Noise Gate ? PLEASE CLOSE

Richard Sinkler · From: aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana

Does anyone know of a reasonable noise gate that goes in between a mic and the recorder? I have a very sensitive condenser mic that I use and it picks up everything. I live in an apartment, so I get parking lot noise, the guy down the hall burping, air conditioning, my keyboard seat squeeks, etc. I have a Korg D3200 recorder, but you can only assign 1 effect to a channel. I usually have reverb assigned to the vocal channel so I can't add the noise gate.

Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

A noise gate won't really help the situation. It will quiet some things when you are not using the mike, but if you are using the mike, e.g. singing any other sounds that the mike can pick up will also be heard, the noise gate won't filter those out.

b0b · From: Cloverdale, CA, USA

Behringer makes a cheap one:
Guitar Center link
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Richard Sinkler · From: aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana

What I am getting is a lot of sound and hiss when the mike is not being sung into. Singing overrides the lower sounds pretty good. I just need to get it to drown out sounds lower than my singing voice. I used the gate in the D3200, but as I said, you can only use 1 insert effect at a time per channel. I could try adding verb after the track is laid down with master effects.

Richard Sinkler · From: aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana

B0b. I read the manual for the Behringer. It doesn't say wheteher you plug the mic straight into the unit and the out to an input in your mixer or if you have to run you mic into the mixer and then use the aux out to the gate and back into a different channel in the mixer. I have a compressor/limiter/gate that functions in this way. It takes 2 inputs for each mic. Unless, I don't understand the details. The D3200 does not have seperate aux out and ins for each channel.

Rick Campbell · From: Sneedville, TN, USA

I use a Roland VS-2480. My friend uses a Korg. You should be able to assign an effect to the input channel, and another to the track channel. What's assigned to the input channel get's recorded and what assigned to the track channel is heard in the mix, but not recorded. I always hear the reverb, but don't actually record it until the mixdown. You can probably add the noise gate to the input channel.

Another option is to edit out all the noise between the lines of singing, or lead work. I agree with you, it's usually not noticeable when the vocals are present.

Good luck. Ain't this home recording fun?

James Quackenbush · From: Pomona, New York, USA

Take your mic into your bathroom, and record in there ...You will have less noize and a built in reverb from the tile walls ....You'll be surprised how good it sounds .....Jim

Richard Sinkler · From: aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana

Actually, my bathroom has a fan in it, so I would pick up that noise. Of course I could not turn the light/fan on.

Rick, thanks. I'm in the mood to read something, it might as well be the manual again. I don't recall seeing anything about that technique, but I will look again.

Bill Hatcher · From: Atlanta Ga. USA

Bob Martin · From: Madison Tn

Rick Campbell · From: Sneedville, TN, USA

Where can I get a weather proof mic cable that's 300 feet long? I might want to try that bathroom trick.

Brian McGaughey · From: Orcas Island, WA USA

There is an "Eliminate Noise" function on the Korg 3200. Check your manual. It works on an existing track. I've not tried it but it may be worth a try...

Henry Brooks · From: Los Gatos, California, USA

Hi Richard:
One soloution is to record direct from the NV-400 preamp out on the back panel to the recorder. If you need a balance input, for the recoder, a DI with pad will make the conversion and lower the signal to mic level. A lot of people don't like the direct sound but, it will get rid of the room noise. I would record it dry, no amp reverb, and sweeten it in the mix.
Henry

Richard Sinkler · From: aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana

Actually it is a problem when recording vocals (I can use my SM58 and be OK on the background noise but the large diaphram condenser sounds so much better). I have had some good takes plugging the steel straight into the guitar input of the D3200.

The bathroom idea is a good one. I can run an extension cord to an outlet strip and plug the light and the recorder in so I have access to it while recording. I have my recorder on a stand with wheels so I can move it around to where it is most comfortable to use, whether it be near my keyboards, steel, toilet, etc... Unfortunately, the only tile in my bathroom is in the shower.

