Getting rid of background noise/hiss

What kind of mic are you using?

That mic (after doing a little researching on the web) is apparently a verrrry low grade "computer" microphone and is really not designed for critical recording applications of any sort. I would certainly start there. You will never get the sound you are looking for with that microphone. I would look into a low priced condenser, or even a shure SM57 will give you far better results than the mic you have now. The reason you are getting noise (or at least one of the reasons) is that because the mic is so cheap, you are having to turn your input gain up far more than you would otherwise have to when using a "real" mic.

There may be some other problems connected to your noise problem, but I would definately start with a new mic. I think you'll hear the difference right away.

Just a thought...

Donny

If you are a recording musician, it's one of the most important investments you'll ever make.

If you can afford it, look at a nice low priced condenser (AT, Rode, AKG and others all make reasonably priced condenser mics) and a pre amp to go with it (Aphex, Art, Dbx and others) make nice low priced mic pre's that sound great. If you end up with a condenser, make sure the pre amp you purchase has phantom power (48v); condenser mics require external power to operate. If you really want to go the cheap route, look into a shure sm57 or 58. These are dynamic mics, they're generally cheaper, and they don't require external power (although you might need an adapter of some sort to get it into your current sound card). Dynamic mics won't give you quite the transparency and "air" that a condenser will, but they still sound good, and, let's face it, even a 79 dollar dynamic mic will be a serious improvement compared to what you have now.

Good Luck!

Donny

Would any condensor mic be superior to a Shure SM57?

Good question. My opinion is: No. I have, in the past, run across some fairly bad sounding cheap condensers. I won't mention any names but one brand that I wouldn't really bother with...well let's just say it starts with a "Radio" and ends with a "Shack". I apologize for my lack of clarity on this subject in the previous threads. Just because a mic is a "condenser" mic, doesn't mean it doesn't suck.
Stick with brands like AKG, Audio Technica (AT), Rode, etc..
If you want, feel free to email me and ask me about a particular brand/model(s) that you find you could afford and come across on places like Ebay, Classified Ads, etc.
I'll be glad to help if I can.

Donny Thompson
DonnyAir@neo.rr.com





I apologize, I should have clarified this fact earlier.

Keep in mind that you'll probably also need a preamp for the new mic.

Then you'll never have to buy another piece of equipment ever again. I swear.