problem with recording electric guitar

[groovewrangler]

Forgive me if this question has been asked a million times, but I've been searching the forums archive all day without finding a thread about someone having the same problem I'm having.
I've always had a hard time recording electric guitar by micing the cabinet, namely, an annoying, random static crackle that glues itself to the track. I put up with the problem for years, attributing it to the old TEAC needing serviced, or the crusty used tape that I'd often end up using... but I switched to a computer-based recording rig, and the problem is still there, and even more annoying without generational loss to soften it a bit...
Thus far, I have changed every variable I can think of: various solid state amps, none of which exhibit the problem when played live; different types of mics; different mic placements; different guitars; different cables to and from every unit in my chain, and a completely different equipment chain, to boot; I've even moved once since I started home recording, and I've recorded with two of the amps and guitars in a professional studio with no such problem (which eliminates the possibility that I have a weird personal electric field, heh). The problem definitely does not relate to clipping or overloading a mic, either; the static seems to show up only when the instrument is being played, but when during a performance it occurs seems to be totally random. Today I bought a power conditioner, turned the peak level down to about -20 on the preamp while recording, and it's still happening. I'd like to thank everybody for reading this, and would gladly appreciate any advice you may have.

 

[prestomation]

Could you post a clip of exactly what you're talking about? Without a better idea of what it sounds like, I'd just be stabbing in the dark

 

[groovewrangler]

Thanks for your response. I'd be happy to, but I don't know where I'd post it to...

 

[Guitarer]

Soundclick, Putfile, LightningMP3...

 

[groovewrangler]

Gracias. I piddled around for a couple minutes and put the track up on Putfile. Unfortunately, since I'm a new user, I'm not allowed to post a URL in the body of a response until I've made at least 5 posts...

 

[groovewrangler]

(hmm, I wonder if my original post counts? If so, this would be #4)

 

[groovewrangler]

Okay, the next post should allow me to put in the URL...

 

[groovewrangler]

Okay, here's the link to my quick recording:

http://media.putfile.com/test-recording-17

 

[Bulls Hit]

Wow that's really annoying. The crackling only appears while you're playing so it's probably not interference from an external electromagnetic source. Does it actually crackle through the amp, or only on the recorded track?

You don't have any artificial limbs or metal pins in your fingers? A pacemaker? Mobile phone in your pocket?

 

[groovewrangler]

Nope, the crackling happens during the recording process. That's another puzzling thing I forgot to mention: the static isn't even present while monitoring the source during recording. This would, of course, lead one to believe that I have a soundcard/sampling rate issue, but it's a problem that has followed me over from the analog world, and it's only applied to electric guitar.
This clip was a recording of a Fender Princeton, clean channel turned to 1, with an SM58 about 4" away from the grille, through an ART preamp and a DBX compression unit. I can move the mic out to 4' and still get this static. I can use the same equipment chain to record a snare, beat the hell out of it, and until it clips, it sounds totally clean.

 

[Bulls Hit]

Well I have no idea why it used to happen in the analog realm, but have you checked all the usual suspects in PC recording?

Using asio drivers?
Increased you buffer size?
Lowered PCI latency?

 

[bkkornaker]

is it happening to all guitars plugged into this amp?

only reason i ask, is cause if a electric guitar is not grounded properly inside....youll get static/pops/hum every time you touch the guitar strings......

is this happening to just one guitar in particular? or all guitars plugged into this amp?

 

[groovewrangler]

I have tried multiple guitars, and multiple amps, all with the same result. I haven't thought to mess with the computer settings because it sounds like the exact same artifact as in the analog world, and everything else I've recorded is clean as a whistle.

 

[bkkornaker]

but if you recorded a snare drum, with the same exact set up and signal chain........with no problems.....

....i believe you have it narrowed down to your guitar/amp stuff that is the problem.....

have you checked the guitar and amps speaker cables for shorts, faulty cables? check cables in the effects loop (if using any?), check any stomp boxes that are being used (batteries or AC power supplies to stomp boxes)????

 

[groovewrangler]

Well, I picked up a new SM57 today, and got my hands on a couple more amps and another guitar to test out. Still got the problem.

 

[Guitarer]

Are you using direct monitering, or monitering through the software?

 

[alovetodiefor]

I have this problem when playing in clean too.

The problem should be really easy to solve.

1. Turn the Treble to about 3-4, Mid at around 3-4 and Bass around 5-7 depending on the tone you want.

2. Put your guitar's volume to around 6.5-8.

3. After recording, equalize for the tone you want on your software.

By the way, are you using humbuckers at all??

 

[Steve Henningsgard]

Get a good power conditioner? It sounds like some piece of electrical equipment in the house sending surges through the power lines or somethin'. Try plugging your entire setup into a nice power conditioner if you haven't. It's about the only solution I can think of! :/

Can you hear it when you're playing through the amp not recording? Put the volume way low and play with your head on the grill and see if you can hear it...

-steve.h

I have this problem when playing in clean too.

The problem should be really easy to solve...

Umm... I'm not sure you're hearing what he's talkin' about...?

 

[NL5]

You have a problem in your recording chain. It's not a converter issue, or it would do it all the time. Also, since you said this followed you from analog, I would suspect the chain even more. Recording a percussive instrument is totally different than recording a guitar. I am going to bet that it's the compressor. It's hosed. The crackling only happens on the release...... Take it out of the chain. Shouldn't be there anyway.