Hi, everyone. I recently set up a small studio in my apartment for recording vocals. I have a CAD GXL2200 mic hooked up to an ART Tube Preamp. The phantom power is turned on.
I tried recording something for the first time tonight. There is a nasty hiss in the background that I can't seem to get rid of (the studio isn't soundproof, but there is minimal ambient noise). Also, my sequencer is only picking up audio on one side... or, at least, that is the only place where a waveform appears, and I can only hear audio on the left side of my headphones.
Is there anything that anyone can recommend to correct this problem (without the obvious suggestion to use the dehisser with my recording program)? Are there any adjustments that anyone can think of that I can make to correct the hiss and get proper stereo sound? Thanks so much in advance.
-John
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Thanks for your replies. I actually solved much of the problem
Thanks for your replies.
I actually solved much of the problem when I opened the casing of the mic and pressed a switch... a random suggestion offered by someone in the comments section of a website selling the microphone. The hiss diminished, and the vocals stand out much more. Weird, I know.
What kind of retardo mic has an internally mounted switch?!?! M
What kind of retardo mic has an internally mounted switch?!?! Most manufactueres (especially the cheap ones) want to keep you out of the inside/guts of their mics!
Do you know what the switch was - what function it serves?
As for the single channel (left only) - it sounds like you've enabled a stereo record channel in your computer software and since you're only recording a mono source, it's defaulting to the left channel. Go back to the track creation process and specify that you want a mono track and record to it.
The suggestion of copying it an pasting it on the right side will make a mono track with a 3dB gain. I wouldn't consider this to be the ideal solution.
Cheers
J
Well, from my experience, here is a potential list of problems:
Well, from my experience, here is a potential list of problems:
1. Your preamp. This is one of the main points of better pre's, is that you will get a much much clearer signal. On my Behringer Xenyx 502, ($45) there is also quite a bit of signal distortion. On a firepod ($400) you can boost the audio over 9dB and still have no static.
2. Your cables. Are they going? Sometimes when my cables are in a bad position it will cause some static.
If the hiss isn't unbearably loud, then it is probably normal for the equipment that you are using.
As for the audio only coming in on one side, this is normal as well. Unless you have a left and right out then the audio will only be coming in on one side. I think there is a way to fix it so that you won't have to do this, but what I do is edit the waveform, copy one side and paste it to the other.