High-pitched noise

ReaperGuy · 08-31-2009, 03:29 PM

I'm still pretty new with this software and haven't done much recording with it yet.

My latest song, just solo nylon guitar going direct into a USB sound card sounds OK except for a high-pitched whine.

The noise isn't too bad with the recording inside Reaper.
But when I render the song to an .mp3 (I've tried a whole bunch of renditions from sample 22-88K, re-sample (good, better, best), quality (normal, high, very high) the noise gets really bad.

I've also tried a Sony plug-in noise gate that removed all of the noise at the very beginning of the song, but as soon as the guitar came in the noise returned.

Is there something else I should try to fix this?

TIA

gofer · 08-31-2009, 03:38 PM

If you got a part of the recording with just the noise floor, you can use ReaFir in substract mode and let it build a noise profile during that section. Be sure to have that "automatically build noise profile" button only checked during that noise-only section. You may want to loop it if it's short.

Can work out quite well. You might want to let through some of the original material with the wet knob (klick on where it says 100% wet)

dub3000 · 08-31-2009, 03:48 PM

Better to find the source of the problem. If yr guitar has batteries, make sure they're fresh. Make sure yr cables are in good condition. Try a different USB port or possibly a different audio interface if you can borrow one. Try recording with your screen off or move further from your computer while recording

ReaperGuy · 08-31-2009, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gofer

If you got a part of the recording with just the noise floor, you can use ReaFir in substract mode and let it build a noise profile during that section. Be sure to have that "automatically build noise profile" button only checked during that noise-only section. You may want to loop it if it's short.

Can work out quite well. You might want to let through some of the original material with the wet knob (klick on where it says 100% wet)

I'm trying the ReaFir method now and it's not working. Not sure why.
Nothing is showing up on the graph.
Do I just play the song or Record?

Maybe the noise is too low? As I mentioned, it really gets bad when I do the render, but is much lower in Reaper's track.

ReaperGuy · 08-31-2009, 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dub3000

Better to find the source of the problem. If yr guitar has batteries, make sure they're fresh. Make sure yr cables are in good condition. Try a different USB port or possibly a different audio interface if you can borrow one. Try recording with your screen off or move further from your computer while recording

Thanks. I'm going to try the ReaFir method first.
Yes, the guitar has a battery and it may need replacement.
I'll try your other suggestions later if need be.

Thanks again.

Ollie · 08-31-2009, 08:19 PM

It's really better to solve the problem itself. Can you post a short soundclip with that noise? Maybe someone recognizes the sound.

ReaperGuy · 08-31-2009, 08:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steindork

It's really better to solve the problem itself. Can you post a short soundclip with that noise? Maybe someone recognizes the sound.

Thanks for helping out!

I was able to get the ReaFir to work.
It didn't work initially because I had a couple other effects turned on (reverb + another noise filter).
When I turned them off the ReaFir worked. It found the noise.

I then played through the song and it did a great job at removing the high pitch.

The only thing that happened though was the ReaFir replaced the high pitch with a slight noise of its own. It's _much better though than the high whine it replaced! It's not too noticeable.

Is there a place I can post a short clip to so you can hear the initial whine pitch?

Thanks again.

Ollie · 08-31-2009, 08:49 PM

http://www.stashbox.org for example. Upload there and post the link here.

ReaperGuy · 08-31-2009, 10:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steindork

http://www.stashbox.org for example. Upload there and post the link here.

OK thanks for the above URL.
Here's the links to the two files I posted.
The first has the high pitched whine. For some reason it didn't show up at the very beginning but you'll hear it once the guitar starts.

The second link is after I applied the filter on the whine.
You can still hear faint traces of the whine plus a new low tiny rumble.
But as I mentioned the second version is a great improvement over the first.

