that damn tape noise

  • Thread starter Thread starter kat fame
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kat fame

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help!!!!!
i just recorded my first 4 track for my band, and when i mix down i get a loud terrible hiss. it's not present on the master played in the 4 track, but it always shows up in the mixdown. the noise reduction is on on both the 4 track and the mixdown deck. (and i just laid out a bunch of cash for a new deck, ouch.) any advice, i'm at the end of my rope>
 
Off-hand it sounds like you're not recording your levels hot enough to get them away from the high noise floor inherent in low-speed tape formats. Without more info, it's hard to pin-point exactly where the problem is occurring - can you provide more details on your gear?

Bruce Valeriani
Blue Bear Sound
 
gear details

hey b,
thanks for the reply. i'm using a fostex 280 4 track, and a couple of audio technica pro 22 mics. (i'm pretty aware of the limitations of these mics.) we used room mics on all of the instruments, and tracked the vocals afterward. i just miced the room for the guitars and drums and we recorded those parts live. (wussy bandmates wouldn't record seperately.) the mics have a hi and a low setting and we used the low setting for the instruments, and the hi setting for the vocals. i didn't even use any effects, but there is still that taunting, ever present noise! any advice would be forever appreciated.
thanks,
kat
 
Hmmm... I'm familiar with the 280 (used that model in my old 4-track days!) - as noise goes, the unit's quite good actually (only if you have Dolby C switched in). I'm assuming you are gtting hot levels to tape, which means the noise that you hear is NOT tape noise (unless Dolby's off, which then explains it!) - the one thing about that unit is that the pres are decent enough for a straight line-level signal, but are all but useless for mics.

You really should make life easier for yourself and get an external mic preamp and use it for the mics (not to mention upgrading those mics - try Shure SM57/SM58s for close-mic'ing and maybe a Rode NT1 condenser for capturing the room - or an NT2 if you have a bit more money.)

Good luck

Bruce
 
Is it not possible that the problem lies with a bit wonky mix down track. I mean if it plays back fine but only the mix down hisses?

I am presuming that you only hear the hiss when you play back the already mixed down uh.. mix. (Maybe just clean the heads?)
 
hello

what are you mixing down to? Directly yo tape? that could be the problem.
 
I'm not to familiar with the Fostex, but if your board has any inserts or Aux send's and recieves, you can connect a comp/limiter/gate to either the insert or aux and gate the crap out of unwanted hiss!
 
also, clean the heads,capstans and rollers and may I recommend using Maxell UDXLII tapes!
 
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