Pops and clicks

[[email protected]]

Hi. I am recording a single track acoustic guitar in PT 12. Set up in a bedroom sized office with carpet and drapes on the walls. I am getting some popping sounds that are almost like pick strikes on the strike plate, but they are too random for that.

Have checked that nothing is touching the guitar, no jewelry or buttons, wearing headset behind my back so it doesn't get bumped. Mic placement by hole aimed at fingerboard lessens but does not eliminate it as compared with mic placement at 12th fret aimed toward hole. Mic about a foot from guitar.

Also I get an occasional zing of real static in the track. (like once in four minutes, but in multiple takes.)
I have the gain set straight up on the focusrite, and it is peaking around 0 db.
Any ideas?
Oh, and heat and washing machine and dishwasher are all off.

[The Weed]

Probably clipping. Back off the gain on the 2i2 interface until the peaks in Pro Tools are no more than -6db.

[[email protected]]

Thanks! I'll try that.

Karen

[[email protected]]

But if it's clipping, wouldn't it show a red clipping light on the track?

[albee1952]

Originally Posted by [email protected]

But if it's clipping, wouldn't it show a red clipping light on the track?

One would think, but since this is an odd issue, anything is worth trying. Pops and clicks USUALLY are caused by bad clocking, but unless you have something connected to your interface on a digital connection, I don't see how that could be it. Another cause could be a weak or badly configured computer(those system tweaks really do matter). Where is the CPU meter(Window>System Usage) when this happens?


The is one more thing I will mention because it hit me recently. The guy playing an acoustic guitar track kept hitting the pick on the body while strumming(and it made a loud clicking sound) and he also had a ring(left hand) that kept banging off the neck

[[email protected]]

Thanks.
What is bad clocking and what do I do to try and eliminate that?

[amagras]

Maybe you are using a very low buffer size. I take a look at the Scarlett control app and set it to 256 or bigger

[64GTOBOY]

2i2's (mine anyway) will sometimes make noise if A:buffer is set too low and/or b: the pre is pulling too much voltage from the usb( I use a powered hub for everything other than the 2i2,and always record with the laptop plugged in to combat)

[albee1952]

Bad clocking happens when you have 2 devices connected via digital connection(like a preamp with a SPDIF output connected to the SPDIF input of an interface). Only 1 digital device can be the "master" and the other(s) must be "slave". Based on your info, this is not your issue. I suspect an under-powered computer(which we know nothing about)

[[email protected]]

So... I don't have any extra devices going on, and I have tried lowering the gain and that didn't help. But I started thinking that those clicks and pops were minor instances of the static I would occasionally get on a track. So I unplugged everything from the computer (extra monitor, usb hub with printer and scanner) except the interface, moved it to a different part of the room and plugged the power into a different outlet. Then got a clean track.
My thanks to all who offered suggestions, just thought you might want to know what I figured out.