mic blues :-|

[kr236rk]

hi newb

desperately seeking a mic interface which will give me clean clear audio :-o

am using M-Audio FastTrack 'guitar' USB at the moment which is great for electric guitar but a real headache if you want to mic vocals or acoustic instruments - there must be an alternative?

thanks

kr

 

[kr236rk]

help

hi newb

desperately seeking a mic interface which will give me clean clear audio :-o

am using M-Audio FastTrack 'guitar' USB at the moment which is great for electric guitar but a real headache if you want to mic vocals or acoustic instruments - there must be an alternative?

thanks

kr

hi again - gosh - hard going :-|

have taken out about 90% of the background interference by unamplifying the mic

but there is still an irritating background clicking noise in the mix, rather like the faint ticking noise of an electric timer switch

this noise is also in the headphones whenever i plug them into the interface

when i place my hand on the interface, the clicking stops, when i take my hand away, the clicking starts again

and clues please?

thanks

kr

 

[vijsolo]

looks like you have a grounding problem

 

[kr236rk]

XLR to the rescue?

looks like you have a grounding problem

thanks - could be - it's driving me nuts whatever it is: just noticed passing my hand over the mic cable also stops the ticking noise ~ maybe i ought to try a fully XLR mic + cable?

the Fast Track mic input is 3 pin XLR, i use an XLR converter for a mini jack condenser mic.

the mic works brilliantly on other hardware but perhaps it just isn't 'balanced' for the XLR input?

willing to try almost anything to get rid of this darned background tick, it has cost me 48 hours of totalled recording this week alone :-o

thanks again

kr

 

[Jim Lad]

Funny, that one.
I had the same problem with the Fast Track Pro and an AKG mic.
Turned out that it was picking up the timer on the water softener two rooms away.
Take your watch off...
Seriously though. Look around for things that do actually tick.
My experience has been that regular ticking sounds can quite often be traced to other devices inside or just outside the home.
Does any of your equipment have a flashing light?
Once you've eliminated all that, start looking at other options.
Change location, just to be sure it isn't something other than your equipment.
I'm not sure what the "M-Audio Fast Track 'guitar' USB" is unless you mean simply the "Fast Track USB".
Maybe step up to the Fast Track Pro or some other interface in the same price bracket.

 

[kr236rk]

Funny, that one.
I had the same problem with the Fast Track Pro and an AKG mic.
Turned out that it was picking up the timer on the water softener two rooms away.
Take your watch off...
Seriously though. Look around for things that do actually tick.
My experience has been that regular ticking sounds can quite often be traced to other devices inside or just outside the home.
Does any of your equipment have a flashing light?
Once you've eliminated all that, start looking at other options.
Change location, just to be sure it isn't something other than your equipment.
I'm not sure what the "M-Audio Fast Track 'guitar' USB" is unless you mean simply the "Fast Track USB".
Maybe step up to the Fast Track Pro or some other interface in the same price bracket.

am getting fed up with this forum - i just had to log in AGAIN and therefore lost all of my reply

MODERATOR!?

the noise is almost ceertainly caused by my equipment - hence the upgrade (query) to balanced XLR mic + shielded cable?

the noise is electronic - 2 clicks per second - so no analogue timepiece

sorry brief - this forum is eating my time + posts :-o

thanks

kr

 

[Jim Lad]

am getting fed up with this forum - i just had to log in AGAIN and therefore lost all of my reply

MODERATOR!?

the noise is almost ceertainly caused by my equipment - hence the upgrade (query) to balanced XLR mic + shielded cable?

the noise is electronic - 2 clicks per second - so no analogue timepiece

sorry brief - this forum is eating my time + posts :-o

thanks

kr

Sorry.
I'll write quicker the next time.
In the meantime, why not take time out of your busy schedule and go looking around for the cause of your problem. LED clocks flash on and off every second. That's 2 clicks per second. I'm betting that I'm right about it not being your gear with a steady rhythm like that.
We typically set up our studios in basements and close to utility rooms where all sorts of equipment runs 24 hours a day. Furnaces, water softeners, sprinkler systems, heat pumps the list goes on.
Sorry for taking up your valuable time with my well intentioned reply to your request for assistance.
Pop in again when you're not so busy and see if we can't get to the root of the problem. I hate to see good recordings lost for any reason but even more so when the loss can be so easily avoided.
I hope I haven't been too long winded this time around.
I remain
Your Humble Servant
Jim

