(PLEASE HELP) Hissing When Recording

T

TooHotRecords

New member
I urgently need help with this. Whenever i record there is a fairly obvious fuzz/buzz/hiss in the background. I'm trying to work out what is the cause my setup never really used to do it. I use a Rode NT1-a Mic, a TUBEMP Project Series Pre-Amp and a Cakewalk UA-25EX interface. My Recording program is Sonar.
Im starting to think that my microphone may be damage, as it has dropped a few times. (is this posible?) PLEASE HELP! Any is appreciated. :confused:
 
More likely it's incorrect gain staging or a grounding problem.

Give us more info on exactly what you're recording, what inputs and outputs, what settings etc. and that will give us a bit more to go on.

You know your Cakewalk unit IS a preamp, don't you? And your Tube MP unit IS an interface.

You're not running one into the other, perchance? That would do it...
 
haha, thankyou for your comment.
I think i may have fixed the problem, i just disconnected my tube mp from the system now all hissing is gone?
 
Try replacing the cheap tube with something a little better. I put a GE Long Plate 12AX7 in mine, it's quiet.
 
Common problem is placing units and mics to close to computer. This is if you are actually using a computer. :)
 
Gotta agree with Armistice, it's probably a grounding problem. Actually learned about this in one of my AE classes yesterday, glad I can add some input.

In class we plugged up a few pieces of outboard gear and then a board. Ran it to protools and just hit the record button and played it back. It was as if somebody was humming into a microphone the whole time, definitely can't record with it. The instructor then took some "ground lift" plugs and put them on all the power chords except for the mixing board. Hit the record button again....and silence. The point was to teach us about the electrical signal and it's tendencies when it meets certain obstacles.

Put simply, electricities one and only goal is to get to the ground. When ever there are multiple grounding sources, the electricity splits the signal and will go to each. That splitting *can* cause hum and other noise. You ideally want one ground in your chain. Just something to look into, those plugs are like 2$ at most, I'd try that out before thinking it's the microphone.
 
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