reducing outside noise ex "Cars"

  • Thread starter Thread starter Hani2e
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Hani2e

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Hi guys,

am a pod-caster, and i use a Dynamic Mic - raidoshack 33-3043 and behringer mixer - xenyx 502, to be honest i have a lot of problems when recording time, starting with adjusting my small mixer to add the proper effect to the truck. but really my major issue is the noise coming from the street specially the cars, and i don't know what to do about it, sometimes i keep recording for a loooong time, cause i have to pause it from time to time, so is there any way to reduce such kind of noise and is there anyway to reduce it using the gain...

Please try to reduce the technical terms :)


thx,
HAS
 
As a non technical solution, is there a better space you can use to get away from the noise?

The only technical solution I can think of is to consider a better mic with a tighter cardioid unidirectional pattern. Hyper cardioid may not be a good idea as the backside of the pattern tends to capture low end frequencies as well, which could possibly compound your traffic issue.

out of curiosity, and perhaps to guide other responses, are you trying to record instruments or just voice?
 
is there a better space you can use to get away from the noise?

Unfortunately not

are you trying to record instruments or just voice?

Its just a voice.
 
My suggestion is get a portable recorder like the Zoom H4n. You can connect mics to this and run away from the noise. I have recorded on top of mountains with mine.
 
dainbramage said:
My suggestion is get a portable recorder like the Zoom H4n. You can connect mics to this and run away from the noise. I have recorded on top of mountains with mine.
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That's a good idea if it's an option. Go read your script somewhere more peaceful and edit later.

Otherwise the only other thing I might consider if you can't find a better place to record, is to build a gobo to put your mic inside of. Might help filter the outside noise a little.
 
thinking outside the box - set a mic up on out a window and record the noise of the cars..... flip phase with your recording to cancel out the car noise.
 
Beerhunter said:
thinking outside the box - set a mic up on out a window and record the noise of the cars..... flip phase with your recording to cancel out the car noise.
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This is brilliant. May take some adjustments to get it tight and right, but reversing the phase on the noise will cancel the noise!
 
BroKen_H said:
This is brilliant. May take some adjustments to get it tight and right, but reversing the phase on the noise will cancel the noise!
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As long as the sound coming out of your room is not as audible as the sound coming in... I think it a great idea to try tho. I am curious to hear the results myself. :)

Don't the signals have to be identical in order to cancel out?
 
jimmys69 said:
Don't the signals have to be identical in order to cancel out?
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Yes, in content, volume, and timing. Even if you use the exact same model of mic, if they're not as close to exactly the same place as possible you will probably have to slide one of the tracks to line it up time wise, and adjust levels to get them as close to the same volume as possible, but the content/frequency response will still be different. You might be able to use a linear phase EQ to manipulate them to be closer, but overall it's probably going to be a lot of work for less than ideal results.

Here's some other things to try:

1) Find a time of day/night where traffic is at a minimum and record then.

B) Put a "clown nose" on the mic and eat the thing, like lips right on it. This will firstly make your voice that much louder in the mic than the unwanted noise, and secondly the proximity effect (assuming this is a directional mic, I didn't look it up) will add bass to your voice and possibly allow you to roll off the low end rumbling of the noise without making the voice too too thin.

III) Automate/edit the recorded track to take out as much noise as possible when you're not talking.

4) Add some background music underneath the voice to mask the noise.
 
thx guys, for the variety of solutions, which i think i can try some of it and check the results, and I think i will start with the out of the box idea, it seems a little complicated, but worth trying. i think also i can try the gobo i don't know how to do it but I'll figure out.

hope i get back with a good results.

thx,
HAS
 
Try turning the gain down first and getting closer to the mic. That's the obvious one, surely?
 
http://www.radioshack.com/graphics/uc/rsk/Support/ProductManuals/3303043_PM_EN.pdf

First off, are you using an XLR to XLR mic cable? If you are using the supplied cable as shown above that is unbalanced * and you will have to crank the LINE gain on the mixer very high to get a signal. This will result in a lot of noise and hum most likely and you could be confusing that for traffic noise.

Yes, get in close, wrap a hanky round the mic and get your lips touching it. The X 502 has a bass control, roll that right off and maybe give a touch of mid boost.

Recording is an anti-social activity that also makes you poor so yes, record at 2-4am you can't afford to go out anyway!

*The mic might not be balanced out anyway, you can check this with an Ohm meter.

AND! WHO said "go up a mountain"!!?? We have no bloody mountains here and even if I could get to the top of one I should be too knackered to speak!

Dave.
 
ecc83 said:
AND! WHO said "go up a mountain"!!?? We have no bloody mountains here and even if I could get to the top of one I should be too knackered to speak!

Dave.
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Do you have any molehills there? :o
 
Mr Clean said:
Try turning the gain down first and getting closer to the mic. That's the obvious one, surely?
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This is the correct answer. Look up "inverse square law".

There will probably be some proximity effect (bass buildup) that can be addressed with eq, either on the mixer or in post production.

Inverse_square_law.svg
 
ecc83 said:
AND! WHO said "go up a mountain"!!?? We have no bloody mountains here and even if I could get to the top of one I should be too knackered to speak!
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Lol. City people :facepalm:

You don't need to be on top of a mountain. Check the weather reports and go out into the woods whenever the weather is nice and quiet. There are quiet places all around even in the most crowded countries.
 
dainbramage said:
Lol. City people :facepalm:

You don't need to be on top of a mountain. Check the weather reports and go out into the woods whenever the weather is nice and quiet. There are quiet places all around even in the most crowded countries.
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I am NOT a city person! (old rabbit hunter in fact!) My home is in a leafy suburb (Google E, NN5 5P*) and in the daytime the birds, mainly pigeon and magpie drive a recordist nuts! Further out in the countryside and it must be Bedlam!

Dave.
 
ecc83 said:
I am NOT a city person! (old rabbit hunter in fact!) My home is in a leafy suburb (Google E, NN5 5P*) and in the daytime the birds, mainly pigeon and magpie drive a recordist nuts! Further out in the countryside and it must be Bedlam!

Dave.
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Yeah, I can see how birds might be a problem.
 
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