 

[kr236rk]

Sorry.
I'll write quicker the next time.
In the meantime, why not take time out of your busy schedule and go looking around for the cause of your problem. LED clocks flash on and off every second. That's 2 clicks per second. I'm betting that I'm right about it not being your gear with a steady rhythm like that.
We typically set up our studios in basements and close to utility rooms where all sorts of equipment runs 24 hours a day. Furnaces, water softeners, sprinkler systems, heat pumps the list goes on.
Sorry for taking up your valuable time with my well intentioned reply to your request for assistance.
Pop in again when you're not so busy and see if we can't get to the root of the problem. I hate to see good recordings lost for any reason but even more so when the loss can be so easily avoided.
I hope I haven't been too long winded this time around.
I remain
Your Humble Servant
Jim

sorry Jim - lost 40 minutes of reply back there - why do forums ask us to log in when we've already logged in?

conducted 48 hours of extensive tests - placing the mic in various locations with all controls up full to show up the interference at its worst, whilst listening through headphones

the mic plugs into the USB FT on phantom power - btw, there is no use amplifying the mic, it won't work and just causes more electric interference

passing a hand over the FT device quietens the background noise - picking it up and holding it has a similar effect: but then i discovered passing my hand over the mic cable near the mic, quietened the noise also - so it's not anything local to the FT interface ... seems to be the cable itself, or its connections (?) which are turning the mic into a receiver for unwanted background effects?

there's nothing that ticks in this room - clockwork or electric and i do not wear a wrist watch indoors

there is a vhs/vcr which flashes in another room, but the mic in there is quieter than in this room

it has to be the cable which is picking up this stuff - it is not audio - i covered the mic and the electronic ticking persisted

M-Audio have an XLR mic which is practically designed for USB FastTrack i have just discovered ~ i may go for that?

http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/SoundCheck.html

yes i may go for that - and pray - my recording project is now on ice :-o

thanks again

kr

 

[Jim Lad]

Do you have another XLR cable or a dynamic microphone?

 

[Bristol Posse]

If your feeding phantom power into a minijack converter, that's a problem
Trying to push pahntom power through a XLR - TS/TRS converter is probably going to cause a lot of interference and a TS/TRS cable jack isn't set up to carry phantom power anyway so that could be your problem

 

[Jim Lad]

there is a vhs/vcr which flashes in another room

I'd set the clock anyway or unplug it.
What harm will it do.

 

[kr236rk]

Xlr

Do you have another XLR cable or a dynamic microphone?

no - when the Fast Track turned up it had the XLR input so i went out and bought an XLR-1/4" jack adapter ~ you can get 1/4" jacks which convert mini jacks, so then i could use the mini jack (battery powered) condenser mic: it has always given me problems with Fast Track and i have great gaps inbetween projects so i tend to forget there were problems or what i did to get round them

at the moment the mic is particularily noisy so it's brought matters to a head - plus i've been using the condenser in a mini digital recorder (mini jack to mini socket - no adapter) and the crystal clear audio i'm getting from that is making the poor reproduction from the Fast Track set up completely unacceptable on the ear

so no, i have no XLR kit at all at the moment - getting hold of an XLR mic (and cable) will be a leap of faith i guess :-o

not sure where the dynamic mic comes into the equation - both mics i have referred to are condensers, my current mini jack one, with AA [AAA?] battery power and the M-Audio XLR, no idea if this takes a battery though?

many thanks

kr

 

[kr236rk]

xlr

If your feeding phantom power into a minijack converter, that's a problem
Trying to push pahntom power through a XLR - TS/TRS converter is probably going to cause a lot of interference and a TS/TRS cable jack isn't set up to carry phantom power anyway so that could be your problem

the interface is 100% usb phantom powered; the mini jack mic which plugs into the interface has a small battery on board.

