Hello - no matter what I do, I’m getting hiss when recording my spoken voice.
I’m using Windows 10 and a Samson G-Track Pro USB mic and the most-recent version of Audacity.
This is driving me crazy.
Please help me if you can and spare no detail, pretend you’re talking to someone who knows nothing, just in case I’m overlooking something obvious.
Thank you in advance,
David
Windows 10
Running on a what? If it’s a laptop, make sure you’re speaking into the G-Track instead of the laptop. Start a recording and scratch each one.
You may need the instructions to find out where your laptop microphone is. Mine is just left of the left-hand shift key.
I think the G-Track I had used a volume control. Does yours? Turn that all the way up. Not 12-o’clock. Not 3-o’clock. Crank it all the way up.
Record a simple voice test and post it on the forum.
https://www.kozco.com/tech/audacity/TestClip/Record_A_Clip.html
Look down the blue links. They’re very short.
Koz
The MIC knob controls your voice volume. Crank that up.
You want Cardioid pattern and you want to be speaking into the company name. It’s a side-address microphone.
Can you get the microphone loud enough to cause the little indicator lamp below the company name to turn red? This is just for testing. You don’t want to actually record that way. You should be able to turn the MIC up and yell or talk loudly to get the red light to come on.
Never blow into a microphone, but talking loudly is perfectly OK.
Let us know.
Koz
Hi Koz,
I’ve tried both laptop and PC, but I’m using PC and for sure the Samson is the mic that’s used in recording.
Per your instructions, I set to cardiod and cranked input volume to max, then followed your link(s) provided and recorded an audio snippet, attached - you can hear the hiss.
I’ve tried this room and my dead-silent walk in closet, the hiss remains the same.
Audio WAV file attached as you indicated
David
PS: I don’t know if this is a clue, but in every test in every environment/room I’ve tried, one thing I notice is that the input meter on Audacity is flashing in the green, even without an input / speaking to mic, just silence the the room/closet and yet the meter flashes into the green on Audacity input meter… not sure if this is a clue to the issue as I noted, but that seems suspicious to me.
I’m not sure where to go with this. It sounds exactly like you’re not recording on the microphone in front of you. Very high hiss value; odd room echo; muddy, dull voice; polite, restrained volume; and no sparkling presence. My G-Track loaner didn’t do any of those things. I think I told the owner if he wasn’t watching closely, I was going to take it home forever.
Did you actually do the scratch test? What’s the laptop and where is its microphone? Don’t rely entirely on the computer settings indicators.
Could you get the tiny light to turn red? Ever?
You’re sailing really close to Broken Microphone. Did you buy it new?
Koz
Disable any other recording devices, they could be contributing hiss.
For the same reason turn the “instrument” volume knob down if you’re not using it.
That means there is a front & a back, only speak into the front, (not the back, nor end-on).
@Trebor - all those settings are in place.
@Koz - see below, it may be I have a bad mic, and yes, I bought it new.
UPDATE: I remembered that I have an older Samson mic, a CO1U, and when I merely swapped out the mic and changed absolutely nothing else, the hiss went away. I suspect I have a bad mic. Samson said to uninstall and reinstall driver which I will try, but I highly doubt that’s the issue - I’ve swapped out 2 different PCs, 2 different laptops, and 3 USB cables including one which is brand new and super high quality - the only time hiss has stopped is when I swapped the G-track pro for the CO1U.
If you have a C01U, why do you need the G-Track?
This is the Behringer version of the same microphone. C-1 analog (not USB). That’s recommended spacing if you don’t have a pop and blast filter.
This is an inexpensive microphone stand from On-Stage-Stands featuring a bleach bottle full of water as counterbalance and a shock and vibration filter on the back of the microphone I bought separate.
Add a pop and blast filter (black tennis racket) and that’s the whole thing shoved together into one production studio.
That’s a MacBook Pro computer, which, unless it’s stressed, doesn’t make any noise. The Starbucks may be optional, but the blue furniture moving blankets on the desk and walls are not. Highly recommended.
I will admit to some Hollywood there. It’s a pretty setup, but you would never be able to get your head down there to make an actual recording. Rearrange as need for actual human dimensions and spacing.
Koz
Ideal install is to have the microphone screen directly in front or slightly high.
It doesn’t matter if you have the microphone upside down or not as long as you’re (usually) speaking into the company name. His production studio decided it was handier to have it right-side up.
This is Wynonna singing the tracks for “Lilo and Stitch”.
Koz
Thanks for all that, Koz.
The CO1U bit rate makes for a not-as-high-quality recording, it’s an older mic.
Also, turns out Samson has agreed I should return the G-track pro to them. I think they’ll exchange rather than repair, but either way, I just want the hiss out.
Thanks for all the screenshots and such, really appreciate it! 
David
Was this ever resolved?
Today, I have the exact same problem.
Took delivery of a brand new G Track Pro.
Tried with Windows 7 PC and Windows 10 PC and an iPad.
All three resulted in terrible background hiss.
As soon as I plugged my old Samson mic in, the hiss went away.