Reducing buzz without using a noise g...

Reducing buzz without using a noise gate?

Posted on Apr 11, 2006 08:32 am
Coltrane
Member Since: Jul 07, 2004

Hi Ive been recording for a little while, I have a basic setup, soundcraft mixer audiophile 2496 and a crappy leem mike.

I was wondering when Im recording alot of the time say in between chrods when there's silence I can see on cubase that it is picking up a large buzz as eveidence by a fat line. Now I can remove this to a skinny line by using the noise gate but alot of the time it's hard as to get the line down as much as possible its hard to not remove some sections of say the piano ive recorded.

Now I was wondering is there anyway I could minimise this buzz so that I wouldnt even have to use a noise gate and the track ive recorded have no sound but a clear say piano track.

This is my aim I think maybe a new mic might help as mine is pretty battered. Sorry about the vagueness of the question but thsi is really driving me nuts as if I can ge tthis I think I'll be able to make some good music.

Thanks guys, Coltrane.

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dbmasters
Administrator
Since: Apr 03, 2002

Apr 11, 2006 08:36 am

The best answer is find the source of the buzz and fix it, bad cable, bad electrical ground, dirty jacks, pots or faders, or whatever.

Secondly decent noise reduction software can "learn" a noise pattern (especially if you have spaces where it's just the noise, such as between chords) and remove that noise.

Tadpui
I am not a crook's head
Member
Since: Mar 14, 2003

Apr 11, 2006 11:24 am

Yes it'd definitely be worth your time to find and correct the source of the noise.

But your noise gate should do exactly what you want here. You just need to find the right attack, release, threshold and listen frequency and you can make sure that the gate only opens when you want it, and doesn't close off too quickly and affect the sound of your instrument.

Coltrane
Member
Since: Jul 07, 2004

Apr 11, 2006 11:13 pm

thanks guys, i might have to look around for a tutorial on using noise gate because usually i just set the threshold and thats i, sounds i might need to be a bit more sophisticated than that :p.

StinkyRyan
I can't spell.
Member
Since: Nov 10, 2005

Apr 12, 2006 12:55 am

I read some where that a CRT Moniter will add some buzz to recordings? Are you running one at the time of recording? How crappy of a mic are you talking about too? Might want to look into a little bit of an upgrade there maybe to a shure.