Noise reduction when recording to audio.

picacoco · Post by **picacoco** » Tue Oct 12, 2010 10:50 am

Hi guys!

I am trying to record my electribes (MX and SX) and I notice that i'm recording some noise behind the sounds.

I tried with different soundcards (M-Audio 410 and Presonus Firebox) and also with different cables, plus I recorded same sound trough electribe output L/R and 3/4.... same results!

Do you have any suggestion to be able to record a clean sound from our loved machines? really, i'm turning quite crazy whit this...

thanks in advance!
D.

cminor · Post by **cminor** » Tue Oct 12, 2010 10:59 am

Do you know how to monitor your inputs?
Try to get the input signal a little under -4dB (peak).
Does your audio card, and the Electribe have balanced inputs/outputs to use balanced cables?
OR Maybe you have an insert FX like compressor that have the ratio TOO much...

picacoco · Post by **picacoco** » Tue Oct 12, 2010 11:11 am

hi, thanks by your answer.

I am recording it straight to ableton, and there i can see the waveform of the noise. Same in Cubase.

the input is under -2db. I'll try to record it at -4db as you suggest.

Yes, i am using balanced cables.

I am not using any FX from electribe, at this moment, just recording a kick sound from the MX.

:/

Pastor-of-Muppets · Post by **Pastor-of-Muppets** » Tue Oct 12, 2010 11:21 am

Electribes do not have balanced outputs, so using balanced cables won't help (it's unlikely to hurt either, if I understand correctly)

picacoco · Post by **picacoco** » Tue Oct 12, 2010 11:26 am

thanks by your answer Pastor...

I can reduce the noise later applying a gate to the recorded sound, but this is not what I want.

The thing is that using same setup (I mean, same audio card and same cables) I am able to record really clear sounds from my microkorg or radias... this noise just happens with electribes.

Someone told me once that electribes has a know problem with the power supply, and if you want to remove the noise, you should change all the power supply system inside the machine.

I dont beleave it because if im not wrong, i was able to record clean sounds from electribe... but maybe i'm wrong..

any of you have this issue?

picacoco · Post by **picacoco** » Wed Oct 13, 2010 12:25 pm

I can't solve it

I found this video and now I wonder if this is a common issue...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgFE6iCbrSg

DrHoo · Post by **DrHoo** » Thu Oct 14, 2010 11:32 am

I use a 'Cleanbox' between the record out on my mixer & my laptop.

A simple box with left & right in on one side - Left & right out on the other.

As a second fix i simply only record with the laptop power unplugged, this removes more noise than anything else i do.

The clean box removes any residual noise from the electribe signal & unplugging the laptop eleiminates that nasty white noise line in your wave display.

Almost forgot to say too, changing the tubes has cleaned up my emx1 sound a lot.

I would welcome any more potential solutions to try out.

cminor · Post by **cminor** » Thu Oct 14, 2010 11:43 am

As I know, the tubes have a "life" that ain't long. So if you don't use it, turn it off , don't let it on with no reason, it is just like the tube microphones preamps...
So yes, it could be the "noise" problem...

picacoco · Post by **picacoco** » Thu Oct 14, 2010 3:56 pm

Thanks by your awnsers guys...

I didnt know about this "Cleanbox", I'll take it in consideration. Thanks!

Well, I readed about the replacement of the tubes, but I honestly think that is not a tube problem, because I used the alternative outputs in the EMX and, if I'm not wrong, the valve doesnt run on that outputs...

I tried that about unplugg the laptop, and yes, I had less noise in the recording, but when you apply compression to the sound, Kick ie. the noise is back to scene...

I'll try to replace the tubes and the cleanbox... that means like 150€ to solve this problem... isn't it?

:/

Milhouse · Post by **Milhouse** » Thu Oct 14, 2010 4:15 pm

Is the noise coming from a sample or is it a constant noise? If so you might want to check each sample for the noise or check the grounding with the computer and the electribes.

picacoco · Post by **picacoco** » Thu Oct 14, 2010 4:37 pm

thanks Milhouse.

noise is coming from machine, because I am using EMX, not the ESX. So there is no sample involved. I thought on that idea for the ESX case, that's why I am just using EMX for this...

It is a constant noise.

Today I am moving the electribe to another location (other physical place), and I'll try it there, just to discard a possible ground interference... I'll record it like DrHoo suggest, with laptop unplugged.. I'll let you know the results...

just a question for you guys: are you able to record a clean sound from your electribes?

picacoco · Post by **picacoco** » Mon Oct 18, 2010 12:24 pm

Hey Guys...

Finally I discover the root of the noise. It is electrical ground noise, because it is in the 50hz band (50hz in EU, 60Hz in USA).

The thing is that both electribes amplify the signal more than the other synths, maybe because the tubes.

the only work that I can do is to record at maximum possible volume in electribes, and minimum possible record input at the audio card.

Then, I need to apply a filter like Fabfilter RX, then once I got the clean sound, I can apply EQ and C and whatever you want...

Its strange anyway, because while the synths starts the noise at 25 db gain, in Electribes with 7db is enough to have some noise...

Anyway,. i hope that you find this interesting and many thanks to all by your answers.

Pastor-of-Muppets · Post by **Pastor-of-Muppets** » Mon Oct 18, 2010 12:45 pm

picacoco wrote:Its strange anyway, because while the synths starts the noise at 25 db gain, in Electribes with 7db is enough to have some noise...

when you did this comparison, did you unplug the synth and plug the electribe into the same power socket? because different power sockets could give different results if you have a ground loop

picacoco · Post by **picacoco** » Tue Oct 19, 2010 8:38 am

Hi Pastor,

yes, I used same socket...