Noise is the worst thing I struggle with, and have been for over a decade. This video shows that's it's not just a one-solution fix, but the combination of 5% here, 10% there, all adding up to a big difference. The biggest thing for me is the EMI bouncing around my room, caused by a number of different things like cabling and the small size of my room, leading to being very cramped regarding electronics. This is very insightful!
i love videos like this because i’ve spent the past decade learning a lot of these tips the hard way and it’s like a recap and validation of everything i know
Protect your signal integrity! What's your favorite way to improve the noise floor in a space? Check out acoustic treatment solutions at Sweetwater 👉 www.sweetwater.com/shop/studio-recording/studio-furniture/acoustic-treatment/?RU-vid&Referral&U4SkBZtO4c_PC
A few things I did to remove noise in my studio- 1) Get rid of the dimmer switch. 2) Incorporate a UPS. This converts AC to DC and removes unwanted AC noise. 3) Recording with an actual interface, not a digital mixer (I swapped out a Presonus StudioLive for a Presonus interface and saw significant improvement. Digital mixers can introduce additional EMI and RFI.
👍😎All good stuff Mitch.. basically, this doesn’t only apply to musical instrument recording.. audio sound systems and radio stations can also benefit from many of your suggestions.. 🥳👨🏻
not sure how well they work but those optogates seem like a good idea for vocal mics at live shows, especially on smaller stages with lots of reflections..
Sweetwater has a human gold mine in Mitch Gallagher. He is possibly the most trusted source of technical information and products in the industry. I have purchased gear based on his recommendation and product knowledge and have not yet been disappointed.
I record in a rehearsal studio at a building with 20 other bands playing at the same time *sigh*, the trick is...try to use as few compression as possible and close mic everything. It's not professional by any means but it has to be done.
Thank you Mitch! I have a question..WHY don't the high end channel strips and compressors have noise gates? I have a Drawmer MX60 Front End One that I purchased from Sweetwater that I'm completely happy with that cuts down on room noise in my home studio for my vocals. But the Neve Shelford Channel( that I really wanted) and the Neve 5254 don't have noise gates. I'm currently using a DBX 266XS and a vintage Alesis 3630 for my instruments. Do I have to buy a separate noise gate unit if I want to upgrade to "top shelf" channel strips and compressors?
Hey there! Yes, you’re generally going to have to run a separate noise gate when running higher end processors. It seems mainly, they want to be focusing on just one (or 2) things with the nicer channel strips and compressors, and not add on a gate just to have one. Along with this, you’re going to find that running a separate gate will generally give you some more flexibility when running with other pieces of gear. More options on where to put it in the chain, dialing in more accurate parameters on the gate, etc. I hope this helps! Nick Pasquino, Sweetwater Sales Engineer, (800) 222-4700 ext. 3230, nick_pasquino@sweetwater.com
Any advise on how to reduce the noise floor when capturing sound for picture? I use all mogami XLRs and ensure there is no issues with cables. However, I'm an indie filmmaker so I run straight into the XLR inputs on my Canon C70. The pre-amps are supposed to be pretty clean but I always seem to get too much high frequency hiss... It is SO annoying. Doesn't matter if I'm using a Rode NTG5, Sure KSM44, AKG C451b, or any other type of mic. I always seem to get that ANNOYING high frequency hiss. Any suggestions?
Hi Eric, great question! Having worked on a few video projects myself, there are a few essential tools I would recommend. First is a high quality external recorder which will already have a low noise floor. The Zoom F6 is a great choice and even has Time Code Sync: www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/F6--zoom-f6-multitrack-field-recorder The next is a great Post Production toolkit for removing unwanted noise like Izotope RX: www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/RX9Adv--izotope-rx-9-advanced-audio-repair-software which can be used to push the noise flower even lower. I have also used it to recover audio from a variety situation, even dialogue recorded next to a highway! If you have further questions, give me a ring! Drake Sobehrad, Sweetwater Sales Engineer, (800) 222-4700 ext. 3271, drake_sobehrad@sweetwater.com
