After doing some acoustic guitar recordings this weekend with some new gear, I still haven't been able to fix the noise problems I've been having lately (I'd link to a sample, but apparently you have to make at least 10 posts before you can use a URL).
I recorded a song with an M-Audio Pulsar II condenser mic, plugged into an ART Phantom II pro for phantom power, and from there to an M-Audio DMP3 mic preamp with the low-pass filter engaged and the gain set to about 60%, then finally into a Mackie Tapco USB interface with the gain set to about 30%. The mic was pointed at the 12th fret of the guitar about 6 inches away, and recorded with Acoustica Mixcraft in exclusivity mode, on a Lenovo ThinkPad that was on battery power. The Phantom II was using a 9v battery, and the DMP3 was plugged into the wall. During playback, there is a very noticeable constant hissing, as if the gain were turned up as high as it goes.
I understand that without a power conditioner you can end up with noise from a ground loop, but this seems different. I used to hear the same hiss when I didn't use exclusivity mode in Mixcraft (I assumed it was a software thing), but now I'm wondering if it's something with a cable (maybe the USB cable?) or maybe the USB interface itself? I bought the DMP3 because it's supposed to provide clean gain, but the hiss hasn't gone away.
Any ideas? I'd like to avoid purchasing more gear until I get a good handle on what the problem could be, and how I can fix it. I'll also gladly provide a link to a sample mp3 if necessary. I'd appreciate any help!
I recorded a song with an M-Audio Pulsar II condenser mic, plugged into an ART Phantom II pro for phantom power, and from there to an M-Audio DMP3 mic preamp with the low-pass filter engaged and the gain set to about 60%, then finally into a Mackie Tapco USB interface with the gain set to about 30%. The mic was pointed at the 12th fret of the guitar about 6 inches away, and recorded with Acoustica Mixcraft in exclusivity mode, on a Lenovo ThinkPad that was on battery power. The Phantom II was using a 9v battery, and the DMP3 was plugged into the wall. During playback, there is a very noticeable constant hissing, as if the gain were turned up as high as it goes.
I understand that without a power conditioner you can end up with noise from a ground loop, but this seems different. I used to hear the same hiss when I didn't use exclusivity mode in Mixcraft (I assumed it was a software thing), but now I'm wondering if it's something with a cable (maybe the USB cable?) or maybe the USB interface itself? I bought the DMP3 because it's supposed to provide clean gain, but the hiss hasn't gone away.
Any ideas? I'd like to avoid purchasing more gear until I get a good handle on what the problem could be, and how I can fix it. I'll also gladly provide a link to a sample mp3 if necessary. I'd appreciate any help!
