air in recording system?

[endrid]

how many has had this problem. my pre production studio that consists of 2 sound modules EMU, a keystation, roland monitors and a pc..gives this air type hiss off. I've tried everything, even over the phone with the soundcard manufacturer. I've unhooked all my equipnemnt and still get the air so its not the equipment. could it be a software program or something cause I can't think of what else to try. can anyone help me out?

[Dusty Chalk]

I presume your Roland monitors are active, neh? Let's work backwards -- first, let them run alone -- no computer, no cables, nuthin'. Do they have volume controls? Sweep the volume controls up and down. Is there hiss? Does it increase with volume? I'm going to presume not. (Because if there is, then you may just have cheap speakers. You can either get new speakers, or turn them down until the hiss is no longer overwhelming, and turn the volume up at the computer level.)

Then try it with just the cables. You may need shielded cables.

Then try it with cables and computer, but no software running. Try muting the volume at the Control Panel level. Try running with just windows media player or Quicktime or something -- not your music software (yet).

Then try it with cables, computer and software. Mute the inputs. There might be a test button to check your computer monitors -- see if your software has that one, and turn it on (sometimes called "(pink or white or [nothing]) noise generator" &c.).

And so on. Let me know how all of those turn out first.

[endrid]

Yeah Dusty, there is a little air that sounds with just the monitors. It doesn't increase with volume though, stays the same. Ive tried with cables, w/o them, software, w/o... I was running my sound module through a mixer which I know was adding hiss, but when recording, I go from sound module direclty to sound card. It doesn't seem to add anymore to the air, but Theres still the same air from the monitors, in which is there even w/o computer, just running them alone. I've tried recording a blank track, and still hear it, but how can a cd-r pick up the air from monitors? I dont know if thats whats going on

[Dusty Chalk]

If your monitors are generating hiss by themselves, then they're the (primary) problem. Either get them fixed (?) or get better ones. There's only one more thing you can try: try putting something like Cardas caps on the inputs to the monitors. (There are other brands, Cardas is just the easiest to remember for me.)

Start with that (fixing the monitors), because even if other elements in your chain add hiss, the inherent hiss in the monitors is going to make the problem more audible (and therefore more agitating). I think Wharfedale makes some pretty cheap active monitors.

[endrid]

Dusty check 'em out, this is what I use. Have you ever used them before?

http://www.rolandus.com/products/pro...x?ObjectId=294

but how can a cd-r pick up the air from monitors?

[Dusty Chalk]

No, it's not coming from the monitors, let me get back to you...

[Studly Kach]

When you record directly from the sound module to the soundcard, how do you play it back? Would it be possible to transfer those files directly to CD, take it out of that system completely, and play it in a completely different system (like car, boombox, or standalone home stereo)? I'm having trouble visualizing the system, I don't know how you're monitoring the hiss, other than through the monitors.

[endrid]

Yes thats why my question came into play about how can a cd-r pick up hiss from monitors, I record track then burn to cd.I use cakewalk pro audio 9, a version that is discontinued for some years now. I record 2 ways, either directly into pro audio, or use my cd burning software media player, which brand is Nero. I dont know if the media player can add hiss if the EQ is disabled or not. I recently recorded audio from a dvd directly into soundcard, and couldn't hear the air, I dont know if its there or just can't hear it cause of the level. My radios cd player volume level is much 2 low for me to tell, guess I'm gonna have to bring cd to a bigger system. See I can't figure how i can raise the volume of the wave file recording just by going directly from sound module to sound card. Volume is up all the way on module and if I go through another source like my mixer,I already know crazy hiss will be added

[Dusty Chalk]

Well, if I had to guess, it shouldn't be the software or anything else this side of the soundcard. So that leaves either the sound module, the soundcard, or the cable. I could be wrong about that, though.

Yeah, you do want to raise the level up to what the soundcard can handle, but no further, because then you'll get into distortion issues, and it'll sound terrible. I'm going to assume you know what distortion sounds like, and assume you haven't gotten that far.

What you need is either a mixer or a line preamp. I'm not sure what level your soundcard is (they usually come in two: "consumer" and "professional"), but what you need to do is match the levels. Most sound modules should produce pro level outputs, but most soundcards are consumer level. I forget which is which, but one is more than the other.

But we'll worry about that later.

Try this experiment: record the same part, three times -- at full output, at half output, and at the lowest audible level output. Then report back your results. What I'm looking for is whether or not the hiss is the same for all three, or if it's relatively quieter, compared to the sound module's sound.