Voice induced pops???

[eichler]

OK, this may sound strange but I have been recording a female vocalist that causes what sounds like electronic pops to be recorded. She can sing the same phrase over and over and the pops usually show up in the same spot each time. I've tried different input sources, mics, pres and her voice just seems to flip out Sonar. Meantime I am recording other tracks simultaneaously that do not have pops. This is very wierd cause I don't hear the pops acoustically.

Anybody else ever experience anything like this before?

This is all happening with Sonar 2.2XL, a new Carillon PC running XP Pro, the Delta66 Omnistudio. The only thing new in this chain is the PC and XP. I was running this on an older Dell machine for a while with absolutley no pops (but I have never recorded this woman's voice before either.)

Are we talking audio card problem or perhaps her voice triggering something. Perhaps it is just a background noise that is being picked up by the mics (she sings very softly.)

Thanks in advance.

 

[Rocket Boy]

are you using a pop filter?

 

[eichler]

The last time I recorded her with a Studio Project C3 and the foam filter that comes with it.

 

[billisa]

The last time I recorded her with a Studio Project C3 and the foam filter that comes with it.

OK, then you're not using a pop filter, but a windscreen. The windscreen is for use outdoors, which I would never do anyway... However, when you say "electronic" pops, what do you mean? It's amazing the clicks and whatnot the human mouth can make, all of which get picked up very well by a nice condensor... The fact that these are showing up at the same time, every time, says to me that it's not equipment related in a defective sense. She could be hitting a loud section where she's peaking.

My guess is though that's it's just regular "plosive" p's you're talking about, which means you need to get a pop filter (a nylon stocking material stretched on a round wire frame, suspended between the vocalist and the mike). This thingy suppresses the burst of air that hits a mike when a person make a 'p' sound.

 

[eichler]

billisa -

I have a pop screen that i will try next time. The really wierd thing is that the pops often happen in the middle of a sustained note and not at the typical plosives spots like Ps and Bs. It also seems to happen in the same place in each take.

 

[billisa]

billisa -

I have a pop screen that i will try next time. The really wierd thing is that the pops often happen in the middle of a sustained note and not at the typical plosives spots like Ps and Bs. It also seems to happen in the same place in each take.

Wow, that IS wierd! In any event, I'd still take off the windscreen, and use a pop-filter.

I wonder if in these sustained notes the input is peaking. Peaking often sounds like a crackling type thing... Since it always happens at the same spot, it seems it must be related to how or what the singer is saying or doing, therefore not being a defect in the equipment. The gain may have to be turned down??? Maybe??? Others will know a lot more about what to suggest, but I thought I'd give it a go...

 

[jake-owa]

Sounds like a digital clip in the signal chain somewhere. If it was a plosive pop you'd hear it during the tracking. You said you're recording somewhere else simultaneously and it's not popping there right? what are you recording the additional backup tracks on?

 

[eichler]

Sounds like a digital clip in the signal chain somewhere. If it was a plosive pop you'd hear it during the tracking. You said you're recording somewhere else simultaneously and it's not popping there right? what are you recording the additional backup tracks on?

Yes, I was recording a harp on another track with no problem but I'm not sure I understand your questiion about what I am recording the original tracks on.

 

[jake-owa]

Sorry, I thought you had a backup of the vocal take that was not popping. I misunderstood your original post.

Get a pop filter.

 

[billisa]

Another thought... Deliberately have the vocalist overdrive (peak) the inputs. Listen for what this sounds like. Does it sound like the problem you're describing? Then, voila! You then know the issue is a peaking problem, and somewhere in the recording "chain" the gain is up too high... If it doesn't sound anything like what you're describing, then that points us in another direction.

By the way, just to be clear, the "peaking" I'm talking about is synonymous with the digital "clipping" described in another post. It sounds nothing like distortion on analogue tape. It sounds more like a short circuit -- awful.

 

[eichler]

Another thought... Deliberately have the vocalist overdrive (peak) the inputs. Listen for what this sounds like. Does it sound like the problem you're describing? Then, voila! You then know the issue is a peaking problem, and somewhere in the recording "chain" the gain is up too high... If it doesn't sound anything like what you're describing, then that points us in another direction.

By the way, just to be clear, the "peaking" I'm talking about is synonymous with the digital "clipping" described in another post. It sounds nothing like distortion on analogue tape. It sounds more like a short circuit -- awful.

Yes it sounds like digital clipping (static) and the pre input was up very high because she has such a soft voice. However, the level of the signal was no where near peaking at the source so to me it sounds like some other kind of electronic interference.

Thanks to everybody for all of their input on this problem. My sessions with this vocalst are over and I have spent a good 8-10 hours editing out the pops and clicks - what a pain.