Help me Please this sounds even worse

Before we can fix this noise we must first figure out where exactly it is coming from. Try this: record as you'd usually would but have the volume on your guitar down to zero. If all is well you should be recording an almost perfectly silent track. If you find any noise it's either a problem with the mixer or computer. If there the noise is only there with the volume on your guitar open then the noise is either from the pup or the cable.

My bet, judging from the recording, is that it's not the guitar. The track is pretty distorted at times yet not too loud overall. It kinda seems as if you send it in to hot and then bring the volume down later. Do you happen to have a DI hanging around?

I'm guessing that since I don't know what DI stands for the answer is no ..

I recorded the guitar with the volume down on my guitar .... Noise still there ..

I am thinking its' coming from my Pc as I am sitting here nothing playing with my speakers on no where near full volume and the noise is there ...

Settings look out here I come

Thanks

Trev...

More troubleshooting ideas.

Start by doing all tests outside Audacity.
Use Windows sound controls to rule out any Audacity problems.

- Reduce/increase output level from the mixer and check if the noise level follows the mixer output settings !
- Set mixer output level to zero and reduce/increase Windows Sound controls record level and check if the noise level follows the record level settings !

What is your Windows Sound controls record level ? 50% of the scale ?

My recording setup for acoustic/electric guitar is the same as yours, but I have similar Behringer mixer.

I think Sluetelbos nailed it already. You need a Direct Injection box. Electric-acoustics have a potential to hum as it is. When you have an impedence problem, that can only make it worse. Seems you're on a budget so just pick up one of those Behr. DI's for around $35. It's a cheap solution and it "should" clean the sound up real nice. You should also notice significantly increased headroom. Which means you'll get a higher signal to disc without distortion.

You could also make sure that the "What you hear" option in the Windows sound controls (recording) isn't checked.

Look at ebay for a DI box - I got a nice passive DI (with ground lift option) for €10. It does a nice job of reducing the annoying interference from my desk light.

Slowly going through everything you guys have mentioned

Before I spend anymore $$$$$ I want to be sure its' not

1/ my mixer

2/ my guitar

3/ my Pc

4/ Meeeee

5/ When all else fails go to ute ( small truck ) get very large hammer ( sledge hammer 35 lbs in weight ) Slowly raise it and let it fall onto my darn piece of gear that is causing this to happen ...

6 / Contact insurance company as it must have fell during re-decorating ...

Thanks

Trevor

I didn't really mean 5 and 6 just my mind thinking out loud

Hi Trevor
You have two recordings on your soundclic site that has a big difference in noice level.
"At the Seashore" with a very high noice level
"Practice" with a negliceble noice level

What the difference in settings of these two recordings ?

I don´t think its neither Guitar, Mixer nor PC that is the main cause for your noice problem.
I think its has to do with gain/level settings in guitar, mixer and PC.
(And a DI (Direct Injection) box should not reduce noice, only hum.)
You should use as high as possible output level on the guitar and input/gain level in mixer and output (Main Mix) level of the mixer.
Set Guitar output to max.
Set Mixer input channel level/gain so high that peak indicator flashes when you play hard.
Set Mixer Main mix level so the output level indicator reaches 0 dB when you play hard.
Then adapt windows record level to a good (not distorted) sound.

Kalle

Thanks Kalle

I just don't understand the whole mixer thing ..

But I am learning

Set Guitar output to max. ? <-- Volume up high ?

Set Mixer input channel level/gain so high that peak indicator flashes when you play hard. ? When I finger pick it shouldn't flash ?

The one thing you said that I can't find is : Then adapt windows record level to a good (not distorted) sound. How do I do this mate ?

I am getting there I just added a 3rd piece to sond click and it didn't sound too babd at all ...

What the difference in settings of these two recordings ? Honestly I have no idea ....

Thank you very much

Trevor

Hi Again Trevor

"Set Guitar output to max. "
If you have a volume control on the guitar , set to max volume.

"Set Mixer input channel level/gain so high that peak indicator flashes when you play hard."?
When I finger pick it shouldn't flash ?
Thats right , but when you play a full intensive chord it may flash.

"Then adapt windows record level to a good (not distorted) sound."
How do I do this mate ?
Open Windows sound controls (with buttons in the right down corner) and open record "window".
When you play, listen to the sound and increase the line-in volume control.
When the sound is starting to be distorted and not clean , you have reached the limit.

There is a free and good utility (VUMeter.exe) for measuring the sound coming into your soundcard.
You can find it here http://voyager.adsl.dk/knef/vumeter/

Trevor, your sig still says help me Nick, but I sent you the old info about 3 weeks ago.

I got a nice passive DI (with ground lift option) for €10.
Just be careful with that, if something happens and they find out you are using a ground lift, it will void all warranties.

Be warned: If other grounds aren't good enough or mose of the equipment are not grounded at all this will cause an even worse hum. If the PC is not properly grounded this kind of experimenting can even cause damages to audio equipments.

I never recieved it nick

The reason your getting noise in one recording and not another is your levels are varying from recording to recording. Get a DI and this will be less of a problem. Your levels are poor because you have reduced headroom. A DI will fix this. Of course you still have to take control over your gain settings. The noise that you are hearing is just line noise. Because you have to crank the gain to get any kind of reasonable level, you're cranking the line noise along with it.

On "At the Seashore" you've got the gain cranked. You can hear it because it's distorting (clipping) even though you're not heavy handed with your strumming. "Nearly 4 minutes" is quiter noise-wise but it's also just quieter in general. So your gain staging is better with N4M. With a DI you could bring the volume up a lot more(not necessarily the gain) without being overly concerned with the noise because you will not need to bring up the gain. Ever cranked up the gain on an a reasonably loud amp? You hear this kind of noise. Maybe not as much but there are no impedence problems when you plug a guitar into a guitar amp.

Thanks

Hueseph

Appreciated