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Forums > Music: Vocals

Hiss removal

FraDonaghy	Date: August 8, 2005 @ 1:40 PM Anyone have any recommendations on how to remove hiss from a vocal track? I recently invested in a Shure sm58 mic, but the hiss is still noticeable on the vocals. Is there a program you can use to clean up tracks with this problem? None of the recording programs I have (Wavepad, Magix) seem to have this function. Any ideas?
imemine	Date: August 8, 2005 @ 3:18 PM Try adjusting your gain structure first for future recordings. If you need to keep this “hissy” track there a variety of his removers out but you must keep in mint that they will limit your high frequencies as well. Not good especially for a vocal track that has a lot of harmonics in the “hiss range”. What software are you using (ie. Do you use DX-VST-TDM etc) plugs?
FraDonaghy	Date: August 8, 2005 @ 4:30 PM I have no idea what all those letters are Imemine - I have a very basic set up here, a laptop and a few installed sound recorders. Most advanced of which is the magix music maker studio. I wire the guitar and mic into the microphone socket when I'm recording each part, and take it from there. Might it be the fact that I have to use a splicer for the mic, as well as a transformer for the soundcard to be able to hear it?
FraDonaghy	Date: August 8, 2005 @ 4:31 PM Or could it be an environmental thing? Like to do with the room I'm in?
imemine	Date: August 8, 2005 @ 5:08 PM Well, whatever works. Try this: Run only the voice into the left and the guitar into the right (or vice versa---doesn’t matter) Now you are multi tracking and will have slightly more control over each part. I assume that you have a stereo mini jack input on your laptop so you can get a y-jack that splits out into separate left and right channels. Ok—it appears that it is compatible with both VST and DX plugins! Here some free hiss reduction plugs and some demos. http://www.hitsquad.com/smm/win95/AUDIO_RESTORATION/ Good luck! And yes---you could be picking stuff in the room if it's not fairly quiet.
FraDonaghy	Date: August 8, 2005 @ 5:12 PM Many thanks
imemine	Date: August 8, 2005 @ 5:14 PM Hey, can't have those fine tunes of yours all hissy now, could we?
shadowself	Date: August 8, 2005 @ 6:07 PM Just a tip: built-in laptop soundcards are ridiculously noisy, and you will likely not be able to get a good sound out of it. I know mine is unusable, it's so bad. Delta makes an external version of one of their consumer-class soundcards, and it's USB. Check out the external version of the Audiophile card.
DaveWL	Date: August 9, 2005 @ 4:56 AM Just an idea Francis. Most people using Mics and computers use some sort of pre-amp between the Mic and the computer. I’ve got a built in preamp on my Mic that uses a 9vt battery. So maybe your just not getting a strong enough signal. There are certainly some types of Mic that would need a pre-amp, in particular condenser mics. The shure does not fall under that catergory so I’m not sure( no pun intended) Would you say that after you have recorded the music the actual volume level is good? Do you have to really turn it up to be able to use it?
FraDonaghy	Date: August 9, 2005 @ 9:00 AM I will look into the pre-amp idea, and I like the USB soundcard suggestion I do sometimes have to multi-layer the vocal tracks to get a decent volume - which in turn can increase the hiss. Thanks again.
tsand19151	Date: August 10, 2005 @ 11:21 AM i use amonia, bleach and lysol spray.....oh wait, you said HISS removal....never mind......
leflaw	Date: August 10, 2005 @ 7:27 PM MBOX!
Camay	Date: August 10, 2005 @ 7:29 PM i use cool edits hiss removal
Vickxxx	Date: August 10, 2005 @ 9:02 PM for future recordings, a mic pre -amp will give you enough headroom so you won't have to twist the gain on your mixing board or computer to the ever dreaded hiss level.
mattbanx	Date: August 10, 2005 @ 9:48 PM I don't know if this will help. I seem to get a lot of hiss with the damn WAVE volume. I notice if I keep the gain on my outgoing computer or instrument low and adjust the levels between 5 and 7, it eliminates a lot of the hiss. I don't know much technically about recording methods and certainly not as much as these other guys. I tried to make the hiss sound like a backup keyboard. It almost had an enchanting out of hell sound with a really distorted guitar playing out of a delay pedal.
leplume	Date: August 11, 2005 @ 6:58 AM cripes! i'm so overtired i thought this thread was call "ass removal"
GTOriginal	Date: August 11, 2005 @ 11:53 PM I just move my into the next room and I'm good to go.
zedsalt	Date: August 12, 2005 @ 12:40 PM GT raises a good point: don't neglect the obvious! I find the especially bright do that especially often. Use the best cables you can get, at the shortest lengths you can use, with the least amount of tangle you can manage. Turn off any fans, fluorescent lights, etc. that aren't absolutely necessary. And if you find a piece of equipment that seems to contribute line noise, use a three-to-two prong adapter for it and NOT your other equipment, or vice-versa.
FraDonaghy	Date: August 15, 2005 @ 4:21 PM Again, thanks everyone
MindSculpture	Date: August 15, 2005 @ 5:04 PM lol .. beat me to it GT!
GeneHilbert	Date: August 16, 2005 @ 1:05 PM The pre-amp is probably your answer. You are over-gaining the channel trying for a hot signal, 58’s have a high self noise floor anyway - so you are just exacerbating the problem. I have an ART Tube MP single in/out you can find them for less and $100. Zedsalt is also correct in his suggestions. The only thing I can add is that with your present set-up it's only going to get so good. EQ, Noise Gate, click, pop, and hiss removing software is only going to be able to accomplish so much - as well those are going to affect the sound quality of your trac. The old rule is "garbage in garbage out". Meaning try for the best sounding trac when you record, because "fix it in the mix does not work".
Snoogans775	Date: August 17, 2005 @ 1:01 AM ^^^^I was gonna mention how much I despise my hiss removal plug-in from Cool Edit,
mattbanx	Date: August 17, 2005 @ 3:04 AM Getting out hiss can be monotonous because it changes from song to song. I usually plug in to my mic when I record instruments too. I get humming from my line in. I usually have to have my chords tucked in various places. And it is always where I could trip on the darn things. Like a web.
mattbanx	Date: August 17, 2005 @ 3:11 AM Excuse me. I meant cords. Not the musical ones. But I trip on those too. And the beavers build a damn. Dam! I can't find the edit function.
zedsalt	Date: August 17, 2005 @ 12:43 PM What I don't understand is how I can drape two cords across the floor, each with both ends attached to gear, tidy as all-get-out, then I look up at my level meters, look back down at the floor, and they're a MESS! How does this happen?!?
GeneHilbert	Date: August 17, 2005 @ 1:38 PM That's why it called a snake-pit. That reminds me in your studio (floor and racks) make sure you never cross AC lines with your signal lines. Keep them separate - that will help cut down on RF interference. If you have to cross - use cable ties or cleats to elevate signal lines or place some type of insolating material between the 2. Also if you have the option - plug everything in your recording setup into the same electrical circuit. Residential breakers in the US are set at 15amps - this is a lot and will handle most applications. If you have the option to have a dedicated circuit for your studio - that’s all the better.
Alexander-Slot	Date: August 17, 2005 @ 4:01 PM hi there, i need a opinion about my songs, if somebody can help me, hear my songs in http://slot.dmusic.com thanks a lot
TheOwl	Date: August 17, 2005 @ 4:06 PM Magix Audio Cleaning Lab is very powerful for the ridiculously low price of under $40.