VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

sdaeley17 · Posted: Tue Dec 29, 2015 8:36 am Post subject:

Yes, sir! No noise issues with the NT1 or 416
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vkuehn · Posted: Tue Dec 29, 2015 8:41 am Post subject:

That is a nasty noise level! We all have our own little methods for measuring noise but I measure it at about -45.

I fired up my rig: e100s into Audient. My noise is about -57 but a small but noticeable part of that is room noise. (I could not hear room noise in your first track, but when you record in the portabooth in the second recording, lo and behold... A BIT OF ROOM NOISE! What's up with that?) While you are making another test recording, reach up and while standing by for silence, flip the high-pass filter switch during the recording, flip the 10 dB pad switch and see if the noise level changes any. (If it is mic generated, the pad should cut the noise a bit.... I tried it and saw a 6 or 7 dB difference in the noise. Why not a 10 dB difference....???? )

The e100s is NOT a low output mic so you should have adequate gain in your rig.

The e100s is touted as a very LOW INTERNAL NOISE mic so the noise you are hearing is not acceptable.

Do you have a dummy plug? An XLR with a 150 ohm resister soldlered between pins 2 and 3. With such a plug, the only signal being input to a circuit is whatever noise is self-generated by a inert, inactive resistor. My resistor-loaded dummy plug is generating a whole -78 dB of noise this morning. (SPOILER ALTERT: It is likely that your pre-amp depends on a mic or a dummy load to keep the internal noise of the pre-amp down. Pull out the dummy and my pre-amp suddenly generates a good 15 to 18 dB of noise compared to the measurement with the dummy load in place.)

Be creative with variable set-ups to make sure it IS the mic making the noise before you do returns, etc.

My measurement technique: Though we never send out recordings where the voice is FULL SCALE, some of us prefer -3, some -6 and some -9 dBfs for the audio, just to be tough-on-noise, I make my noise measurements after I have normalized program content to -0.1 dBfs. That is what I did with your recordings. That is how I came up with a -45 noise for your recording.

Mike Harrison · Posted: Tue Dec 29, 2015 8:42 am Post subject:

Please clarify what you mean that the switches were "off." What positions are they set to?
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sdaeley17 · Posted: Tue Dec 29, 2015 8:44 am Post subject:

Sure thing, Mike. Hi pass filter was set to "flat" and pad was set to "0 db."
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"There's Magic all around us; you just have to see it. And the most wonderful Magic of all, is just bein' alive." -Uncle Montork, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe

sdaeley17 · Posted: Tue Dec 29, 2015 8:46 am Post subject:

Thanks for your help, Vernon! Unfortunately, I do not have a dummy plug. Did you make one yourself, or purchase it?
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"There's Magic all around us; you just have to see it. And the most wonderful Magic of all, is just bein' alive." -Uncle Montork, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe

Mike Harrison · Posted: Tue Dec 29, 2015 8:48 am Post subject:

OK. Nothing implied; due to very similar past experience I had to ask.

Just one more step, though, before you go through the trouble of packing it and shipping it back, contact CAD first just to give them a heads-up.
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Mike
Male Voice Over Talent
I have taken leave of my sensors.

vkuehn · Posted: Tue Dec 29, 2015 8:52 am Post subject:

I made it. It's kind of a religion with me: Why buy anything you can make with STUFF you have laying around in a junk box.

sdaeley17 · Posted: Tue Dec 29, 2015 8:53 am Post subject:

Haha, good advice, Mike! My friend Ted Mcaleer has a contact at CAD he's putting me in touch with, which should help the process go more smoothly.
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"There's Magic all around us; you just have to see it. And the most wonderful Magic of all, is just bein' alive." -Uncle Montork, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe

paulstefano · Posted: Tue Dec 29, 2015 12:20 pm Post subject:

Sean,

Might be worth revisiting this post. I realize you are probably asleep now. so tomorrow!

http://www.vo-bb.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=17685&sid=a851d1d3dcf934c2735137b1a06dabf4

Jeffrey noticed considerable noise in a CAD E100s also.
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Jeffrey Kafer · Posted: Tue Dec 29, 2015 2:46 pm Post subject:

I also bought that mic a few months ago, and immediately returned it for the same self-noise problem. Sadly, with Massdrop, there are no returns...
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Frank F · Posted: Tue Dec 29, 2015 4:01 pm Post subject:

here's just a quick thought, it might not be the microphone itself, it might be the actual power to the microphone, that is the electricity. folks I know in Japan also have inherent noise due to the electrical noise in the circuits.

try placing a power conditioner in the circuit and see if that helps quiet the noise. cost to fix your problem could be as low as for $5 USD.

Frank f
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vkuehn · Posted: Tue Dec 29, 2015 4:30 pm Post subject:

Good possible "catch" Frank. I found the noise too steady, too homogenized, too structured. I expect defect noise to be a bit more frantic, a bit more disorganized.

I think your rig could be rather portable. Put the computer, the interface and the mic in a box and go somewhere with it. A friends house. Maybe a less urban place than where you live. Maybe multiple places. Make test recordings. Does the noise sound the same no matter where you record, or can you hear differences.

And do try the power filter idea.

I once ran a mainframe computer that about the same time everyday would have little "episodes". I finally figured out that it was always at the crank-up time each morning for the big ready-mix and paving material plant about a mile down the road. We had a chat with the power company. (Fry's does sell an electrical noise filter for a disturbance like that one. Rolls Eyes

)

Do you have another analog-to-digital interface you could switch out as you go from location to location. Maybe your interface is providing ugly-baby phantom voltage to the mic. A different mic could filter the phantom power while the CAD does not.

sdaeley17 · Posted: Tue Dec 29, 2015 6:45 pm Post subject:

That's interesting to hear about Massdrop, Jeff. While it sucks, I can see why they'd want that clause to deny liability, especially since many of their bulk orders seem to cause a host of QC oversights (one of the other Droppers reported their CAD arriving with its box BROKEN! yikes!)

Frank, that would certainly make sense with the ID14, which uses a wall wart, but what about the USB units, or recording to ipad? I actually make sure not to have my laptop plugged in while I record, because I noticed it can introduce electrical noise. Still, $5 is less than $50 for shipping.

I have one last interface I can try, along with Frank's idea, but after that, this CAD is going to pasture!
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"There's Magic all around us; you just have to see it. And the most wonderful Magic of all, is just bein' alive." -Uncle Montork, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe

sdaeley17 · Posted: Tue Dec 29, 2015 7:20 pm Post subject:

Paul, I remember that thread, was very surprised by the results, but happy Jeff has found a silver bullet in the sadly discontinued 3035.

Lastly, I want to thank everyone who's contributed to this thread and helped me out over in the VOBS fb forum. It's great to see that everyone here loves a good mystery, and is always quick to lend an ear and a hand. Happy Holidays everyone, thanks again!
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"There's Magic all around us; you just have to see it. And the most wonderful Magic of all, is just bein' alive." -Uncle Montork, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe

Frank F · Posted: Tue Dec 29, 2015 7:41 pm Post subject:

this goes back to Japan's equivalent power of 110 volts AC and it is not really 110 volts AC. once converted, line power in Japan is less than what we consider optimal in the United States.

USB unists can vary in their power consumption by as much as 1.5 volts. if the unit does not have enough power, USB units will not actually work as optimal.

so what you were showing is it really likely that the line power is the culprit. , the electricity coming into your housing unit that is causing your problems with your recording equipment.

F2
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Be thankful for the bad things in life. They opened your eyes to the good things you weren't paying attention to before. email: thevoice@usa.com