Hello everyone,
I have recently upgraded my microphone from a fifine a6t to a rode procaster microphone.
To connect the rode mic to my pc I use a focusrite scarlett one (3rd gen).
My problem is, that whenever I record any vocals or just my voice with the rode mic, there is some sort of cracking sound in the background.
The problem only occures whenever I record with audacity (discord and the windows 11 audio recorder are fine)
The problem wasn’t solved by in- or decreasing the sample rate and/or buffer.
The problem wasn’t solved by in- or decreasing the gain on the scarlett one.
I also included a little recording where you can hear the kind of cracking sound I’m talking about.
Thanks in advance to anyone who takes the time to help me solve the problem.
I already checked the USB cable and tried switching it with 2 other different USB cables from 2 different companies, nothing changed.
The only thing I can’t swap is the cable between the mixer and the mic (because I only own the one I ordered with the mic).
In the meantime i tried un- and reinstalling audacity, it didn’t help.
I also did some humming to check the spectrograph
You can clearly see the cracking in the spectograph, sadly I just don’t know how to get rid of it.
Audacity seems to be the only software that has a problem with the new mic.
The cable between the Rode and the Scarlett is an analog XLR type.
They are numbered. Pin 2 has your voice electrically right-side up. Pin 3 has your voice upside down and these two are used to do cool tricks like have the rock band on stage 100 feet away from the mixing desk. Pin 1 is a braided shield covering the whole thing up while still remaining flexible.
If the microphone was going to have a noise problem, it would probably have the noise there all the time, not coming and going.
I think you’re looking in the wrong place. I magnified a selection of your humming.
See that little break on the right there? Say about 5.8043? That little piece doesn’t follow your voice.
The damage isn’t trash noise. It’s periodic. Like a clock only faster. So something on the computer is intentionally interrupting the voice data periodically. I don’t know how far apart they are. I had trouble finding that one.
Is everything on the computer set to 48000 sample rate?
No, I don’t think this is a cable problem. I think you have a setting or preference that about every 1/4 second loses its mind.
Does your Scarlett plug directly into the computer? No USB Hubs or connection managers?
I am also puzzled by the fact that the Windows software manages to record my voice without any problems and Audacity doesn’t.
I included two humming samples recorded by each program on its own and my audacity settings, maybe you can spot what’s wrong (I already tried changing the sampling format to 24 bit and changing the buffer size in audacity, aswell as changing the host between MME, Windows Direct Sound and Windows WASAPI)
This is tough. I had a similar problem with regular interference almost like a power source sound. I was using at one point a wasapi driver with a swamp X-usb pre-amp and this problem was very clearly evident. My computer at the time crashed, so my notes on this issue are gone. Since then, I have been forced to use USB-96 box for recording with XLR mic cord and Shure Beta 58A with their specific drivers and it is stable, quiet, no unwanted sound. The one time I had bad distortion was when I forgot, and tried to record with the windows drivers, but as soon as I switched back it stopped, I also gave up on using my Rode NT1-A setup, as a similar problem occurred. My last problem was fixed due to a forum telling me to increase the buffer sizes and in that instance it worked the charm. Sorry I don’t remember what I did for your situation exactly.
I see we missed a piece. This is all happening in Audacity 3.3.3, right?
You can get and install Classic, Legacy Audacity 2.4.2.
It’s super important to know that 2.4.2 uses the older format Audacity Projects which came in two blobs, and you need both blobs to open a show.
Audacity 3.3.3 will open the older shows and the newer shows. Audacity 2.4.2 will only open the older format, above. That’s one show whose name is test2-4-2
We seem to be on the cusp of a BUG. Evil behavior experienced reliably by multiple users on multiple different machines.
The segment of humming to the left in that picture is being recorded too slowly. That can mean the machine assumes the sample rate is too high. You can only have a mismatch like that for only so long before the machine runs out of juice (technical term) and has to start over. And misses a tiny sample of the humming.
But then, it really does start over recording at the wrong sample rate, again.
I have zero idea why it would do that. Again, I’m a Mac elf, have historically only had one unexplained damaged recording, and that was centuries ago.
This is where I point to the entirely unwelcome idea of not recording on the computer.
This is my Zoom H1n recorder. It wasn’t “staged.” It was just stuck out there to get a picture of “something.” It supports good quality stereo WAV recording and a live headphone connection. I have a voice sample, but really need to get another one. I’m getting tired of the joke.
I will be finished with my production recording (with hardware backup) and be on the way to the beach while the computer people are still struggling with the Audacity noise problems.
After installing version 2.4.2 the problem wasn’t solved again, and I am kind of getting tired of it. At this point I think I’ll just send everything back, get a refund and use my old microphone, which does not sound as good as the rode but gets the job done.
Thanks to all of you for your time and the effort you put into this but at this point I’ll give up and admit defeat.
Kindest Regards,
Ted
OK, ummmm. While all your microphones are available, do a newspaper test.
The One-Line: Make a recording while you crunch up a newspaper sheet in front of the microphone.
Details: Crunching up a sheet of plain, ordinary, matte-surface newsprint gives you sound remarkably close to a “white noise” sound test. It may be possible to view the spectrum analysis of both microphones and make your old, working microphone sound closer to the new one.
This is a sheet of classic, matte surface, newsprint that came in the mail slot yesterday. You are warned not to use the glossy or higher quality ads, or even typing paper They don’t have the same crisp snap as cheap, old-style newsprint.
Also, you can’t do it more than once. Each test should be on a fresh sheet—and try to crunch the same way every time.
Try not to overload the sound channel. Keep the blue wave sharp tips away from 100%,
I did this test to a “better quality” microphone and stopped using it. The microphone always had an overly crisp, harsh sound, and then I found out why. It was artificially boosting harsh tones in voices.
I think they used to call that the “Professional Sound.” Thanks, no.
