Crackling noise from Shure sm7b with goxlr suddenly, can't find reason for it.

[Dumbledoor]

Hey, I hope this is the right section for this since I am an Audio-Equipment Newbie.
So, recently my Shure sm7b started to have a weird crackling-like noise. I didn't touch the settings of my goxlr after the first setup, and the crackling noise wasn't the case when I first started using the microphone back in April. I changed my XLR cable temporarily, but that didn't change anything.
This is driving me crazy at this point, so much so that I started to hear the noise in a recording my friend said he doesn't hear the noise in. I also tried the microphone without my computer or any software in between by plugging headphones into my goxlr, but sometimes I hear it very quietly and sometimes not at all. I was careful not to touch the cable or my mic arm while testing it with headphones, so the noise seems to appear randomly, or I am going insane at this point.

Any ideas what this issue is or how I can further try to find the source of the issue?

Attached file 1: Recording of mic test in discord microphone settings (the same noise can be heard when I talk)
Attached file 2: Recording mentioned in the text; my friend doesn't hear the noise, I do.

Thank you for any help!

 

[rob aylestone]

It's NOT a crackle - if you load it up and normalise it (because it's so quiet) you'll see they are noise impulses - reminiscent of capacitor problems in preamps, or sometimes very similar to driver problems in the DAW when I think it's the maths producing random. If you zoom right in, you see it's usually just one, maybe two samples that are abnormally high - so that pulls me away from normal electronics type problems, into digital issues. First thing - is download whatever drivers you are using for your audio device - get the latest versions. I suspect this could cure it. Other possible causes are buffer overflows, if you've been fiddling with the latency etc. Of course the GoXLR is the device I know little about - so not sure if the unit uses it's own drivers or if the application itself contains the driver - but I'd certainly re-download it and try.

Cable crackle is a very different sound.

 

[Dumbledoor]

It's NOT a crackle - if you load it up and normalise it (because it's so quiet) you'll see they are noise impulses - reminiscent of capacitor problems in preamps, or sometimes very similar to driver problems in the DAW when I think it's the maths producing random. If you zoom right in, you see it's usually just one, maybe two samples that are abnormally high - so that pulls me away from normal electronics type problems, into digital issues. First thing - is download whatever drivers you are using for your audio device - get the latest versions. I suspect this could cure it. Other possible causes are buffer overflows, if you've been fiddling with the latency etc. Of course the GoXLR is the device I know little about - so not sure if the unit uses it's own drivers or if the application itself contains the driver - but I'd certainly re-download it and try.

Cable crackle is a very different sound.

I have tried it again with headphones plugged into the GoXLR and my two XLR cables. What I realized is, I can hear the noise with the microphone not plugged in. It is enough to plug in the XLR cable to the GoXLR for the noise to appear. I fear that the GoXLR might be damaged.

 

[rob aylestone]

I doubt it's damaged - try redownloading the software. Digits are being dropped and replaced by one sample noise - computers often have this kind of strange behaviour. I assume you computer sees the device as one or more USB inputs? Drivers are the obvious thing to try if there are drivers. What does windows show it using in device manager?

 

[Dumbledoor]

I doubt it's damaged - try redownloading the software. Digits are being dropped and replaced by one sample noise - computers often have this kind of strange behaviour. I assume you computer sees the device as one or more USB inputs? Drivers are the obvious thing to try if there are drivers. What does windows show it using in device manager?

I will try redownloading the software for the GoXLR. Someone in the TC Helicon Discord server (manufacturer of the GoXLR) suggested getting a ground loop isolator since it fixed the issue for them.

 

[Dumbledoor]

I will try redownloading the software for the GoXLR. Someone in the TC Helicon Discord server (manufacturer of the GoXLR) suggested getting a ground loop isolator since it fixed the issue for them.

A reinstall of the software unfortunately didn't fix the problem.

 

[rob aylestone]

Did they suggest it because you mentioned crackles? Your issue is clicks - and if they're created digitally, then it's not a ground loop.

You now need to be methodical. Do you have another computer you can install it on? This will rule out the computer as the cause, and suggest it's the device, or it will point to the computer. I would be very surprised if it turns out to be a real fault - but if you rule out the computer that only leaves the GoXLR doesn't it?

 

[Papanate]

I will try redownloading the software for the GoXLR. Someone in the TC Helicon Discord server (manufacturer of the GoXLR) suggested getting a ground loop isolator since it fixed the issue for them.

It sounds like a ground loop - but what is driving it I don't know.

 

[Dumbledoor]

Did they suggest it because you mentioned crackles? Your issue is clicks - and if they're created digitally, then it's not a ground loop.

You now need to be methodical. Do you have another computer you can install it on? This will rule out the computer as the cause, and suggest it's the device, or it will point to the computer. I would be very surprised if it turns out to be a real fault - but if you rule out the computer that only leaves the GoXLR doesn't it?

I did mention a crackling noise, yes.
I unplugged the USB cable from the GoXLR, and the noise is still there. So, I assume the issue has nothing to do with my computer.
So, my current situation looks as follows: My GoXLR is only connected to the power outlet, and my headphones are directly plugged into the GoXLR. With the XLR cable connected to the GoXLR, I can hear the noise. However, if I unplug the XLR cable from the GoXLR, the noise stops immediately.

My next step would be writing an email to TC Helicon and explain the situation to them. I hope they have an idea of what could be wrong with my GoXLR.

 

[Dumbledoor]

Problem solved!
The cause was my outlet. A couple of days ago, I plugged it into an outlet strip. Before that, the GoXLR was plugged into a wall outlet. Plugging it back into the wall outlet fixed the issue.
Really the last thing I thought would be the reason for that.

 

[rob aylestone]

The next question is to ask why it happened. Mains power should be identical at every outlet in terms of voltage and ground continuity. If one socket causes these spikes - then there could be other issues. The GoXLR runs from a wall power supply doesn't it? So what caused the clicks? You cured the clicks, but whatever fault caused them, is still there?