fast track pro pre amp noise

[uptowners2010]

hello i recently bought the pro tools 9 bundle with the m-audio fast track pro. i wanted to get a condensor mic just for basic recording at home, something to quickly get ideas down and go to the studio afterwards to re-record for the finished product but the mic pres in my fast track aren't that good and in order for me to get a acceptable signal i would have to turn up the gain to like 95 percent to get a good level and its a bit noisy. now is there a way to get rid of that noise after i record. is there any plugins i can use that pro tools comes with that can take out that noise or will it be a hassle every time and should i not even bother ? i heard a gate compressor will do the trick, correct me if im wrong.

[cwsand]

Yeah you could use a gate or manually apply fades to get rid of the noise when there's nothing else present, but I would look for a better solution. At least try to get rid of the noise - could be a grounding issue with your setup, or a faulty unit. You could try it in some different locations or on a different computer to see if you still have the noise. I used to have a Fast Track Pro and they are decent, but not Pro quality IMHO. Best solution if all else fails is to get a better interface.

[SpinningDisk]

or get a better mic.

[cwsand]

Originally Posted by SpinningDisk

or get a better mic.

True, your mic could be the cause of the noise, but even the best mic isn't going to sound as good as it should if your preamps and converters aren't up to snuff - I know this from personal experience.