problem with total recorder

[daverose808]

does anyone know how i can fix this problem with total recorder?
i am recording lectures thru a microphone, using total recorder, registered version. the recorded voice comes out great, but there is A LOT of fuzz in the background. this noise sounds digital, and it definitly is not sound coming from the room that was being recorded. sometimes its a general hum, other times its a pop/crackling sound...

ive tried the different settings, like PCM, mp3, etc... at all different levels...

any suggesions?

[AlecWest]

does anyone know how i can fix this problem with total recorder?
i am recording lectures thru a microphone, using total recorder, registered version. the recorded voice comes out great, but there is A LOT of fuzz in the background. this noise sounds digital, and it definitly is not sound coming from the room that was being recorded. sometimes its a general hum, other times its a pop/crackling sound...

ive tried the different settings, like PCM, mp3, etc... at all different levels...

any suggesions?

I've used Total Recorder for many years ... mostly, to record telephone interviews digitally (via a neat Radio Shack device). But, I've also recorded using a microphone, too. Here's the rub, though, and it may be your problem.

Are you using a dynamic microphone or one of those electronic mikes that require you to insert a battery? Some sound cards, especially earlier ones, had both pre-amps and amplifiers. Newer sound cards tend to just have a pre-amp - and output to speaker systems with their own amplification.. If you're using a battery-powered mike, it may be incompatible with the pre-amp (like having a pre-amp on top of another pre-amp) ... and definitely sketchy if your sound card has amplification beyond its own pre-amp.

Now, I'm not an acoustics or electronics expert. But I know that I tried to use Total Recorder with some Sony mikes (battery powered) and the sound came out scratchy. But when I used a dynamic mike (cheaper, no battery required), the sound came out just fine. However, that's just with my sound card and at the last time I tried it (it's been a while). If you're using an electronic mike, experiment with a cheapie dynamic mike. Or, if you're using a dynamic mike, experiment with an electronic mike. And, try them on both the mike and aux-input jacks (if you have an aux-input jack).

Of course, there's also the possibility of an issue with the mike-input circuitry on your sound card.

[daverose808]

thanks for the response...
i am using a cheap mic that doesnt require a battery...
before i posted here, i thought it might be the mic and i bought a new expensive one that was supposed to be really great at picking up the voices and minimizing background noise, and.... it was even worse!!!

i also cant imagine how my sound card could be the problem since its on my brand new dell inspiron 6000 laptop... its a sigmatel soundcard, if that helps...

[AlecWest]

thanks for the response...
i am using a cheap mic that doesnt require a battery...
before i posted here, i thought it might be the mic and i bought a new expensive one that was supposed to be really great at picking up the voices and minimizing background noise, and.... it was even worse!!!

i also cant imagine how my sound card could be the problem since its on my brand new dell inspiron 6000 laptop... its a sigmatel soundcard, if that helps...

Does it have an "aux input" jack ... and did you try the mikes there as well as the mike input jack? My card has an "aux input" ... and that has solved a lot of problems hooking up cassette deck outputs and such.

[daverose808]

nope - just the mic input... darn.