beeping noise coming up in recording

[kozikowski]

I am using an XLR cable (the one that came with the Rode) to connect the Solo and the Rode mic. It seems rather long. Is there a different XLR you recommend other than the one it came with?

That's probably the one part of this you don't have to worry about. It's very common to buy a pre-packaged 25 foot XLR cable, and you can plug them into each other for even longer runs. They are designed to do that.

It's nearly 100% certain this is a USB issue.

where the solo seemed to be kind of coming in and out, meaning the green light was sort of blinking

This light?

Screen Shot 2021-04-03 at 18.47.13.png (18.1 KiB) Viewed 181 times

Actually, that's good news. That doesn't indicate an easy fix, but that light is USB Quality Assurance. So the Solo thinks something is off. That makes two of us.

I like that device that plugs into the wall. That means the 5 volts going up to run the Solo is coming from a stable wall power supply and not the Mac and its adapters. I know these adapters all claim to support multiple connections and devices, but you in particular should not be plugging anything else in.

I also bought a USB-C to USB-C to plug the solo directly into my computer

The Solo has a USB-C??? Which Solo did you get?

I'm lost. If the Solo and the Mac are both USB-C, didn't that work the first time you just plugged them together??

Koz

[kozikowski]

Thunderbolt-3 and USB-C are compatible. It's terrifically good to know that. So yes, I would expect that to work.

I'm still searching for a pin diagram.

Koz

[kozikowski]

So it seems it's a really bad idea to convert to anything else in a Thunderbolt-3 or USB-C system. They don't use pure 5 volt like early USB. They negotiate the voltage and change the characteristics as needed. That could be where your ratty USB whine sounds were coming from. It's OK now, right?

Koz

[Ani365]

Hi Koz,
Sorry, I didn't realize you'd replied yesterday!
This is the Scarlett Solo that I have: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07 ... UTF8&psc=1
The original cable I used was the USB-C to a regular USB (is that called a USB-A?). That's the one I plugged into the power adapter and got working okay.

'I'm lost. If the Solo and the Mac are both USB-C, didn't that work the first time you just plugged them together??"

I actually didn't have the cable when I was first using it which is why I tried the adapter and power hub method.
I bought a Thunderbolt-3 to thunderbolt-3 cable (which I didn't realize was different from a UBC-C?) because I figured a direct connection would be better initially, though this doesn't allow for any connection to the power adapter. That also seemed to work but now I'm wondering if it's ok since it's a thunderbolt 3 and not a usb-3? Are they actually different, could this be the issue?

I haven't had a chance to try the mic since my post but I am hoping to try tonight and see if the beeping is still an issue. I will try both cable setups again. However, I'm not totally sure which setup actually sounds the most optimal at this point, I'm a little confused too!

This light?

Screen Shot 2021-04-03 at 18.47.13.png
Screen Shot 2021-04-03 at 18.47.13.png (18.1 KiB) Viewed 45 times

As for the light I mentioned that went in and out, I actually meant this one:


Does this clear things up a little? Based on all this, what do you recommend? I will let you know how it goes next time I record.

Thanks again for the help, I always forget to check the second page on this forum (duh) and sometimes I check and think no one has responded, when really I just need to click to the next page...

[Ani365]

update - I have been testing this for hours and no luck. A couple hours ago I did a quick test and I didn't hear any beeping. Thinking I was good to go, I finished soundproofing my room, came back to record (without touching or changing any equipment at all) and now the beeping is there. I switched up the cables between the solo and the computer every way I could think, and nothing works.
I am realizing as well that the hum that was mentioned by another user is actually much louder than the hum that's normally in the background. I just listened to a recording I did last week and the hum is much quieter in that recording. So I suppose the problem is both the beep and the loud hum....

[Trebor]

... I just listened to a recording I did last week and the hum is much quieter in that recording ...

The position (routing) of a microphone cable can determine how much mains-hum it picked up by it.
Try to keep the microphone cable away from mains cables, (which can be hidden in walls/floor ).

[Ani365]

So I suppose the problem is both the beep and the loud hum....

Another update, I bought a new Scarlett Solo just to completely rule out a problem with the device, being that the old one worked fine before and I'm having the same problem with the new one...
I tried the varying connections as well (the usb-3 to usb-a that it comes with - new - ) plugged into my adapter and power hub, then without the power hub, then the direct thunderbolt 3 to thunerbolt 3.

So, if the issue is the same on any scarlett solo, what on earth is going on? It only seems to be a problem when i hit the record button.
Thanks for the help.

[Ani365]

So it seems it's a really bad idea to convert to anything else in a Thunderbolt-3 or USB-C system. They don't use pure 5 volt like early USB. They negotiate the voltage and change the characteristics as needed. That could be where your ratty USB whine sounds were coming from. It's OK now, right?

Koz

Sorry Koz, could you clarify this a little but more for me? You mean it's a bad idea to use an adapter with the usb-c? I also tried purchasnig a thunderbolt-3 to thunderbolt-3 to connect directly to my laptop and still having the same problem.
I also purchased a new Scarlett Solo and tested it out just to see and ran into the same issue.

I agree the issue must have something to do with the cables but I feel like I've tried everything and can't seem to solve the problem (see previous posts with more info).
Let me know if you have a recommendation, am at a loss!

Thanks again.

[jademan]

Let me know if you have a recommendation, am at a loss!

So I have no personal experience with this issue, but until koz returns to this post, consider also that the problem could be in your computer hardware.

Consider asking a friend to bring over their computer (or, conversely, take your Solo and mike there).

[kozikowski]

This is a stumper. Usually I can come up with a crazy-wild scenario that can cause a problem like this, but I got nothing.

I know it's important because you're at dead stop until we figure it out.

While the machine is making those noises, burn another voice test. There is to be something we're missing. Alternately, it could be something totally different that just appears like a common problem.

https://www.kozco.com/tech/audacity/Tes ... _Clip.html

And while it's not likely it's the Mac, it is possible.

What other electronic "stuff" do you have around? What are you reading your script from?

I need to go back through the post and review what we did so far.

Koz