Mic picking up background noise - help!

[Lerastes]

Since I don't have a drummer, I record guitar parts to a click track. But, in order to actually hear the click track through my headphones while playing the guitar, it has to be loud enough that the micophone is actually picking up the high-pitched clicks coming out of the headset. This also happens sometimes with pick noise (though not nearly as much with distorted tones as clean tones or an acoustic guitar). I tried setting my mic and amplifier up about 15 feet from me, but then I can barely hear the guitar tone. Is there something else I can do?

 

[Nameless]

Get headphones with better isolation.

Put the amp in a closet and pack it full with stuff and put the microphone in there too. Get back as far away from the amp as possible and turn it up as loud as possible (and turn down preamp gain) so where it still sounds good but is loud enough to cover any other kind of noise.

Or get longer cables and put it in another room.

On acoustic, use a different pick or change up your technique. I think a nice pick sound on acoustic is good. Use a thicker pick if you don't want that.

 

[NYMorningstar]

Don't use an amplifier and place the mic six inches out from the 12th fret and pointing towards the bridge. Monitor the guitar and click track through the headphones. That should take care of both problems. If not move the mic around until all you hear is the guitar.

 

[TimN]

That click (and that guitar, whether acoustic or electric) must
be awfully loud . . . I had a problem like that; I could hear the mix
being recorded because of leakage from the phones.
First thing: Turn it down! You're going to damage your hearing.
You don't mention the type of phones you have; I bought a pair of
Sennhiesers (HD 280), and since then I've had no problems with
leakage. Your main problem seems to be with the phones. Whatever
you do, dialing down the volume should be your first priority. Good
phones will help with that.

 

[Nightfire]

I had the same problem and heres the solution...noise cancelling ear-muffs, the construction type ones. They're like $3 and isolate all the noise. Then get some regular earbuds and put 'em in your ear, put the muffs on top of that.


Mike

 

[Farview]

You either need:

1. headphones with better isolation.
2. turn down the click in the phones
3. turn up the amp
4. feed some of the amp sound into your headphones.

 

[ido1957]

4. feed some of the amp sound into your headphones.

This was the first thing that came to mind after reading your post.

I send the signal from my amp through my headphones along with the drums and I don't get any signal from the headphones in the mix...

 

[bilco]

Sennheiser 280 or Extreme Isolation Headphones

mic at the 12th fret or where the neck meets the body, 6" to 9" out

turn down the click before you hurt yourself

a repeated drum loop works better than a click for me, more natural feel and the beat is subdivided instead of just quarter notes

bilco

 

[Freudian Slip]

Like said before stand away from the amp and put the guitar into the phones.

I like the repeating drum loop suggestion to. It's way easier to keep track of than a normal click track. You don't have to focus on it as much. You can have it lower in the mix.

F.S.