James Cann · From: Phoenix, AZ

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

Purpose is everything. Gates are used in mild instances to assist in removing that nagging thing in the background, not the whole background. When the vocalist is singing, the trash truck will still drive by and you may hear it in the background during the BEST PERFORMANCE. Thus, LD Condensers are tuff in a home environment without some sort of isolation room( aka : toilet).

In this case it is best to compromise and use a 57 or 58 and get the best possible final sound you can get which extenuates the vocal performance with no cats, kids, trash trucks, phones etc in the background DURING the vocal take. #1 rule, it's always about capturing the best clean performance first.

Gates, limiters , compressors etc, are best used as a slight tweak rather than a primary tool. If recording with these tools on the INPUT at some point they will come back to haunt you, they are preventing "sound " from reaching the final destination. A great solo, a great vocal, a great track etc, at some point they will be missing a note or two which cannot be recovered, because they are not there.

Rick Campbell · From: Sneedville, TN, USA

Noise gates are just that, a gate, they are either open or shut. You set the threshold to have the gate off at the background noise level and on when the sound becomes louder. It works like the squelch on a CB radio. When the gate is open, it's the same thing as not having one at all. It won't filter background noise apart from the vocals when it's open. Large Condensers are okay, but you don't want to set the level to hear a pin drop.

Don't make the mistake of giving the microphone so much credit. The difference in one good mic vs. another is not as much as you might be lead to believe. A good front end (mic pre) is important, as well as mic placement, and proper EQ, etc...

I've got a CD of a project recording the same song with expensive Neuman mics, and the same song with Shure 57 and 58's. You can barely tell the difference and if there is one, it's not that one is better than the other, just different.

Jeff Hogsten · From: Flatwoods Ky USA

I have a behringer at the tv station I work at, daystar, it is usless for anything but extreme conditions. If you are having that much trouble move. You will never record anything good. Im just telling you the truth and saving you a lot of time. You would be surprised at how many bad recording problems can be traced to a bad room.A gate is not the answer to your problem.

Richard Sinkler · From: aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana

I've been having some good luck using a Shure small condenser mic and also the SM58.

Jeff Hogsten · From: Flatwoods Ky USA

well first off I didnt mean sell your house and move, I meant move your korg recorder somewhere else. That should be pretty simple. So at first you are having all kind of trouble. You are picking up cars going by, seats making noise and your mic is picking up everything. Now you are geting good results. So are you having a problem or are you getting good results. I was just trying to tell you that a gate is not going to solve all the problems you described, nothing will, outside of room treatment. Sound proofing, I didnt think you could afford that but have it your own way. However when you find the gate that solves all of those problems let me know, I want to buy one. You seem a little offended, was just trying to save you a lot of time.I really didnt tell you anything a lot of other people did, maybe just got more to the point. Actually if your not singing run everything direct. See John Macys post on the new NI guitar rig 3. Lots of big time records cut with everything but vocals direct. Then for singing find a mic with not much proxemity effect and get close to it. THis is the best you can do with a lot of background noise. You may find its not as bad as you think. Ive seen a lot of local studios spend hours try ing to gate out overtones on a drum set. You go to nashville and they let it rip. You cant hear it when everything else is going. Maybe you will find your situation is not as bad as you think.You may have room for a small seven foot vocal booth. You ever thought about a room within a room. I dont know what you are will to do, can do and how serious you are. There are solutions but a gates not one of them.

Jeff Hogsten · From: Flatwoods Ky USA

after going back and reading all the other post I have a suggestion. Try a shure sm7. You have heard it a lot, Allen Jackson, Garth Brooks, Artetha Franklin all use it. I have some hi end tube mics and the sm7 sounds better on a lot of people. Not much over $200 on ebay. It has a lo end roll off and you can work it close and not overload it. Just make sure to eq some lo end out. THis could be your answer,

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