Problem with headphone bleed-over.

  • Thread starter Thread starter WATYF
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WATYF

WATYF

...happier than you.
O.K... so.. I tracked my first track of a recording with my new condensor mic (Oktava MK12) and I'm playing it back and liking how it sounds... and at the end where the guitars fade out as the last chord resonates, I hear, very loudly,....

click.. click.. click... click...

Apparently, the condensor is so sensitive that it picks up the click track (that's playing in my headphones) loud and clear... I can't get it out of the track so I have to re-track it, but I'd like to know for future reference,.. how do I avoid getting bleed-over from my headphones in my condenser mics? anyone??

WATYF
 
uh...

turn down the headphones?

are they open, semi-open, or closed phones?

maybe try using a noise gate on that track?

Queue
 
Here's an Idea.

Put down the drums then pipe them through the headphones with out the click track. That way the bleed will be hidden by the drums. I guess if the song doesn't have drums it wouldn't work.

Or if you could use a recorded click track that ends before the fade out.


I my self would cut the end of the guit track off, punch in at the end and record the fade out with out a click.

You could also try different tones of clicks. some may not travel so well.



F.S.
 
options for reducing headphone bleed:

1) try different models and styles of headphones

2) aim mic differently to take advantage of mic pattern rejection. maximize distaqnce from headphones while minimizing distance from instrument

3) lower volume of click to minimum amount that is still audible in the phones

4) change the timbre of the click from a "click" to something not as noticeable or penetrating, like a tambourine hit or a brush hit on a snare for instance

5) record the click to a track, then automate it so that it gets louder or softer as the music gets louder or softer
 
If using an electric guitar put the amp and mic in a different room. Or use a noise gate like Queue said.
 
Well... a noise gate wouldn't help because the gate would be open during the fade-out (cause of how loud the guitar is) and you'd still hear the click coming through... I did try to apply a gate and EQ it out and what not...

Fortunately, it's not really an important track. I was just trying out my new mic... so I have no problem with scrapping it. But I will try some of those suggestions. I may switch to using a bass drum beat or something with less highs so it doesn't pierce through the phones. I use a pair that my bro got for me long before I knew jack dookey aboot recording. They're Sony Studio Monitor Headphones. I don't know if those are all that great, but they have nice thick padded ears on em, so I didn't expect so much bleed-through.

I can't use a blinking light... I've tried that before and I just can't get the tempo in my head using a light.. I dunno.. maybe I'm an "audio" based thinker and not "visual" based... or maybe I just suck.. :p

WATYF
 
A shaker sound can be more subtle than a HH or Wood Block type of click.
 
Closed phones with signal routed to mono on only one side of the phones.
 
Visualize this!!

Use one of those electric ab work out belts with adjustable speed. That would surely keep you in time with no bleed through at all.

You might need to were rubber gloves to keep the current from passing to the ground in your guitar though.:)

F.S.
 
lol.. sorry.. I forgot to clarify. It's an acoustic guitar. :p I'm micing it at the sound hole (or just left of the sound hole rather) using the MK12.

I'm gonna change the click to a bass beat next time I record. I'll let you know if I have the same problem. If that doesn't work I'll try a few of the other suggestions...

that ab thing sounds nifty... :cool: Just think.. I can record, and work on my washboard stomach at the same time... :p


WATYF
 
um... hellloooo?

I'm a drummer....



















of course I'm deaf...



:D :D :D :D


WATYF
 
Well... I tried using a bass drum instead of a click and it still bled through loud enough to hear on the recording. Fortunately it wasn't as loud and I was able to adjust for it.. but I still need a better way.

I will try some other suggestions later.

P.S. My Sony's are MDR-V600's.. not those ones you mentioned earlier.

WATYF
 
Bass roll off switch will be more effective with the bass drumm track
 
I had this problem just last week. The click was faintly bleeding into my wife's vocal track. She uses mini earphones. The problem was solved when she suggested putting on regular phones (unplugged) over the mini earphones. Duh! Why didn't I think of that.
 
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