to another mic. Are you using a laptop or computer with a built-in mic?? I bet you are and I bet you have it selected in whatever program you are using.

About the hub.... although Mike is correct, it is unrelated to the problem you are experiencing.

 

[dekoder]

As for the USB hub it comes with a power adapter that powers the hub. The sound hasnt changed when i moved from computer to hub. It is the same.

 

[arcaxis]

How far away are you from the AT2020 when speaking. The further away you are, the more you'll need to turn up the gain on the Audiobox which will tend to pick up more noise in the room. A good working distance to try might be around 8 inches/20 cm to about 12 inches/30 cm.

"Now, when I disconnect the XLR mic from the box I am still getting the noise, which makes me think it the Presonus Audiobox."
Rather than disconnect the mic, try turning the gain on the Audiobox to zero and see if there is noise. Disconnecting the mic, but leaving the gain up on the channel may possibly result in some noise.

I as well have used a hub for a situation where the PC had weak power on a USB port. With a power adapter you shouldn't need the hub and if possible it would be preferable to not use it.

What DAW recording software are you using to record and are you using the drivers from Presonus for the Audiobox. Does your recording software show the Audiobox selected for the recording device similar to below in Audacity for a Tascam interface?

 

[dekoder]

It is the USB Hub that has the power adapter not the audiobox. Also I am using it with Discord (Gaming Voice Chat software) and OBS ( streaming software). When i turn the gain down all the way most of the noise is gone but the mic is barely picking up my voice. I do have the mic away pretty far due to it blocking my field of vision when I am gaming if it is too clos

Update: Okay i just moved the mic closer to my face and there is still this KSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS noise

Here is a recording
Vocaroo | Voice message

This was recorded with the gain to 0, but there is still this feeling of a hallway. I have ordered a windscreen do you think that will help this?

How far away are you from the AT2020 when speaking. The further away you are, the more you'll need to turn up the gain on the Audiobox which will tend to pick up more noise in the room. A good working distance to try might be around 8 inches/20 cm to about 12 inches/30 cm.

"Now, when I disconnect the XLR mic from the box I am still getting the noise, which makes me think it the Presonus Audiobox."
Rather than disconnect the mic, try turning the gain on the Audiobox to zero and see if there is noise. Disconnecting the mic, but leaving the gain up on the channel may possibly result in some noise.

I as well have used a hub for a situation where the PC had weak power on a USB port. With a power adapter you shouldn't need the hub and if possible it would be preferable to not use it.

What DAW recording software are you using to record and are you using the drivers from Presonus for the Audiobox. Does your recording software show the Audiobox selected for the recording device similar to below in Audacity for a Tascam interface?

 

[easlern]

I wouldn't spend money on a windscreen/pop filter, the noise you're hearing just sounds like a computer in a small drywalled room, super amplified. As microphones tend to do. I think you might be much happier if you just put a little expander on your vocal track with a threshold just below your speaking level. It'll gate out the noise when you're not speaking and bump your volume a bit when you do. You'll still hear that echo but you can fix most of that by placing some pillows or blankets at reflection points on the walls.

It's pretty common that people get condensers for gaming mikes and end up disappointed. A dynamic like an sm58 (much cheaper mic) or a nice gaming headset will probably sound better than a condenser in most gamer's rooms. The condenser will pick up not just your voice but all the annoying key and mouse clicks too. Me, I've spent a ton of money on recording gear but I still use a headset for gaming- it just works and sounds better despite being super cheap.

 

[Chili]

Nah, a windscreen won't help. Why? because:

All that noise in the background is room noise. ventilation, appliances, etc. Condensor mics are sensitive, they can pick up everything.

You might consider switching to a dynamic mic like the SM58, like easlern suggested. You can get closer to it and turn the gain down and most of the room noise will go away. The boxy 'hallway' sound you hear is your room untreated acoustically. If you want to fix that, you can hang heavy blankets around your area. Moving blankets will work well for voice stuff and with a little imagination and DIY, you can find a way to hang them in a temporary fashion. Put them up, take them down.

 

[Steenamaroo]

Pop your headphones on, set the mic live so you can hear yourself, then move a pillow around the mic, like a barber moves a mirror around the back of your head.
If that makes the sound change, then the sound is being 'heard' by the mic.

If it doesn't you're hearing the self noise from some piece of equipment, or some kind of interference.

Disconnecting the mic seems like logical troubleshooting but it's not a fair test because the quietest of signal paths will often become noisy with the input not connected to anything.
It's the same way a guitar amp hums and buzzes until you plug in the guitar.

Your findings may be relevant but listen very closely. If that noise isn't identical to what you're dealing with, it's probably just a different (and totally fine) noise.

Just to reiterate one of arcaxis' points, the idea of being closer to a microphone isn't that it will help or alter noise in any way.
The idea is that being closer makes you louder than the background noise, from the microphone's perspective.
Think of the difference between talking to someone across a busy room, or coming up and talking right into their ear in the same room.
That's really helpful advice if you're just dealing with background noise that you can't really do anything about, and an extension of that advice is to try a dynamic mic because they're
generally very forgiving with regard to pops and plosives from air blasts.

Start at the start though and prove it one way or other. Grab your pillow.

 

[hardwire666]

All of this. Condenser mics are great because they are sensitive. But in an untreated room and with all of the noisy things that you find in a home you will want to pull your hair out.

Nah, a windscreen won't help. Why? because:


You might consider switching to a dynamic mic like the SM58, like easlern suggested. You can get closer to it and turn the gain down and most of the room noise will go away. The boxy 'hallway' sound you hear is your room untreated acoustically. If you want to fix that, you can hang heavy blankets around your area. Moving blankets will work well for voice stuff and with a little imagination and DIY, you can find a way to hang them in a temporary fashion. Put them up, take them down.