Squeaking noise randomly appearing in recording

[Molda22]

Post another clip very similar to the first one (which was perfect) that you think has no buzz damage. Let's try it that way.

Koz

So after some time of trying, i've managed to record one test recording that has no buzz and its very good with just the normal background noise that can be removed very easily and then the recording will be perfect. For my ears, there is very big difference between the first one i posted and this one. (Most of all at the beggining part of both test recordings.)

There is one thing i need to clarify also - i am not from english speaking country. And for me all the audio noise describing words are difficult to use, because to be honest i am not 100% sure if they mean what i think they mean and if they describe the type of noise that i am thinking of in my language. So maybe you are not hearing "buzz" because there is perhaps no buzz and the noise i am talking about is called differently

[kozikowski]

I know. We got that. I'm trying to find common words. The hiss noise the microphone normally makes sounds like rain in the trees. Of course, if you're from a part of the world that doesn't have rain or trees, that's not going to work.

This latest sample will give us a direct comparison between broken and not broken.

My last post was important. That little pop or tick at the beginning of your clips is not normal and it could be a result of an unstable recording system. Are you wearing headphones while you record? You should not have speakers while you're recording from a microphone.

Have you heard a live performance when the performers got the microphone or public address system wrong and it starts to sing? ....eeeeEEEEEEEEE. Just before it does that, it still works, but it's unstable and the sound is really odd and damaged. It's possible to make the computer sound pathways do that by accident. It's true. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.

And it can drive you insane.

Do you set up your computer to record YouTube or other internet sound? Some of those settings can cause problems. Remember up the thread was the comment that the voice didn't have enough bass or low pitch tones? An unstable recording system can cause that, too.

Koz

[kozikowski]

I'm not at a good place to listen to the samples.

Koz

[kozikowski]

This microphone uses the analog soundcard inside the computer.

You can unplug the microphone cable and clean the plug with alcohol, glass cleaner or vodka. Use clean rags or paper towels and dry when you're done. Plug, unplug and replug several times to make sure the connection is good.

You're using headphones, right? Can you hear yourself a little late while you're presenting or recording?

Audacity > Edit > Preferences > Recording > [X] Playthrough (select)

Start an Audacity recording, listen carefully to background noise in the headphones and move the microphone around your desk. I bet it gets noisy when you move the microphone close to your monitor. Old glass monitors create tons of electronic noise, but even some flat panels can make funny noises if they get too close to a microphone. Other computer equipment can do that, too.

I had a noisy bass speaker cabinet as part of my musical keyboard system and that's how I found it. I couldn't hear it just by walking around the room, but I put the microphone next to it and the noise was very loud.

Koz

[kozikowski]

The Trust microphone is an unbalanced computer microphone. It uses two wires for the sound and it's important to have good connection when you plug it in. Even if you do everything right, putting one too close to a monitor or even the computer itself can make it be noisy.

Higher end microphones use a three wire system. The XLR type connector...



...is heavier and it's much easier for it to make a good connection. The extra wire is a protection copy of the sound signal so even if something goes wrong the performance may work anyway.

XLR type microphones also typically use electronics outside the computer.



You can buy a simpler, smaller package, but I don't have a good picture of that. XLR systems are more expensive.

The computer is a very noisy place. If you have a desktop computer and you buy a custom soundcard, the instructions usually tell you to install it as far away from the noisy video card as you can.

Koz

[Gale Andrews]

So after some time of trying, i've managed to record one test recording that has no buzz and its very good with just the normal background noise that can be removed very easily and then the recording will be perfect. For my ears, there is very big difference between the first one i posted and this one. (Most of all at the beggining part of both test recordings.)

There still is 50 Hz hum in the new buzz-test3 recording, but not as loud. On the other hand you have more "hiss" noise in this later "buzz-test3" recording which is covering up the lower level of hum.

(I renamed the first recording to "50 Hz hum").

50 Hz hum.png (31.19 KiB) Viewed 524 times

Gale

[kozikowski]

That was my finding. The buzz goes away but the overall rushing rain sound goes up. The poster commented on this effect.

I have had troubles like this with a computer microphone bad connection. Some soundcards treat the outer shield in the microphone cable as an active connection rather than simple ground or earth. This can help with an electrically noisy environment (fake balance), but it can give you magic such as making hum and buzz come and go by touching the microphone or laying your hand on the cable.

There is another shadow as well. The connection to the computer is Tip-Ring-Sleeve and nowhere does it say this is a dynamic (moving coil) microphone even though it looks like one. It would be far cheaper to put an electret condenser element in there instead of the magnet. This would require computer 5 volts which would be the ring connection in the plug.

The extra wire doubles the possibility of a bad connection creating noise.

Koz

[cyrano]

There's only one source for user experience for this mic. Amazon.de:

http://www.amazon.de/dp/B003MFYY3Y/ref= ... 3Y34048537

Atm 52 user reviews. Most seem real.

Some seem to have noise problems. And worse, some seem to have a level problem too.

I feel a lot of these problems could be avoided by using a dynamic mic. Some of the mics sold for use with mobile phone kits for cars can be very good for voice. You can find them for less than 10 €. You just need to find a dynamic one. Parrot and TomTom seem to have nicer ones.

Trust doesn't even bother telling anyone if this is an electret and needs pip power. I mean NO specs? Not even on your "industrial" specsheet? Come on, Trust, get real!

I think in this case, the mic gives inconsistent result because of the pip power supplied by the computer. As Koz already suspected too. Any electret will sound bad if supplied with noisy power.

And there's always the odd case where the computer's power is so bad it'll ruin any sound...

You'd need either a second computer, or a second mic to test.

[kozikowski]

All true, but that doesn't account for sound errors that change over time.

I recorded it multiple times and finally got a good one.

That's not bad design. That's something broken.

Koz

[cyrano]

It's the only reason I can think of, if the mic produces different levels in time, as some Amazon reviewers reported...

Of course, there's still Windows' audio system too. That's why I'm interested to see how this mic behaves with another computer. Or the same computer with another mic.