Hello, i have read about frying mosquitoes. I face this problem even when i had my old pc the noise was exactly the same. I’ve tried 3 cables on 2 different microphones (both usb) on PC i use everday and on laptop (still same). I ordered one more cable to be sure (2m). I would like to fix it not by software because voice quality is going down and i’m often using mic in real-time. The microphone is superlux e205u (usb). It’s the same sound as in yeti.
I don’t want to spend much money on this. I’ve tried connecting to all usb ports, without GPU/monitors connected.
here is my PC:
as far as i read the possible fixes could be: smaller cable
usb hub
maybe there is something else i could try without buying things or something that has high success rate to fix?
unfortunately there is nothing about it in my language and i’m not very good with english so i could miss something maybe.
I consider buying other mic for ~54$/45€ but i would like to keep mine.
Usually this noise comes from the computer’s power supply and it gets-into the analog preamp (inside your microphone in this case). Some computers have noisier power than others and some microphones and interfaces are more immune (better filtered) than others.
The Yeti sort-of has a bad reputation for noise but it might get the most complaints simply because it’s the most popular “podcast” mic.
A different USB cable won’t help.
A powered USB hub should help because it’s isolated from the computer’s power supply.
Some people advise against using a USB hub for audio but I think it’s OK as long as you are not using it as a hub to share/expand ports.
You’d also have better odds with an audio interface that has it’s own separate power supply. These work with analog stage/studio mics… They don’t work with USB mics or analog "computer mics.
You have the standard multiples of 1000Hz, but also multiples of 1100Hz.
The mosquito-killer plugin will only remove the 1kHz multiples.
Could manually notch out the others, or use Nyquist code.
The short answer is no. There is no easy/cheap out. We tried. Frying mosquitoes is caused by the digital data stream getting into, infecting the analog sound.
Computer makers cut corners on USB service quality based on the idea that nobody is going to know if their mouse skips a beat every so often. The microphone makers cut corners based on the computer delivering clean, perfect, well-regulated USB. Frying mosquitoes is what happens when they both drop the ball.
Notes:
Change the computer enough times and you will hit one without this problem. That’s the recommendation.
Changing the USB microphone is probably not going to help.
Changing the cables may change the problem, not eliminate it.
In-line USB “Filters” don’t work. At least mine didn’t.
All known XLR interfaces (Behringer UM-2, Scarlett Solo) are immune to this problem. They all have internal power regulation based on the need to provide perfect, clean 48V to condenser microphones.
There is an exotic solution. Run the USB service through a wall-powered USB Hub by itself. We stopped recommending this when people came up with Hubs that were so crappy they were worse than the Mosquitoes.
We even know what the infection mechanism is if you care. It won’t get you out of trouble.
I used to call this the “Yeti Curse” because so many Yeti users seem to have it. As DVDdoug above, that is almost certainly down to the popularity of the Yeti microphone.
Interestingly, the Yeti Pro doesn’t seem to suffer from this at roughly twice the cost. Again, everybody cutting corners at the same time is a problem.
Thank you all for fast response. I will probably buy this behringer um2 but what mic do you recommend to be sure mosquitoes will not appear? Or it doesnt matter what mic do i buy? I could buy the same microphone but xlr version.
I don’t have a specific microphone recommendation but the most common type of mic for voice and almost anything else in a pro studio is a [u]cardioid (directional) large diaphragm condenser mic[/u]. Look for a “good brand” and expect to pay at least $100 USD.
Dynamic mics have lower output than condensers and some interfaces have trouble getting enough gain. Or, again preamp noise can be an issue when you crank-up the gain. The most popular microphone of all time is the (dynamic) Shure SM58 (or SM57). It’s really designed for stage use but It’s a great mic for $100 and they last a lifetime. There are a couple of very popular dynamic “broadcast” microphones but they are more expensive and they also have low-output.
I’d avoid the really cheap “condensers” sold on Amazon, etc. They are actually electret condenser* “computer mics” in a nice housing to make it look like a studio condenser.
As long as you have a decent mic, the main difference in “sound quality” or “sound character” is frequency response. Condenser mics generally have a stronger high-end for a “brighter” or “crispier” sound compared to typical dynamic. Some cheap condensers are famous for being “too crispy”. But that can be adjusted with equalization so you don’t need the “perfect mic”.
A shock mount (it often comes with a higher-end mics) and a pop filter (usually an extra accessory) are nice things to have.
If you pay more you can start looking for “features” like a low-frequency roll-off switch or a “pad” (for loud sounds) or multiple pick-up patterns.
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There are also some good electret condensers so that’s not always a terrible thing.
Anything that will plug into the XLR connection without an adapter should work.
Save the papers.
You have two problems. Mosquito Killer didn’t work for you. Mosquito Killer was carefully designed to suppress the most common, ordinary whine sounds and still affect the show as little as possible. It’s a juggling act between two conflicting goals.
As Trebor above, you have two different suits of noises. Mosquito Killer got rid of some of it and custom, manual notch filters took out everything else. That’s taking a digital machete to your work. I’d be surprised if the show sounded OK after that.
That and you have to make all those corrections to everything you do, always.
We have a super good idea what causes the mosquitoes, but no idea at all where the other noises are coming from.
How about taking up gardening? Does that sound good?
Perhaps worth considering the MXL 990. If you shop around you should be able to find it at a similar price to the AT 2020 and it is said to be a better mic (though I’ve never done a side by side test myself).