Popping in my recordings

  • Thread starter Thread starter noisedude
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noisedude

noisedude

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I've just got my home setup running at last but am having some problems with a funny popping/distortion sound. Here's an mp3 of the kind of noise it's making, on a rough acoustic strummy track:

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/7/noisedudemusic.htm

I've tried changing the mics, mixer and leads. Then I thought it might be the software cos I was using VST 5.0 in XP, so I moved over to Tracktion instead and no difference on newly recorded parts.

I don't think there's anything wrong with my soundcard, and my CPU usage on playback is minimal. There was a tonne of headroom left in the mixer and converters so I just don't know what's up! Any thoughts!
 
I tried to look, but I guess you just opened the account. your post there hasn't cleared yet. I will listen and get back with you tomorrow, Dude.
 
Ok - yeah, I just signed up to put mp3s there. To be honest, I don't understand these damn websites. And it's taken me a day and a half to work out how to rip an mp3 ... never occurred to me they wouldn't be able to handle a 24/96 track straight from my recordings folder!
 
noisedude said:
Ok - yeah, I just signed up to put mp3s there. To be honest, I don't understand these damn websites. And it's taken me a day and a half to work out how to rip an mp3 ... never occurred to me they wouldn't be able to handle a 24/96 track straight from my recordings folder!
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They want to save bandwidth just like everyone else so they limit mp3's to 128 kb streaming. It's not the worst sounding out there, but it damn sure ain't the best. I am going to check a little later on and see if I can stream it. I'll let you know what I think (remember my opinion and $5.00 may get me a cup of coffee at Starbuck's).
 
noisedude said:
I just got an email saying it'd been cleared!
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OK, I will check it out in a bit. I'm in the office, so I have to wait until lunch time, about 2 hours from now. I will definitely look at it, though! :D
 
sounds like sound card latency trouble ... it happens in playback in the program? got any demo plugins that aren't registered and you're running them on this track? strip it off all effects just in case. Other than that'd i'd play with the latency settings in the preferences in the program you're using or try recording something with a standalone wave editor.
 
It sounds like maybe something is interfering with your signal in the soundcard. Maybe a network card or something else in the pci slot? I had this problem when I first started, but it was due to all the background processes I had running (I went into task manager and ended all that stuff that I don't need and it cleared up) when I only had 128mb RAM. Maybe check your settings too, see if DMI is enabled.
Hope you find out what it is. It can be annoying as hell...
 
DMA is enabled. I barely have any other cards as it's all onboard! All the software is fully legal and registered and this problem occurs when using no effects at all. I've also begun to notice it in WMP when listening to music - it could be that this has always been happening and it's taken some proper monitors for me to notice it.
 
Well I'm friggin' stumped.... If there is nothing else in your PCI slots, how many sound or graphics intensive processes are running in the background in your task manager? One of them could be the culprit....
 
Rokket said:
how many sound or graphics intensive processes are running in the background in your task manager?
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Just windows .... ;)

Is it not popping and clicking in yours then?
 
noisedude said:
Just windows .... ;)

Is it not popping and clicking in yours then?
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No, not at all. I end all the nonsense programs that run in the background, disable the network card, and record. I don't get any pops. I used to, before I started doing that. And when I upgraded my RAM from 128 to 512. Before the RAM upgrade, I was getting stalling problems, popping and skipping when I had a high track count. But yours is happening with any tracks. It may be the background aps. Disable the ones that aren't doing anything useful and try to record, then see what happens. If that don't fix it, I'm floored. It's beyond my limited knowledge.
 
Is everyone else hearing this totally clean? No funny sounds whatsoever?
 
I can hear the pops pretty faintley. I just started a post in mixing/mastering trying to explain the exact same problem.
My recording is fine, my master that i did in wavelab (stored in my hard drive) is fine, but when i burned it to CD at x4 speed (not very fast) and then played it back on WMP, there were pops. When i played it on my stereo i didnt hear any pops really, but more very suttle fast constant flutter.
The strange thing is on your and my songs im sure the pops are at different places each time i listen to it!
Just about to try a wee experiment.
 
I imported my song from the CD that was poping in WMP into wavelab and listened to it. There was no poping! So does this mean that either the CD i am using or the burning programme is dodgy.
 
Ive worked it out. Its only when my PC plays CDs that the poping happens with me. I tried the DVD drive and the CD drive, so it must be the computer. Thought it might have just been only burned CDs but commercial CDs pop just the same.
 
noisedude said:
Is everyone else hearing this totally clean? No funny sounds whatsoever?
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I listened to it on a different pc (mine at home), and through my monitors, there is a faint clicking in there. I'm not sure what is causing it. If you have everything set up correctly, maybe your soundcard is going out on you. :eek:
Try running a diagnostic on it.
 
So that wasn't it?

DAAAAAAAMMMMMMNNNNN!

Keep plugging at it, Nik. You're bound to hit it eventually. I hope you clear it up soon. I just bought a new pc because the RAM I installed up and died on my old one, and I lost a shitload. Thank God for emergeny savings accounts....
 
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