Getting rid of background studio noise

[banana boy]

My mics are in the same room as my system, so theyt pick up the PC fan noise. Can't get the super low noise fans here in Johannesburg, so I wondered about other ideas on getting rid of the noise. I tried Waves' restoration bundle demo ... almost perfect for this purpose, but SO expensive! Anyone know of other less expensive software fixes for this? What about gating with other Digi-bundled plug-ins? Any shareware solutions?

[mlemos]

Hi,

Try the stock PTLE gate. It should work just fine to get rid of the system noise in your recordings.

Good luck,
Marc

[Calvin]

if you have the waves pluggins, you can try using the waves c1 gate, except instead of setting it to gate, change it to expander. This will suppress any noise below the threshold but it won't cut it off in a mechanical manner.

[banana boy]

Thanks guys. Any other ideas?

[Rabidium]

Yeah, when I had this problem (I use waves now) I got a temperature monitor for my PC, and then every time I was going to record, I covered it in blankets to cut the sound.

I've also heard of people building insulated boxes for their PC's, but it sounds like a ton of work. I think you can buy pre-made ones too if you have a budget. Check out your local Guitar Center! 8o)

-Olaf
I think I'm being funny, but the way chains work these days, he probably does have a guitar center.

[IntelDoc]

This is an idea that I did. I actually have my setup in the basement of my house. I have a small storage room off the side right next to the sound room. I have 4 systems runnig with about 5 + fans each so you can imagine the sound! SUX! What I did was put them in the small room, drilled a 3 inch hole in the wall and ran the cables, USB, FIREWIRE and monitor mouse extensions. Now if you are using XP, you can do Remote Desktop configuration, and control what you need that way. If you have 1 systems, you have a quiet, noise free environment. I added the Auralex Foam, and the sound was VERY DEAD! It is a cheap way to fix that problem. The only down side is if you need to put in a CD. That is remedied by an EXTERNAL burner or drive. May be worth investigating? I can send you pics if you like of how I did it?

[gerax]

Gates? Mmmhhhhh, I would stay away from gates as I think that if used in such a situation they can be more harm than cure, cutting tails abruptly and imparting coloration and artifacts to the sound.

I favor the iso-box to store the computer in (I have one too) as if it done properly it can cut out a big part of the noise, and if you're a little handy with tools you can build one yourself for very little money, just get some measures, some pieces of thick plywood, glue, nails or screws and build the thing; I did mine, it's encased in the left leg of my mixing desk-postation, with a sealed glass door in the front (for accessing the CPUs) and holes for the cables on the back; I also provided a noiseless fan on the back to ensure som air circulation (Athlons get HOT). Once I finished it and painted it to match the rest of my studio furniture it looks good, works OK and it's cost effective. OK, it's not like having a separate machine room, but in some cases it helps a lot, though I don't record in my control room. Do a search on the DUC for this ISO box thing, I remember several threads where pics and useful links were posted too.

For a Noise Reduction plug-in that will work, have you checked out Digidesign own DINR? I think it should be a little cheaper than Waves, but it works really well.

Hope this helps

L.G.

[banana boy]

I've been trying gates ... but I agree the sudden cut-off only seems to work in a busy mix. The idea of getting the box itself quiter through an iso box, or another room seems to be a good one ... but I guess a complete solution will end up costing one way or another. I haven't tried DINR, but as I said the waves resto bundle was awesome and maybe even cheaper than building a sound-proof iso area for my loft based studio. Thanks for the input guys.

[gerax]

I stressed the Iso-box solution because IMO is better to have less or no noise recorded than having to deal with a lot of it in mixing and using noise reduction plugins, that no matter how good they can be are still modifying the audio, and if the noise is really stubborn you'll have to apply lots of processing to get rid of it, with all of the side artifacts that come with it.
I think that if you can build it yourself such a box can cost you $50 to $100 (for a finished one with front glass), how much for the Waves bundle?
Plus I guess that eventually the practice of cleaning up the noise on "each" of your recordings will become annoying in the long run, and you'll never enjoy a recording session like it should be; I honestly admit it would drive me nuts.

Good luck

L.G.

[electronic.steve]

I run mic leads into a bedroom across the hallway.It works well until i am recording on my own and have to run into the next room to hit record.