what you say makes a lot of sense - the jack and XLR format look totally dissimilar. when i got the Fast Track 2 or 3 years ago all XLR mics were in the top of the high price range bracket, and there wasn't anything in the middle range ~ now there appears to be quite a lot in the mid range which is either or both condenser and XLR

if the M-Audio mic proves no better than the mini jack condenser mic i will have to go back to the drawing board

could never understand why M-Audio would make a pc interface which performs poorly near computers: perhaps the reason is just that i was using the wrong type of connecting mic?

thanks

kr

 

[kr236rk]

vcr

I'd set the clock anyway or unplug it.
What harm will it do.

can set it but no longer do timer recording and the flashing will be due to the last time the fuses went in the flat i think

can't unplug it because it is hooked up to the tv

it really isn't a problem thanks - or it would have ruined all my mini digital recorder work, which was done in that room, with the tv + vcr

 

[Jim Lad]

can set it but no longer do timer recording and the flashing will be due to the last time the fuses went in the flat i think

Humour me. Reset the clock.
Didn't know you were in a flat though.
All it takes is for one tenant to hook up some cheap telephone and you're stuck with whatever interference it happens to carry.
I'm afraid you're going to have to purchase a new home.
I'll get the listings for you.


Can you throw up a link to the USB device you're using, please?
I asked earlier for clarification on which model you're using but it got overlooked.

 

[kr236rk]

M-Audio

Humour me. Reset the clock.
Didn't know you were in a flat though.
All it takes is for one tenant to hook up some cheap telephone and you're stuck with whatever interference it happens to carry.
I'm afraid you're going to have to purchase a new home.
I'll get the listings for you.

you're a wag

Can you throw up a link to the USB device you're using, please?
I asked earlier for clarification on which model you're using but it got overlooked.

thanks to the multiple log-in

sure thing

http://www.usb-sound-card.com/m-audio-fast-track-usb-computer-recording-interface

 

[Jim Lad]

Fair enough.
Recognized it instantly.
The Fast Track USB does not offer phantom power (you know that) nor is it the source of your problem. It's M-Audio's most basic USB interface.
So I'd look again at what Bristol already told you.

so no, i have no XLR kit at all at the moment - getting hold of an XLR mic (and cable) will be a leap of faith i guess :-o

It's not a great leap. Your interface was designed to handle it.

not sure where the dynamic mic comes into the equation - both mics i have referred to are condensers, my current mini jack one, with AA [AAA?] battery power and the M-Audio XLR, no idea if this takes a battery though?

The dynamic mic and an XLR cable are the most ideal route to your Fast Track.

M-Audio have an XLR mic which is practically designed for USB FastTrack i have just discovered ~ i may go for that?

http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/SoundCheck.html

Yup!



Not really sure why you bought the attenuator but no big deal.
Just set that aside for a while. You won't need it.
I'd like you to pop into a thread I was in yesterday. (Just as soon as I can find it)
According to your link, the microphone is Dynamic

Here you go https://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=291664 Similar gear but not the same issues. Should be informative though.
Jings! I hope you didn't run out and buy a new house

 

[kr236rk]

phantom power

ok Jim thanks

seems like i'm on the road to recovery

but if my usb Fast Track ain't phantom powered then i do not understand the term - the only juice to it is via pc by way of the usb lead, it has no other power source

so what do you construe as 'phantom power' - how would you define it, please ~ i am on a learning curve

bests

kr

 

[Jeff_D]

Phantom power refers to the 48V dc power that many mic preamps send over the mic cable to power condenser microphones. Your usb interface has microphone preamps built into it, but it doesn not supply phantom power.
Read more here. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phantom_power

 

[Jim Lad]

but if my usb Fast Track ain't phantom powered then i do not understand the term - the only juice to it is via pc by way of the usb lead, it has no other power source

so what do you construe as 'phantom power' - how would you define it, please ~ i am on a learning curve

bests

kr

That should have been your first question but when you're brand new to something, you can't really know what to ask.
Pop into the other thread and consider following the same advice.
Also: Google Phantom Power.
I knew we'd get to the bottom of this one sooner or later.
(I still think you should reset the clock)

Phantom power refers to the 48V dc power that many mic preamps send over the mic cable to power condenser microphones. Your usb interface has microphone preamps built into it, but it doesn not supply phantom power.
Read more here. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phantom_power

Thanks Jeff