Quality issue with new Blue Yeti and Audacity

sugarcrushed · February 21, 2015, 11:44am

I usually use the VRP 7 app on my iPhone to record and then use Audacity do some really basic editing. I recently purchased a Blue Yeti and am experiencing some serious issues with audio quality. I am using Audacity 2.0.6 on windows 7.

Editing wise I only ever remove noise, normalize and then apply a EQ curve. However when I record with the Blue Yeti there is a consistent metallic whir during times when I am not talking and when I am talking there is an occasional robotic quality. Whilst the quality of the sound of my voice is a lot better I just have no idea how to get past these issues.

These are the settings of mode and gain that I have been using to record. http://imgur.com/PrUJQjj

These are the settings I use for noise removal in Audacity. http://imgur.com/YdOTqNN

These are the normalization settings that I use in Audacity. http://imgur.com/xu6HCMC

This is the EQ curve that I apply in Audacity. http://imgur.com/IBbvJUY

Here is a short sample of raw audio (http://www.mediafire.com/listen/z9vkqs5jc73rbg6/raw.wav) and then the same audio (http://www.mediafire.com/listen/95h376usfh7250c/afteredit.wav) after I apply my normal clueless editing process.

Here is a longer sample of my ambient sound with the editing applied (http://www.mediafire.com/listen/a9q1dqvoqzqj29t/silenceprocessed.wav) and a longer sample of vocals with the editing applied (http://www.mediafire.com/listen/q4ge2z9t9v2x7tj/voiceprocess.wav).

In this sample the problem is really evident. http://www.mediafire.com/listen/w4k3nn52dci76kf/ohdear.mp3

If anyone can offer any advice I would really appreciate it. For full information I should say that I really only want to record basic vocals and there is not a lot a whole that I can do about my environment. At the moment the Yeti is positioned on my desk about half a metre from my desktop.

Thank you in advance for all and any assistance that you are able to give me. It is really apprenticed.

steve · February 21, 2015, 3:55pm

The recording level is way too low.
How much higher can you turn up the level on the mic?

24 dB of noise removal is excessive for good quality audio - hopefully when the recording level is (much) higher you will not need so much noise removal.

kozikowski · February 22, 2015, 3:31am

For live performances, we recommend putting the bouncing red sound meters around -6 and the blue waves at about 50% up and down (same measurement, different meters).

If you’re going to do this a lot, you can reconfigure Audacity to make the meters much bigger and easier to see during the performance (Attached). Yes you do have to watch them and make sure they aren’t low, but it’s really important that they never go all the way up (to the right). Overload will produce permanent sound damage. See that thin blue line in the meter around -6, below? Nobody will hit you with a stick if you miss hitting it exactly most of the time. But you should get close.

As above, your job is to make your voice much louder than the microphone noise (which is always there). If you don’t do that you will be chasing your tail with tools, filters and effects forever.

Koz