Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1   Report Post  
Posted to rec.audio.misc
Bill Bremmer Bill Bremmer is offline
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 22
Default Reducing noise in digital recordings

Hello,



I'm doing some voice production work at home for a local radio station.

Using Cool Edit along with M Audio's Mobile-Pre, a Pentium 3 computer, a
Shure PG-58 mic, Windows XP.



When everything is powered up and the mic is on, I'm showing a -54 dB
reading on my Cool Edit screen. I think that that is too noisy. Obviously,
I can just about eliminate any of this noise (hiss or system noise) by
using Cool Edit's Noise Reduction software after I have recorded, but no
matter what percentage of reduction I use, I will hear some artifacts.



On the Mobile Pre, the gain control is set at about 4 o'clock, six is about
maximum. The recorded wave form is showing peaks at about 30%. I then must
"normalize" the recording to 95-100% for the final recording. It seems that
I should be getting more mic gain from the pre-amp, so that I don't need to
set the output gain to 4 o'clock and then normalize in Cool Edit. I must use
about a 12 foot USB cable to connect the pre-amp to the computer, but I
don't think that this is much of a factor.



I would appreciate any thoughts you might have.



If I wanted to improve the sound quality, without spending a lot, what areas
do you think I could improve?



Thank you,

Bob K at .




  #2   Report Post  
Posted to rec.audio.misc
eric eric is offline
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 16
Default Reducing noise in digital recordings

On Sat, 28 Jul 2007 15:21:48 -0400, Bill Bremmer, during a pipe dream
babbled:

If I wanted to improve the sound quality, without spending a lot, what
areas do you think I could improve?


How quiet is the room you are recording in? You may ne picking up ambient
noise.

--
Quis corriget ipsos correctores?
  #3   Report Post  
Posted to rec.audio.misc
Eeyore Eeyore is offline
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 8,474
Default Reducing noise in digital recordings



Bill Bremmer wrote:

On the Mobile Pre, the gain control is set at about 4 o'clock, six is about
maximum.


The spec on this is so useless that I can't tell how many dB of gain that is.

I suspect you simply need a quieter mic pre.


Graham

  #4   Report Post  
Posted to rec.audio.misc
Bill Bremmer Bill Bremmer is offline
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 22
Default Reducing noise in digital recordings

If the problem is the pre-amp, would the noise be less noticable if the
pre-amp was sending a stronger signal to the computer? Is cranking up the
gain almost to full increasing the noise that might otherwise not occur with
a stronger signal from another pre-amp to the PC?


"Eeyore" wrote in message
...


Bill Bremmer wrote:

On the Mobile Pre, the gain control is set at about 4 o'clock, six is
about
maximum.


The spec on this is so useless that I can't tell how many dB of gain that
is.

I suspect you simply need a quieter mic pre.


Graham



  #5   Report Post  
Posted to rec.audio.misc
Arny Krueger Arny Krueger is offline
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 17,262
Default Reducing noise in digital recordings

"Bill Bremmer" wrote in message

Hello,



I'm doing some voice production work at home for a local
radio station.
Using Cool Edit along with M Audio's Mobile-Pre, a
Pentium 3 computer, a Shure PG-58 mic, Windows XP.


When everything is powered up and the mic is on, I'm
showing a -54 dB reading on my Cool Edit screen. I think
that that is too noisy. Obviously, I can just about
eliminate any of this noise (hiss or system noise) by
using Cool Edit's Noise Reduction software after I have
recorded, but no matter what percentage of reduction I
use, I will hear some artifacts.


First we need to know the nature of the noise. It could easily be ambient
noise. You can check on that by simply using a long mic cable and moving the
mic to a quiet place much further away from the computer, burrying the mic
in a really big pillow, etc.

Can you post a MP3 file of the noise on one of those public access file
storage sites?


On the Mobile Pre, the gain control is set at about 4
o'clock, six is about maximum. The recorded wave form is
showing peaks at about 30%. I then must "normalize" the
recording to 95-100% for the final recording. It seems
that I should be getting more mic gain from the pre-amp,
so that I don't need to set the output gain to 4 o'clock
and then normalize in Cool Edit.


The PG-58 is a dynamic mic, and its output is not going to be really high.
Move it closer to the source, it is designed for close working.

I must use about a 12
foot USB cable to connect the pre-amp to the computer,
but I don't think that this is much of a factor.


Agreed.

If I wanted to improve the sound quality, without
spending a lot, what areas do you think I could improve?


Get a condensor mic, they usually have far higher output.




  #6   Report Post  
Posted to rec.audio.misc
Eeyore Eeyore is offline
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 8,474
Default Reducing noise in digital recordings



Bill Bremmer wrote:

"Eeyore" wrote in message
Bill Bremmer wrote:

On the Mobile Pre, the gain control is set at about 4 o'clock, six is
about maximum.


The spec on this is so useless that I can't tell how many dB of gain that
is.

I suspect you simply need a quieter mic pre.


If the problem is the pre-amp, would the noise be less noticable if the
pre-amp was sending a stronger signal to the computer?


Depends. But possibly, although the improvement is only likely to be marginal.


Is cranking up the gain almost to full increasing the noise that might
otherwise not occur with
a stronger signal from another pre-amp to the PC?


Too many variables to give a meaningful answer. The spec on the 'Mobile Pre' is
so sketchy (it doesn't give one of the most critical noise figures that's the
industry norm - and is generally vague) that I suspect it may be a rather poor
performer, and part of your problem.

AND ! Do please type your answer HERE !

If you place your reply at the top one has to go backwards and forwards trying
to work out what you're replying to.

Graham

 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules

Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Reducing recorded fret noise J.C. Scott Pro Audio 27 April 13th 07 12:54 PM
Suggestions on recording vinyl and digital recordings Clint Olsen Pro Audio 18 March 27th 06 01:20 PM
Reducing ventelation noise Matrixmusic Pro Audio 12 January 9th 06 05:37 AM
LP recordings to digital... Tor Tveitane General 1 January 23rd 05 10:31 PM
Reducing noise but keep speech - Soundforge or other? S O'Neill Pro Audio 18 October 7th 03 04:13 PM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 03:55 PM.

Powered by: vBulletin
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 AudioBanter.com.
The comments are property of their posters.
 

About Us

"It's about Audio and hi-fi"