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I have been getting this distortion/clicks n pops/static in my recordings for a while. Even just recording a single track it happens. It goes off and on so I'm almost positive it's on the computer/software end. I have a clip link listed below, can someone check it out? Someone with more experience can probably pin it right down. I've been doing everything I can to optimize for recording including: doubled ram to 512mb, have no non-audio programs installed, disabled all unnecessary services, and still get the pops. I'm recording at 44.1 kHz, 16 bits. Is it a slow hard drive? Some sort of interrupt problem?

I use...

Compaq Presario 2100 notebook (1.6 GHz Celeron, 512mb ram, xp home)
MOTU 828 firewire interface

The sample I have was recorded via the phantom powered line in using a condenser mic. I can't seem to go much higher than about 30% gain without the distortion.

10 second clip, distorted at about half way
http://www.mainliners.net/static.mp3

Comments

anonymous Fri, 04/23/2004 - 20:42

that doesn't sound like clipping.

your hard drive catching up wouldn't make it get staticy like that.. it'd make it skip.

it sounds like a cable or loose wire getting jiggled or something while he's playing. have you tried different cables/mic's? When does the problem happen exactly? can you reproduce it?