Noob Question

  • Thread starter Thread starter Greg Anthony
  • Start date Start date
G

Greg Anthony

New member
I have no experience screencasting, podcasting, making videos etc...it will be trial by fire.

I have the Samson Meteor USB Mic. From my feeble experience it is a good mic for my purposes, except for one thing...

the constant hum in the background like my central air is on in the house or something.

I am in my basement alone in a computer room. The only other noise when I record is my computer fan which is not all that loud but I realize the mic can be picking that up. I don't think it is however because the sound is more of a whir or hum...like its recording the "silence in the room". When I talk, you don't notice it, it is still there but as soon as I go silent it is just way too noticeable to get by.

Is there something I could do to decrease this? I would hate to have to scrap this mic and go back to my logictech headset.

Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance...
 
Improve signal-to-noise (room) by working closer?
Roll off lows as high as possible.
Get soft stuff around you and the mic (won't help real low stuff.
 
Well, the first thing to do is resolve finally whether you have electronic noise generated by the mic itself--or room noise that you're picking up.

Since the mic is a cardioid pattern, pick it up and wave it around to point directly at the computer fan then directly away from it. Does this change the level and quality of the noise or does it stay constant. If it's constant, you almost certainly have a faulty mic. If the sound varies, you're picking up external noise from somewhere.

If you have a faulty mic, return it for replacement or repair. You can do a lot better than this "style over substance" model though.

If it turns out that you ARE picking up external noise, work on your mic positioning. Use a longer USB cable to get the mic farther from the computer and closer to your mouth. The null spot of a cardioid mic is directly behind it so make sure the computer fan is directly behind the mic, not off to a side where there is some pickup.

Looking at the pictures of the mic, I'd also worry that you're picking up direct vibrations through your desk. Move the mic or computer to a shelf not in contact with the surface your mic is standing on. Make sure there's something soft on the wall behind you (i.e. the wall the mic points towards) so noise isn't reflected back. If nothing else works, line a wooden box with acoustic foam and put the mic in that with one open side you can point your mic out of to talk into.

A gate? This won't eliminate the noise behind your voice, just shut off the mic for the quiet bits between words and sentences. It might help irreplaceable stuff you can't re-record but it's a kludge, not a solution.

Hope something in here helps,

Bob
 
Thanks guys...

Bobbsy, you were spot on. As soon as I moved the mic off the computer desk it decreased. As soon as I moved it below the desk onto a different, smaller desk and actually closer to the computer it sounded the best - virtually no noise, actually crystal clear although I sounded a bit far away. When I brought it closer to my mouth but in my hand the noise returned a bit. The wall right behind me is sheet rock and bare. Between it sitting on the computer desk "facing" me and the sheet rock wall behind me that is the problem but also the most ideal location for me.

Thanks
 
i usually use a vst gater for this, there are some good free ones on the internet
 
A gate would be a "last resort" fix because it doesn't eliminate the noise, it just mutes the mic between words and phrases--the noise is still there when you're speaking, just less noticeable. Gates can also cause their own problems by clipping the first syllables if you speak quietly.

Now that the source of the problem is identified, far better to fix it once and for all--at source.

Bob
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top