Noisy mics

[micsmics]

I own two LDCs, a SDC, an RE20 and an SM57. I prefer the midrangey quality of the SM57 for my voice, but in my home the mic has a very noticeable buzz/hum, like what one often hears through single coil pickups on a guitar.

I also get a very low frequency hum through the SDC, an AKG C1000s.

For preamps, I have an MBox 2 Firewire, Presonus Eureka and a UA 610 solo. I've tried the 57 and the C1000s with all three preamps on both grounded and ungrounded circuits with no difference in the buzz/hum.

My LDCs are dead quiet and the RE20 is near dead quiet, but they don't have the midrange punch of the 57.

Anyone have experience successfully eliminating nasty hums? I've tried the Ebtech HE-2-XLR Hum Eliminator. I don't know if the one I got was broke, but it made the hum louder and introduced new noises, so I sent it back.

Also, does anyone know of a mic comparable in its sonic character to the SM57 or 58 that is less prone to noise interference? I think the SM7B and the RE20 both have humbucking coils or some other design which makes them less likely to be noisy, but I find they sound very different from a 57 or 58. The SM7B is too bass heavy and the RE20 is too smooth sounding.

Thanks for anyone's help.

 

[moresound]

I own two LDCs, a SDC, an RE20 and an SM57. I prefer the midrangey quality of the SM57 for my voice, but in my home the mic has a very noticeable buzz/hum, like what one often hears through single coil pickups on a guitar.

I also get a very low frequency hum through the SDC, an AKG C1000s.

For preamps, I have an MBox 2 Firewire, Presonus Eureka and a UA 610 solo. I've tried the 57 and the C1000s with all three preamps on both grounded and ungrounded circuits with no difference in the buzz/hum.

My LDCs are dead quiet and the RE20 is near dead quiet, but they don't have the midrange punch of the 57.

Anyone have experience successfully eliminating nasty hums? I've tried the Ebtech HE-2-XLR Hum Eliminator. I don't know if the one I got was broke, but it made the hum louder and introduced new noises, so I sent it back.

Also, does anyone know of a mic comparable in its sonic character to the SM57 or 58 that is less prone to noise interference? I think the SM7B and the RE20 both have humbucking coils or some other design which makes them less likely to be noisy, but I find they sound very different from a 57 or 58. The SM7B is too bass heavy and the RE20 is too smooth sounding.

Thanks for anyone's help.

Hey Mic X2, Welcome to the forum.
Did you check your microphone cables?
Or you may be turning your pre up way to high and introducing the noise floor sound. I not sure, I may need a little more to go on to help you more.

 

[bouldersoundguy]

If you're using several outlets that come from different breaker boxes (or even different breakers) you may have a power ground loop. Try powering everything off one circuit.

And in case you missed it, NEVER LIFT A POWER GROUND!

Are you running everything balanced that can be? Are you interfacing balanced with unbalanced signals? Here's some good info on balanced and unbalanced interconnection: Rane Note 110.

 

[miroslav]

What about lights...any fluorescent ones around or anywhere at your house...even those swirly "power saver" garbage ones (they are the worst) that fit right into the standard incandescent bulb bases...?


Something in your house is causing the problem...go shut your circuit breakers off one at a time, and see if you can narrow it down to the line in question...then see what devices are on that line and try to narrow it down further.
I spent two days tracking down noise to an outside porch light where I had installed one of those swirly fluorescent bulbs. The noise was coming into my entire audio circuit. I checked every piece of gear...no luck.
It drove me nuts for a couple of weeks, since it appeared like the problem would come and go by itself…until I realized it was ONLY happening at night!!!
That’s what pointed me to the nighttime, outdoor lights.
I threw away an entire box of those crappy bulbs!

 

[micsmics]

miroslav,

Thanks for the input. I'm at the far end of a long circuit with a whole lot of stuff on it, so I will start checking. And, yes, the swirly bulbs are all over the house.



bouldersoundguy,

My audio equipment is all on one circuit. All cables are balanced.



moresound,

My cables are on the low end, but they work fine on my LDCs and the RE20. I've contemplated upgrading the cables but am doubtful they will solve the problem. As for the noise floor, both the 57 and the RE20 require a whole lot of gain to get up to a useable level. I'm doing acoustic music, not micing an amp, so I need quite a bit of gain.

Thanks all.

 

[bouldersoundguy]

What about lights...any fluorescent ones around or anywhere at your house...even those swirly "power saver" garbage ones (they are the worst) that fit right into the standard incandescent bulb bases...?


Something in your house is causing the problem...go shut your circuit breakers off one at a time, and see if you can narrow it down to the line in question...then see what devices are on that line and try to narrow it down further.
I spent two days tracking down noise to an outside porch light where I had installed one of those swirly fluorescent bulbs. The noise was coming into my entire audio circuit. I checked every piece of gear...no luck.
It drove me nuts for a couple of weeks, since it appeared like the problem would come and go by itself…until I realized it was ONLY happening at night!!!
That’s what pointed me to the nighttime, outdoor lights.
I threw away an entire box of those crappy bulbs!

Hm. One studio I work in has a whole bunch of compact fluorescent bulbs, an RE20 and a Solo 610. There's no problem with noise that I've heard. I doubt they're on the same breaker, but I bet they're coming from the same box.