sm58 + lexicon alpha buzzing issues

[Llama919]

I've already researched on general buzzing issues for microphones, but the solutions listed on forums either: 1. dont work or 2. seem quite audacious (things like "getting a mechanic to fix your AC") , i dont want to get gritty, taking risks to fix the problems, paying professionals for fixes or sending mic or mixers back; unless im confident its a fix.

I first decided on getting this mic and mixer from a recommendation from my cousin, so i assumed both the sm58 and the alpha would go hand-in-hand.

The main issue is the irritant buzzing i hear when using it. I've tried switching cords and usb ports but those dont seem to work.

these are my settings on the mixer:

(sorry for bad quality)

as you can see i dont have any other plugins that could interfere with the playback (or maybe i dont have enough.) And, Of course as you'd expect from the thread location, I'm very new to these things.


here's what the buzzing sounds like

Also the buzzing was recorded in audacity on a mono channel. For some reason in windows recording playback settings i cant set mono channel with my lexicon alpha. Its not that big of a deal out side of regular sound recording but for when i use voice chat in games (csgo, gmod) i cant hear any mic audio at all. That's something i need to fix secondarily and i'd appreciate any advice on that problem as well. (Although this isn't exactly a forum fit for those types of requests)

It does overall seem like a simple problem but i have yet to find a working fix. So I'm trying to be as detailed as possible because of how vague other posts on this subject have been, and therefore not helping my problem at all. Thanks in advance

 

[Chili]

Where are your headphones and/or speakers plugged in at? They need to be plugged into the lexicon. Try that and see if you still get the noise.
I had to turn the volume up all the way to barely hear the whine in your audio clip. Are you sure it's a problem? I sounds like noise in your computer. Don't know for sure.

 

[Llama919]

@Chili
When i plug it into the lexicon i get nothing but white noise. Also im not certain if its an issue with the computer or not but it really is noticeable and annoying so its definitely a problem

edit: nevermind the headphones are working in it i just had to turn the monitor mix down. Im not hearing the buzzing but there is a hell of a lot of white noise still, so it could be a computer issue but i've tried multiple cables and ports so im not keen on a solution yet

 

[rob aylestone]

The noise in your youtube clip is not hum or buzz, it's processor noise. Calling it a buzz makes people thing of 50 or 60Hz hum from the mains power, or something similar. This is bus noise and comes from the data circulating around the mother board getting onto the data lines feeding the interface. Sometimes just a poor quality UB cable that allows the superimposed detail hash to get to the interface, get superimposed on the audio and then stuck back in. Sometimes, it's getting into the USB ports inside the computer. Sometimes it's worse when an interface draws near to the current limit on the USB port, dropping the voltage slightly, which often seems to make them unstable.

My friend's computer had been happy and noise free on a Lexicon interface. When he put windows 10 on it, he discovered Lexicon had dumped him - no Windows 10 drivers. So he bought a focusrite interface that was unusable with exactly the same noise. This functioned perfectly well on his laptop and my computer, but not his. He ended up buying a different interface that didn't do it.

You will have to experiment. You can try different midi ports, different cables, perhaps even ferrite filters on the USB cable, but probably you just have two devices that don't work well together. If you can try a different PC, then you will discover a common problem, or it will go away.

Substitution is the key, not adjustments or tweaks.

Sorry - that's probably the best you can do.

 

[Chili]

Another troubleshooting tip is if you are using a laptop, unplug it from the wall and let it run on the battery.

 

[Llama919]

Im quite confused at the moment, Earlier when i plugged my headphones directly into the alpha like chili suggested and there was no buzzing, just white noise, but im trying it again and the buzzing is back

 

[mjbphotos]

I'll point out one thing from your top picture - you have the gain maxed out to full on your mic input - that should not be necessary, try turning it down about halfway.

I don't know Audacity, but assume you need to choose the Lex as both your audio input and output device in it. You should be able to play music (or internet sounds) and hear them when you plug your headphones into the Lex - turn the 'monitor mix' control to about half way and gradually turn up the output control.