I’ve googled a bunch and lurked on this forum’s previous topics and run across this frying mosquitoes sound baked into my audio recordings.
I have an MXL 770 Condenser microphone that goes into an ‘MXL-MICMATE PRO XLR To USB Preamp with gain’ which is powered through USB to my computer.
I am thinking of eliminating my ‘MXL preamp’ altogether and recording into some other piece of hardware (mixer?) to just not have to deal with the frying mosquitoes and USB cable issues.
I’ve seen koz’s previous posts where through use of ‘Silence’, ‘Noise Reduction’, ‘Mosquito Killer’ you can mask the frying mosquitoes but so many steps including the others to get the proper RMS Noise limit and Sound Floors just seems excessive.
Any ideas on how a piece of hardware that will help me eliminate this frying mosquitoes issue will be greatly appreciated. I’ll look at low/high budget items so don’t be afraid to suggest!
If you have “standard” frying mosquitoes we published a filter for it and you shouldn’t need anything more. multinotch.ny (1.07 KB)
The whine sounds like this.
What causes the problem is an interaction between a “home version” of a USB sound adapter and ratty USB in the computer. You’re listening to computer data housekeeping which is supposed to be isolated from the USB power service…but isn’t. You would normally be plugging a keyboard or mouse into this connector. Neither one cares.
A higher quality USB adapter would be filtering all that junk out of the USB service but that’s the first thing they leave out in an “affordable” adapter.
We tried all kinds of patches and interference suppressors but the most reliable way to get rid of the whine is replace the computer.
Multinotch is not the best solution in the world. It’s literally destroying certain pitch tones in the show. I think the default is 8. Most of the time you can’t hear it working.
It’s also possible that’s not what you have. There are whines this filter won’t touch.
Most of the time, an interface with 48volt Phantom Power is immune to this problem. The maker goes through the trouble to create a clean, well-behaved 48 volts to run the microphone. You would have to be insane not to use that service to run the sensitive internal amplifiers.
So if the MultiNotch filter fails, then you don’t have a classic Mosquito Whine.
You have something else broken.
And while we’re here. Post a sample of the noise. Sometimes we can analyze or even just listen to tell you what’s wrong.
I doubt a new cable would help. It’s usually a computer with ratty USB service.
The computer supplies 5 volts up the cable to run the keyboard, mouse or whatever you plugged in.
The problem comes when you plug in a microphone adapter. You try to run a super-sensitive microphone amplifier which is what’s inside the MicMate and you don’t bother to clean the 5 volts before you send it up the cable. Not a good combination.
The computer population splits cleanly between people who have this problem and people who don’t. It’s also somewhat non-gracefully called The Yeti Curse because lots of Blue Yeti microphone users have it.
We tried a physical plug-in adapter that’s supposed to “clean” the USB service and that helped…a little. We know you can go through a good quality USB hub and get rid of the trash immediately. Also, immediately, users started buying crappy hubs that created more problems than they solved. So we stopped doing that.
We did notice other adjacent problems. Almost always, people would change the cable and the whine would change. Nobody ever had the whine go away.
I don’t have any machines with the whine problem, so I can’t give you part numbers for how to fix it, other than a Desperation Method we recommend for people in doo-doo (technical term) and have to get a show out the door.
I don’t get lost easy, but I think you stumped the band. I can hear a whine, but I can’t find it in the analyze tools enough to manage it.
Multi-Notch is not supposed to muffle the sound. When it’s working right, it’s supposed to be almost invisible.
I can force Noise Reduction to work, but it’s right on the edge of being so stiff it making your voice sound funny.
Well… Shucks.
I know this is a bad time, but I can hear conversations behind you and It’s pretty clear you’re announcing in a bare room with lots of echoes—the bathroom/kitchen sound. Is that your hero "studio, or this is just whine testing?
The voice volume is pretty close. Do a more serious sound test with actual words. Read the side of the milk carton if you have nothing handy.
As we go. I think you have a bad whine program. Mine dropped that eeeeeee sound like a hot rock.
You also have at least one fan mmmmm in there. I got rid of that with a custom filter, but if that’s your AC, much better you turn it off. Every time we cook up another filter, we put another hole in the tones of your show.
You have my voice. That’s scary.
You could get louder.
How far from the microphone are you? You should be about a power fist away from your blast filter…
or a Hawaiian Shaka away from the microphone.
Closeness, within reason, will help with the noise because you will be louder.
The goal is AudioBook. I am thankful for your input and consistent suggestions.
As for the fan, guaranteed it’s the computer fan in my desktop so I’ll have to stop using the computer as you said.
More than likely I’m going to get a recording device that can take the XLR or get a mixer to the recording device.
My office actually is quite filled with stuff such as a desk, book shelves, computer equipment tall safe so it’s not bare or open. Not sure why I’m getting an echo on the audio.
With that said, I’m about 6 inches from the mic so a power fist should be the right amount.
I did not get a chance to record last night or this morning but will get something uploaded again by 5PM EST.
That’s important because the others have fuzzy standards and anything that sounds OK to you (or to your audience) will work, Audiobooks have pretty strict standards. That is, strict from a home producer point of view. Most pro studios and broadcasters can pass them before breakfast. ACX would like you to sound clear with no distractions. They call making your voice sound like a bad cellphone from heavy processing or recording in a bathroom distractions.
In my opinion, we should get what you have working before you start shopping. Some of that stuff is just ordinary mistakes and can be fixed.
With another person, two dogs and AC running I need to finagle some silence.
That may be the worst problem right there. How is that going to work out when you start reading two or three hours a day?
I have a really good, soundproofed third bedroom (the house came that way), but I have to stop every so often as the Metrobus goes over that bad patch in the street and creates a 1.8 Richter earthquake in the house.
My favorite audiobooks are from Sarah Vowell. She has an off-beat announcing style and I can listen to her for hours. This is from “Assassination Vacation.”
Also see David Sedaris.
Who is your favorite audiobook performer? Are you reading your book?
The power fist spacing if the for pop and blast filter, not the microphone. If you get too close without that little black tennis racket you could start to pick up P Popping and other mouth noises.
Do a real sound test from that little instruction panel. There are pre-baked tools and effects for audiobooks and I’ll see if I can make you pass the ACX standards and if not, why not.
My favorite narrators are typically men. Mark Nelson did some Conan the Barbarian books and it is very fitting for the genre of sword and sorcery.
I currently am not reading a book I plan on narrating yet as I need to get my production sorted out first.
That may be the worst problem right there. How is that going to work out when you start reading two or three hours a day?
The person is understanding and will work with me as they are an avid reader and can entertain themselves in silence (they’re not an issue when they aren’t around). My dogs are old and do nothing but sleep and lounge so they will probably be an issue 1% of the time. I was thinking of using a closet or upstairs bedroom if need be to get my recordings done and kill any noise.
In my research I’ve realized that my USB pre-amp has to go. It’s not giving me the 48V of power I need so I will find something ~ $50 to A) give me the proper power and B) able to connect to a recording device or to my computer.
For option B, I can get a longer XLR and take the mic to a closet to isolate it and get rid of my fan noises.
The filters will help with any little other noises. I won’t have anything for you to listen to until the evening unfortunately.
