Recorded electric causes speaker crackling

G

garrettreimer

New member
I get a nice tone when I close-mic my amp, but my laptop's speakers can't seem to handle it. The signal is not clipping, and it sounds okay when the volume is low, but when the volume is higher, the speakers crackle really badly. This happens with both clean and distorted tones.

The speakers do not crackle when I play loud music from my library, so it doesn't seem like my speakers are the problem. The speakers are also fine when I playback recorded vocals or acoustic guitar.

Has anyone had this? Thanks.
 
Well....that other guy was having the same problem, and after several pages of debate and "try this/try that"....I asked him to post the original audio file he was listening to (and not a conversion to MP3)....and sure enough, it was real hot and clipping.

Your audio app is capable of "hiding" the clipping when it operates at 32 bit, like most do.....so you can combine 20 tracks all super hot, and the sum will still play back fine......then when you export out and play it back in the car, your speakers crackle. :D

If your audio makes them crackle and other, commercial audio music doesn't....it's not the speakers, it's your audio.

How hot are you recording?
 
I am using GarageBand, and you're right, they hide a lot of things.

So just now, I removed all the effects and returned the track gain to 0, and panning to centre, then locked the track so that the original audio file could be used. I moved that into Audacity, and it looks like the average amplitude is around 0.7 .

Then I tried zooming in and listening while I watched the wave. The speakers were crackling like crazy, but I didn't see any super hot peaks while it crackled.

Should I be recording at a lower level?

Thanks again
 
To ensure that it never clips, set a limiter on the master bus to 0db. Problem solved :p
 
garrettreimer said:
I am using GarageBand, and you're right, they hide a lot of things.

So just now, I removed all the effects and returned the track gain to 0, and panning to centre, then locked the track so that the original audio file could be used. I moved that into Audacity, and it looks like the average amplitude is around 0.7 .

Then I tried zooming in and listening while I watched the wave. The speakers were crackling like crazy, but I didn't see any super hot peaks while it crackled.

Should I be recording at a lower level?

Thanks again
Click to expand...




Definitely!

Then, let your amps/speakers do their job.
 
I turned the mic input way down and I still hear the crackling when I amplify it. Then I tried a parametric EQ and, and noticed the crackling went away after cutting around 2 kHz. Does this make sense?
 
It could be your guitar amp/speakers that's crackling. Each of my amps have rattles and noises when pushed too hard, whether it's the front baffle or something in the power section. Come to think of it, I should get those fixed.

How is your cabling? Between mic & preamp, between preamp & interface, etc. Could be a cable that's been stepped on or rolled over by a desk chair one too many times.
 
garrettreimer said:
I turned the mic input way down and I still hear the crackling when I amplify it. Then I tried a parametric EQ and, and noticed the crackling went away after cutting around 2 kHz. Does this make sense?
Click to expand...


Yup....like a tree falling in the woods and no one there to hear it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top