condenser mics TOO MUCH BACKROUND noise!!!

  • Thread starter Thread starter OnTheBlackRock
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OnTheBlackRock

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OK. well recording with condensers in my home studio is AWFUL. I can hear my dogs collar ringing when hes 4 levels up. I can hear the neighbors arguing (kinda fun) BUT NOT WHEN I'M RECORDING!!!! so I was like eah I'll just record the dude singing and run it through pro tools and take out the ringing or the nieghbors... NOPE didn't work so should i just give up in using condensers in my house and use dynamics? how do you guys record or stand condensers when all you get is a fuzzy sound and backround noises you dont want? P.s. I'm using a Oktava MK319 through a Presonus Bluetube MicPRE
 
Just run it through Pro Tools again. That should do it.
 
Have you tried turning the gain down and getting closer to the mic? I find that this helps improve your signal to noise ratio substantially. But I'm not familiar with the intricacies of the 319, or your recording room. Does it have a "sweet spot" at relatively close range? Also, recording at closer range helps minimize the impact a "bad room" has on your tracks. It's a cheap alternative to acoustical treatments! ;)
 
You can try reducing the amount of background noise....how's that for an answer :(

This is probably the number one challenge for most homerec'ers. Sometimes we don't realize just how noisy or environment is until we plug a sensitive mic in.

Play with the position of your mic. Try sitting or standing in a quiet corner with mic pointed towards the corner. Try the bathroom with the door closed. I've even gone so far in the past as sticking a mic in a towel pantry! Some might recommend putting blankets and such all over the place, but you might just end up killing all the high frequency content in your room and still be left with plenty of low background noise (after all, it's often those engines and bangs and driveby stereos that cause real havoc).

Also, just because there is noise doesn't always mean that it's going to be a problem. Depending on the recording and how much good signal you have, the noise might disappear into the mix, and you can always edit out the dead portions of the track.

Slackmaster 2000
 
late at night

I record late at night to avoid the same problem. for those of us who can't afford sound proof rooms, it's the only way. in one sense, this is the price we pay for having great mikes and quiet recording equipment. stuff that might have been buried under tape hiss now stands out.
 
Most of the ideas are fine, Some more you might think of...turn the thermostat off while you are recording. Pull the drapes (both to add absorption and reduce transmission through the window). If you don't have drapes on the windows get some nice heavy ones. Record with the quietest computer you have available. Record in your socks. Avoid noisy clothing. if your room has a hard floor put a soft mat or rug. under your feet (which will help fatigue on long sessions too).

I have observed that when the room is quiet a condenser will tend to pick up anything and seem to exaggerate it. Consider adding a low limiter to the software processing, which will turn anything under a certain level into zero.
 
the closet is a freebe iso-booth. May not be idea, but it sure blocks out some noise.

Also, the front of the condensor picks up more than the back, so, turn away from noise.

Al
 
I'm using noise gating, at least with condenser mics. That'll take out the noise of the silent parts, and usually you won't hear any noise in the loud parts. But you have to be careful not to set the release time too fast, because then it'll sound unnatural. Have to admit that the sensitivity of condenser mics can sometimes be really annoying.
 
I guess the best answers are the most obvious. Lessen the noise reaching the mic, and lessen the mics ability to pick things up.

A vocal mic shouldn't pick up nearly anything from more than 2 or 3 feet away, that's why singer should be 6 inches from mic. Try putting up some bed comforters hanging around the vocals, also do it at night, and make sure you can't hear the singer when he/she is 3 feet away from mic and talking in normal voice.
 
Myth. How can any mic know how far away a sound came from? The only way you have any way of knowing how far away a sound came from is that you have two microphones (ears) and some pretty sophisticated processing in the middle.
 
Innovations said:
Myth. How can any mic know how far away a sound came from? The only way you have any way of knowing how far away a sound came from is that you have two microphones (ears) and some pretty sophisticated processing in the middle.
Click to expand...


If you're refering to my post - then I have no idea what you mean, and I don't think you have any idea what I meant either.
 
hmmmm, then there must be something wrong with my Soundelux U97 (or Neumann KM184) going into my Great River MP2, because if the phone rings down the hall, the mic hears it.
It picks up my wife doing the laundry downstairs. I guess I should toss all the stuff in the dumpster and buy a cheap mic and pre which won't pick any
of the junk up (not that my wife is junk
mind you!)

HyperSpace said:
<snip>
A vocal mic shouldn't pick up nearly anything from more than 2 or 3 feet away, that's why singer should be 6 inches from mic. <snip>
Click to expand...
 
This is generally good advice. Don't forget to remove that metal/gold/whatever watch! When I track my acoustic guitar, I usually have a KM184 on the neck and if I forget to remove my Tag Heurer, the track has a really annoying metal clanking noise on it. It's quite noticable!

One problem with the "low level limiter in the software processing" is that you just can't tell the software to "remove the low-level hum from the track." How does the SW know what signal to remove? What if it's not constant? What if there's a phone ringing in the background at the same time as the vocals? This obviously is different than the hum of the A/C, or the noise from your PC. If you do manage to cut some signal, there's a good chance you're also cutting some usable signal from the musical content. Tread lightly here and realize there is no SW magic bullet to solve the condenser mic noise problem in an untreated space. Like most of the responses indicate - you must treat it at the source by getting rid of the noise!

PS - OnTheBlackRock - you never posted your great acoustic mp3 for us! Since your parents already blew $40K on this equipment, ask them to spend another $20K on acoustics/soundproofing.
But seriously, I remember the disapointment in the ambient noise when I first starting using a condenser in my untreated apartment. You can work around it though!

Innovations said:
Most of the ideas are fine, Some more you might think of...turn the thermostat off while you are recording. Pull the drapes (both to add absorption and reduce transmission through the window). If you don't have drapes on the windows get some nice heavy ones. Record with the quietest computer you have available. Record in your socks. Avoid noisy clothing. if your room has a hard floor put a soft mat or rug. under your feet (which will help fatigue on long sessions too).

I have observed that when the room is quiet a condenser will tend to pick up anything and seem to exaggerate it. Consider adding a low limiter to the software processing, which will turn anything under a certain level into zero.
Click to expand...
 
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