PC fan noise

Posted on

Member Since: Aug 02, 2004

Hello.
I'm recording classical guitar using a condenser mic, preamp and wavelab. Quality is acceptable, but the pc fan noise is disturbing quite a lot: without considering any big change like replacing the fan, is there any way to make it less noisy?

Tks.

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Karyn
Member
Since: Jul 10, 2004


Aug 03, 2004 03:56 am

It's called a gate and it will give you a background of silence. They're usually found on compressors, but there are stand alone units. It works like it's name implies. Only sound that reaches a certain db level can open the gate. when that sound is done the gate closes producing silence. pretty cool. or try throwing a
big blanket over your pc while recording.
www.karynwhittemore.com

Member
Since: Aug 02, 2004


Aug 03, 2004 05:29 am

Uhm... blanket sounds easier: I've never heard/seen that "gate"...
Tks!

Administrator
Since: Apr 03, 2002


Aug 03, 2004 05:39 am

Well, gate will work only while the guitar is not playing, while the guitar is recording the gate will let thru guitar, fan noise and everything.

A blanket will hurt the cooling process the fan is trying to accomplish.

I would put the mic and guitar in another room.

Karyn
Member
Since: Jul 10, 2004


Aug 03, 2004 10:44 am

But usually, DB, the sound that is so much louder will mask the unwanted room noise which is so much lower in volume. Your right though moving to a room without the noise is better though not always feasible.

Administrator
Since: Apr 03, 2002


Aug 03, 2004 10:52 am

It depends, if you want to put something over it it will still be there, audible to some, not to others, but still there. It doesn't make the noize go away, which, if possible, is really what you should shoot for.

...bringing sexy back
Member
Since: Jul 01, 2002


Aug 03, 2004 11:02 am

just unplug the fan










NOTE : dont just unplug the fan

Karyn
Member
Since: Jul 10, 2004


Aug 03, 2004 11:03 am

Agreed, but I live on a street that is noisy. I track vocals with a gate and the vocal masks the ambient noise perfectly. I think there must be a 20db or more difference between vocal and noise. but when the threshhold on the gate is adjusted right the vocal comes out of stone silence and mask ambient noise quite well, but like I said before. I concur.

...bringing sexy back
Member
Since: Jul 01, 2002


Aug 03, 2004 11:06 am

you got a software or hardware gate karyn?

Karyn
Member
Since: Jul 10, 2004


Aug 03, 2004 11:12 am

Hardware. It's the gate on the dbx 1066 compressor. I just like analog gear with actual knobs.

...bringing sexy back
Member
Since: Jul 01, 2002


Aug 03, 2004 11:19 am

me too

Chief Cook and Bottle Washer
Member
Since: May 10, 2002


Aug 03, 2004 09:42 pm

If you have the room, put up some blocking material to isolate the fan sound. Get you mic pointed so that it's pick up patern is away from the fan, and put absorbant material behind the guitar player to reduce ambient noise echo.

Quite frankly, I agree with dB; I don't care for a gate except when it is to isolate sounds that do not occure during the same time period of the voice you are recording. A drum set would be the best example I can think of. Good for getting toms out of snare track etc. True, as mentioned above, it can function fairly well illiminating noise from portions of a track that have no wanted "inteligence", but then so does a wave editor.

There's nothing like getting it clean from the begining.

Member
Since: Aug 02, 2004


Aug 04, 2004 02:13 am

I'm sorry to say yesterday night I made a try and found... it's not the fan! It's the hard disk itself............
fiulin

Lost for words with all to say.
Contributor
Since: Sep 12, 2003


Aug 04, 2004 07:16 am

Your hard drive making that much noise? Hmmmm, hopefully it won't go dead on you soon.

...bringing sexy back
Member
Since: Jul 01, 2002


Aug 04, 2004 12:44 pm

how old is the HD?

Phatso
Member
Since: Mar 31, 2003


Aug 05, 2004 12:11 am

Perhaps the Gate on the Alesis 3630 is just utter crap, but I definately wouldnt recommend it for guitar tracks. No matter how I try to set it, the gate shuts juuuuust before the note has ended. Try putting your unit in a closet or in another room. Or build yourself an isolation cabinet that has padding and whatnot, but still gets plenty of airflow through the back of the PC, with possibly a port in the front for increased airflow. But if your HD is making that much noise, I definately wouldnt wanna overheat it.

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