bigbrain28
Oct 23rd, 2009, 08:36 AM
Howdy folks,
My Set-up: 3 xlr mics > Alesis USB 8 > Laptop (via USB) > Audacity.
This is a brand new Windows 7 Gateway (4gb ram, 250gb hdd, Dolby Enhanced SC??)
I have access to other rec. apps, but just threw Audacity (1.39 Beta) on there to test last night.
My issue is that the recording is picking up the (I assume) Hard Disk whine. To be clear, I am not referring to ambient PC sound via the mics, I mean line noise from inside the recording PC. Again, there are no audio lines involved, the mixer is connected via usb to the rec'ing PC.
I can sort of minimize it with level adjustments, but not eliminate it. I tried setting audacity to buffer up to 2gb in RAM, and set the TEMP rec folder to an external usb 320bg drive (thinking it wouldn't engage the internal HDD) ...but that ended up freezing the app after about 20mins (different issue, I'm sure).
How do most people avoid the introduction of this unwanted line/hardware noise? When I have the mixer on and the PC idle the sound is perfect - I only get the noise once I hit the rec button. Oddly, also, when in the mic properties window (Of Windows for the USB device's mic setting) when i switch back and forth between tabs (rec and sounds) I get some extra noise on rec that goes away on the sounds tab.... seems odd to me.
Hopefully I have given enough, and not too much info that someone who has experienced this sort of thing can offer some advice. I realize an audio gate, or some noise filter(s) in post can fix most of it, but I'd really like to know if there's a capture stage solution.
Thanks.
My Set-up: 3 xlr mics > Alesis USB 8 > Laptop (via USB) > Audacity.
This is a brand new Windows 7 Gateway (4gb ram, 250gb hdd, Dolby Enhanced SC??)
I have access to other rec. apps, but just threw Audacity (1.39 Beta) on there to test last night.
My issue is that the recording is picking up the (I assume) Hard Disk whine. To be clear, I am not referring to ambient PC sound via the mics, I mean line noise from inside the recording PC. Again, there are no audio lines involved, the mixer is connected via usb to the rec'ing PC.
I can sort of minimize it with level adjustments, but not eliminate it. I tried setting audacity to buffer up to 2gb in RAM, and set the TEMP rec folder to an external usb 320bg drive (thinking it wouldn't engage the internal HDD) ...but that ended up freezing the app after about 20mins (different issue, I'm sure).
How do most people avoid the introduction of this unwanted line/hardware noise? When I have the mixer on and the PC idle the sound is perfect - I only get the noise once I hit the rec button. Oddly, also, when in the mic properties window (Of Windows for the USB device's mic setting) when i switch back and forth between tabs (rec and sounds) I get some extra noise on rec that goes away on the sounds tab.... seems odd to me.
Hopefully I have given enough, and not too much info that someone who has experienced this sort of thing can offer some advice. I realize an audio gate, or some noise filter(s) in post can fix most of it, but I'd really like to know if there's a capture stage solution.
Thanks.