Say, for those who record near the Computer

L

Luc the Tinkerer

New member
MICKE Storage unit - black-brown/white - IKEA

Could one of those units get rid of the PC noise if lined with sound dampening material? I'm already using a Cooler Master power supply, a SilenX PC fan and a SlienX CPU cooler. All of them whisper quiet yet...my vocal mic still picks up the "whisper" as ambient noise :facepalm:

So I can either isolate the mic or the PC...what do you guys think? :confused:
 
I take it's not an omni mic and you're already positioning the mic so the computer is directly behind it?

Isolating the pc in that thing would probably really restrict airflow.
That means there's potential to overheat.

It'd probably be a lot easier and safer to make or buy some kind of microphone isolation IMO.

The other alternatives are distance, gobos or watercooling.
Some kind of dense material in front of the computer might really cut down on direct sound without the overheating issue.
 
Steenamaroo said:
I take it's not an omni mic and you're already positioning the mic so the computer is directly behind it?

Isolating the pc in that thing would probably really restrict airflow.
That means there's potential to overheat.

It'd probably be a lot easier and safer to make or buy some kind of microphone isolation IMO.

The other alternatives are distance, gobos or watercooling.
Some kind of dense material in front of the computer might really cut down on direct sound without the overheating issue.
Click to expand...

Actually, the PC is behind it but not directly behind it; like more to the right...it never dawned on me that placing the mic (a Audio Technica AT2020, unideirectional, yes) in front of the PC but facing me might resolve the issue...I have to try that!
 
Cool.
Work with the distance too. Perhaps you can sing a little closer to the mic, or at least move the mic a foot or two further away from the computer.
 
Three words: signal to noise...

What are you recording, and how close are you?

I've never heard PC noise on even the quietest sources like fingerstyle acoustic guitar.
 
Armistice said:
Three words: signal to noise...

What are you recording, and how close are you?

I've never heard PC noise on even the quietest sources like fingerstyle acoustic guitar.
Click to expand...

Vocals, I've been experimenting with singing 6 inches away (right against the pop filter) to a foot and a half, 2 feet from the mic. Perhaps I'm setting the mic preamp too loud? According to a source, in order to get the best sound possible from the AT2020 you must set the gain until you can hear yourself breathing in the headphones and then back away to about 2' from the mic...too extreme?
 
Back off the gain and get closer? I've got a noisy hard-drive, so move the mic around the corner into the next room, and get much closer than that to the mic.
 
Luc the Tinkerer said:
Vocals, I've been experimenting with singing 6 inches away (right against the pop filter) to a foot and a half, 2 feet from the mic. Perhaps I'm setting the mic preamp too loud? According to a source, in order to get the best sound possible from the AT2020 you must set the gain until you can hear yourself breathing in the headphones and then back away to about 2' from the mic...too extreme?
Click to expand...
That is a bizarre reasoning for how to run a mic.
You make the distance, and position to tailor the response to best guess the sonic image you want- for that track. Then set the gain/record level for the signal that generates.
If you want a fuller and more intimate picture move in
If you want a more airy open neutral effect move back some. A little bit back it will thin it out, more is for when you want some room effect.

Consider gobos around your mic (as well as around the pc) That way you're adding some options for control of the overall room tone effect, and expanding you're useful distance.
 
I've always been curious about this. I haven't tried it, as I have recorded vocals yet... (and, well... if my guitars and drums dont drown out computer sounds I might need see if an airplane is living in my computer :p) but would a generously set noise gate not remove computer sounds? granted your computer isnt a chainsaw.
 
Depending on how exposed the track is having noise and ambience cuttimg in and out.. ick.
Maybe and I haven't tried it, some gental expansion. I doubt you'd want it start-stop'. That could make it sound worse.
 
Yeah, I've never really used noise gates (except on guitar and bass) so I dont know much about it.
So there's a way to not have noise reduction 'cut' in and out?
 
kidkage said:
Yeah, I've never really used noise gates (except on guitar and bass) so I dont know much about it.
So there's a way to not have noise reduction 'cut' in and out?
Click to expand...

Look around at expansion. It's a similar to gating but much gentler. The ratio for it's attenuation is typically very low, and unlike the on-off effect of a gate the action can be slower so it's more like a bit of fade after the signal.
 
I like Armistice's answer, turn the gain down a bit. My computer is kind of noisy also, but it doesn't show up in the mixes. I record vocals and acoustic guitar in my tiny room and the mic is never more than a few feet from the computer. I also have a window a/c unit that I sometimes forget to turn off before pressing the red button. you might hear it if you know to look for it, but it doesn't stand out.
 
Chili said:
I like Armistice's answer, turn the gain down a bit. ...
Click to expand...

Huh? He didn't say that (..did he? :D
Even if he did, and we have this notion going in two threads now.. Turning the gain down now, then (presumably) bringing it back up later (or cut it less' whatever -relative to where it needed to land in the mix in the first place...
Does not mean better signal-wanted vs noise-signal unwanted ratio---> unless that reduction let you get closer to the mic.
:eek:
 
mixsit said:
Huh? He didn't say that (..did he? :D
Even if he did, and we have this notion going in two threads now.. Turning the gain down now, then (presumably) bringing it back up later (or cut it less' whatever -relative to where it needed to land in the mix in the first place...
Does not mean better signal-wanted vs noise-signal unwanted ratio---> unless that reduction let you get closer to the mic.
:eek:
Click to expand...

:o he he he.. you're right, but I was paraphrasing his "signal to noise" comment. :)

I typically adjust the gain so I can barely (or not even) hear the computer in my headphones. Then adjust my distance to the mic and how loud I sing to keep the meter on the preamp moving, but not clipping. I try to use good mic technique so I don't get splosives or proximity effect. I'm no expert, but I know what works for me.

For the OP, I had similar problems with my computer and rebuilt it with a quiet PSU and fans, yet it's still not totally quiet. But it turns out that it isn't as much of a concern as I thought it would be. My point being, don't get too obsessed with it unless the noise shows up in your mixes and is really a problem. Just because your mic is picking it up as ambient noise doesn't mean you'll hear it in your mixes.

hth,
 
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