Sermon recording

[cmardis]

I am attempting to record sermons and live music for our church. The sermons are our main focus. I am recording using a desktop PC. When recording, I am getting a high pitched hum on the recording. I am stumped because when I tried this setup at home, I recorded a FM radio Christian broadcast, and did not get the high-pitched whine. I realize the recording at the church is a different environment, but if it were the sound card or power supply, you would think that those elements would introduce the whine no matter what. The noise occurs at around 500kz, I can delete the noise with after the fact noise reduction software. However, our goal is to get clean recordings without any after the fact mixing or editing of the sound files. Currently I use software that encodes directly to MP3 using the Lame encoder. We currently have a CD recorder, but we have experienced some problems with it, we also wanted to develop a digital library on computer that stores sermons as mp3 files. I am attempting to provide as much info as possible because I know your time ids valuable. Thanks for any responses.

Here is the setup:

Amd 1.0 gigahertz Athlon
256 meg ram
120 gig hard drive
Muse Guillemot sound card, recording thru the line-in jack
Recording source is the RCA output jacks on the Alesis Sound Board in the church's sound booth.

Subsequent to the above, I have tried recording to a laptop, thinking that the cooling fans in the computer are introducing noise, the result seems to be somewhat better, but I still get a noise in the sermon portion of the recording.


I know most of the basics on the computer end of things, and have researched the issues fairly extensively.


Should I try getting a better sound card? My budget is around 125.00

Am I expecting too much from this type setup, or should it be fairly easy to get quality recordings of the sermons?

What about using a minidisk recorder? Would that solve the background noise problems?

 

[zekthedeadcow]

my thoughts. . .

those shouldn't be RCA jacks but 1/4 inch jacks RCA is a 1/8 inch pin with a metal ring around the plug and if you have a sound board with RCA outs then thats. . .well weird and typically plain useless

having looked up the card and seeing that it retails for just under $30 I would say you would need a better sound card. . .but. . .

it could be something else in the chain or a combinations of multiple things adding noise which is most likely.

It is a cheap card so it will add noise. then if you use a nongoldplated 1/4 to 1/8 adapter you add noise . . . even useing an adapter you add noise. . . if you use unbalanced cable for more than say 10 feet you add noise (easiest way to tell by looking at it is that if it has a 1/4 or 1/8 inch plug it is probably unbalanced. Mic cables, called XLR cables, are technically good for a mile and a half, or so I read. unbalanced cables are typically guitar cables and should under no circumstances be used longer than 20 feet
also recording on small fast buffer settings will degrade the sound quality. also if the line runs parallel with nearby power cables you will add noise. . . so no wrapping the mic cable around the surge protector (wouldn't that make a mini tesla coil?) (large tesla coils are illegal for knocking planes and helocopters out of the sky) . . . also monitors put out a. . . umm. . . "load" of radio waves (they transmit for about a mile) but they are usually safely pointed towards your head and not at the pile'o'cables behind the computer.

I would begin by replacing the soundcard with something a lot better like a soundblaster platnum or LIVE! (and always use the line in not the mic in) but for anything above amature recording creative makes junky stuff I think that for another $100 you could get a no frills "pro audio card" or possibly still be in budget if you hunt hard enough. . .and it's difficult for me to say move to something better and be recommending a creative product. . . though I do have a PCI 512 for gameing as my Q10 won't handel "low quality sounds" or something like that

peace
sam
zekthedeadcow@hotmail.com
http://www.Track100.com

OH!! it could be the airconditioning bleeding through the mic too

back again. . . was reading the manufacturer supplied review of your sound card and it's a load of bull "Given that this is an analog Sound card, I am quite pleased with its audio performance..." analog sound card? hmm I heard of the analog motherboard but I didn't even see the tub on the card. . . and given the fact that the jacks are labled is given more importance of the soundquality. . . I would just throw it away

heh back again. . .it's too funny "And also the sound quality is a very sensitive thus subjective issue, therefore it may vary from person to person depending on his/her cognitive perception for that particular device." ha ha! ie. sounds exactly the same as a high end model to a deaf person

 

[zekthedeadcow]

spending more time thinking about it. . .I guess my time isn't valuable. . . It's probably the massive airconditioning that a church would need to move the air in such a big room plus other "ambient noise" and the reverb of the room may amplify 500hz. . . good way to test and find the source of ambience is to wear some ear plugs or really nice headphones to block out the world and take them off to figure out what you hear different. . . it's probably air conditioning and cieling fans . . .plus the regular noise of a cheap sound card. . .do you use ANYTHING different than what you tested with. like a different mic, and drastically long cables, the mixing board. . .bad channels on mixing boards are a good place to start too.

more I think about it the more I think air conditioning. . .

solutions without sacrificing airconditioning would be to make sure you use a . . .umm. . .forgeting definitions. . .a dynamic mic like a Shure SM57 or Beta57 or 58 . . .something that has a narrow "cone" . . err whatever the zone is called that determines what direction the mic picks up in. . . if you use airial. . .which you might if you are an anglican or more "orthodox" service where you need you hands free. . .or if it is the airconditioning have an acrolyte or equivelint turn off the airconditioning system during the sermon and turn it back on later. . .I would go with shutting off the system before messing with equipment

 

[James Argo]

I wonder this guy here...
only 1 Post, ...woof... got five star rating thread. Anyway, nice article.