Audio Update: All Praise To Stewart

[filkertom]

Stewart, the Mastering Department Manager at Oasis CD, that is:

Hi Tom,

I just loaded and listened to your master. All in all, it sounds
good. Though, I did hear some high frequency "fuzz" in some tracks.
Especially, in the tracks that contained vocal narration; like track
27. I could hear noise "pumping" along with the voice.

I tried different spot EQ's, low pass EQ, noise gates, and downward
compression, through the frequencies causing what I heard. While I
was able to partially remove the noise, I couldn't cleanly remove the
noise. At least, in my opinion, without adversely affecting the
vocal sound quality. Even a minor 1.0db low pass filter, at 15KHz
removed too much high end detail and air. So, I'd suggest not making
any changes to the master. The master sounded clean enough that it
would be perfectly acceptable as-is.

Notice that this isn't even the whine, which he really didn't hear.

We agree that the likeliest culprit for the Mysterious Audio Whine is a combination of factors which have created electrical noise. I'll be shifting the positions of various pieces of hardware, getting shorter cables, and switching from fluorescent lighting to incandescent while I'm recording.

(At least I feel better about not being able to catch the specific problem of the MAW. The "fuzz" he refers to in the narration tracks -- i.e., the intros to the various bonus tracks -- is something that I actually thought was in my voice. Apparently not. Which is good, because it means that, in future recording, I can somehow get rid of it.)

I think that's about all I can do. For those of you who are really put off by the MAW, I'm sorry. E-mail me and we can work something out.

Comments

[twfarlan.livejournal.com]

Fuzz in your voice tracks? Tom, you're overlooking the obvious.

It's your beard.

You're talking through the darn thing, man. You open your mouth wider to sing, right? (grin, joking of course)

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

Hmmm. There were those tracks when I was using Da Bear as a mic baffle....

[twfarlan.livejournal.com]

Did he say they were fuzzy or furry? heh

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

Ixnay on the urry-fay. Don't set off unclelumpy.

[twfarlan.livejournal.com]

(reads back, does a little studying) Ah, so ka. Nuff said. ;)

[jss]

Adjective, not noun.

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

...

I know that.

[/Martha Raye, Bea Arthur, Zero Mostel, or some other appropriate personage]

[darkwolf69.livejournal.com]

If you can't hear it... and he can't hear it... but I (and others) *can* hear it... doesn't that suggest that the MAW might be due to an adverse interaction between the recording and the presumably lower end equipment it's being played on? I mean, I assume that you and the sound engineer at Oasis are listening on relatively high quality audio devices, whereas I am listening to it on a laptop with low end headphones and a stock sound card. I can't, of course, speak for others...

I don't know if this is *helpful*, but it's a thought...

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

It's a good thought. I've got an Audigy 2 card, which has done me very well. My speakers aren't the best... but my headphones are, and I couldn't hear it on those. But I know it exists, because I heard it on tracks which had been lowered enough in pitch to make the noise audible to me.

On the other hand, without getting into the logistics of it, I don't believe I was getting the interference when I was recording over at Anne's and Karen's places. I really do think a lot of it comes down to all these wires in proximity with my monster 500-watt power supply... which, unfortunately, I need. (Have to look into better shielding, or a better case, or something, as another possible step to take.)

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

I also listened to it on portable CD players, car stereos, a boom box, and my laptop. No problems. So I genuinely think it's a range-of-hearing thing.

[darkwolf69.livejournal.com]

Good point on range of hearing- mine is pretty fantabulous (I can hear a TV in blue screen mode with the sound low from three rooms away.)

As for a good case, may I recommend anything by Antec?

I've had luck building for others with this model: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811129152

and my own QuickSilver is built on this model: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811129145

and I've read REALLY good reviews of this one: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811129155 (The finish on these is INCREDIBLE...)

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I'll definitely consider them, although I wasn't going to be doing anything for a little while, and when I was I was considering a lower-profile case. But we'll see.

[sunfell.livejournal.com]

TVs (and some monitors) drive me frickin' nuts. That sound drills right into my skull.

And I'm 45.

[r-caton.livejournal.com]

I'm 50. Used to work on drum and belt printers, 136 characters 600 times a minute. I can listen to shellac and not notice.
Issue the recordings on 78rpm and who'll notice any superfluous noise?

[scifantasy.livejournal.com]

Meh. I can deal with minor whines.

Have you ever heard an audio whine from a TV which is on, but which has no sound? Either it's muted, or set to an input channel with no audio input?

[druidsfire.livejournal.com]

Yep, I can, and after about 5 minutes, I will have a blistering five-alarm migraine from it.

That's how I can always tell if I turned the TV off after playing video games. :)

[louisadkins.livejournal.com]

I think there is also some relatively cheap attachments that you can get for audio cables that help ground out any/shield potential electrically generated talk-over. They might be of use to you, as well.

((Goes back to waking up))

[randwolf.livejournal.com]

One thing to check: grounding. Make sure all your outlets in your studio have a good green wire ground and are properly wired, make sure all the cables you are using have good grounds, make sure the ground connects all the way around.