And just to re-cap. The whine really becomes apparent when the file is rendered to an .mp3. As a track inside Reaper it's not bad at all.

https://stash.reaper.fm/oldsb/617883/MiCosa-noise.mp3
https://stash.reaper.fm/oldsb/617884/MiCosaReduced.mp3

ReaperGuy · 08-31-2009, 10:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ReaperGuy

OK thanks for the above URL.
Here's the links to the two files I posted.
The first has the high pitched whine. For some reason it didn't show up at the very beginning but you'll hear it once the guitar starts.

Very strange phenomenon!

I just listened to the two files I posted.
For some strange reason the whine is much less pronounced when listening to it on the web!
When I listen to the exact same file on my computer the whine is two or three times as loud!

Ollie · 08-31-2009, 11:02 PM

Are you listening to the web sound with the same soundcard? I ask because that sounds a lot like the noise is only affecting playback. I can hear a faint static pitch in the first file between some notes, it sounds like a distant laptop fan at first but it could be some digital noise as well (it's just too faint and too short to hear it really). Is your interface getting power from the USB or from its own power supply? Try it with bus power (without power supply) if possible.

The second file has no whining noise I could hear at all, the rumbling noise comes most probably from the removal process.

strunkdts · 09-01-2009, 01:40 AM

record it again!!! is usually the best method for addressing noise

if ur on a laptop unplug the power pack when recording.

almo86 · 01-20-2017, 05:38 AM

I'm not very good on computers (researching) so i'm sorry if this has been answered before..

I am using my zoom R24 as an interface, and yesterday for some reason all recorded tracks on Reaper started making a high pitched screech, it sounds like a ring modulator. When I use a different player through the interface like itunes it doesn't happen, and when I unplug the interface, go straight through my laptop and play the tracks through reaper it all works fine! Has anyone had this before? I don't understand why this started happening out of no where...

Thanks!

4x4uk · 01-20-2017, 05:57 AM

possibly a feedback loop

especially if you have record monitoring on and speakers are close to mics and or interface also has direct monitoring capability

atza · 01-20-2017, 06:14 AM

Why don't you upload recording so we can hear what we are talking about and maybe help.

Oh you did that already,sorry...
I don't hear any 'whine' just slight hissing noise. Probably you can take it down with a hiss reduction plugin.

richie43 · 01-20-2017, 06:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by atza

Why don't you upload recording so we can hear what we are talking about and maybe help

He did, post #9

drumphil · 01-20-2017, 06:37 AM

What audio interface do you have? Sounds like M-box mini high pitch grounding issues noise.

somebodyelseuk · 01-20-2017, 07:19 AM

LOL.
Two threads for the price of one!

The OP was 8 years ago! Post #13 on is a new problem, posted today.

If anyone knows how to, it might be a nice idea to split this up into a new thread to avoid trying to solve the wrong problem and save the guy from stroppy comments.

richie43 · 01-20-2017, 07:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by somebodyelseuk

LOL.
Two threads for the price of one!

The OP was 8 years ago! Post #13 on is a new problem, posted yesterday.

Oops.... I had not had enough coffee when I jumped in.....

almo86 · 01-21-2017, 11:36 AM

Hey. I have a zoom R24.
I'm having trouble uploading a recording on to here... Please don't make me start another thread...
This problem is not feedback and has nothing to do with mics...it's only happening when playing tracks from reaper through my interface. Other media players work fine going through the interface....
x

Pet · 01-21-2017, 11:47 AM

Hi almo,
you can use the stash for that: https://stash.reaper.fm/. Register there, upload your file and post the link here. You can use the "Insert Link" icon in the toolbar while writing your post.

almo86 · 01-21-2017, 12:12 PM

Thanks man!
Does this work?
https://stash.reaper.fm/v/29591/New%2...g%2053%201.mp3

Luster · 01-21-2017, 01:04 PM

Sounds for me like this:
http://talesofsynvoiz.de/2014/09/computer-noise/

Pet · 01-21-2017, 02:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by almo86

Does this work?

Good news: yes it does.
Bad news: I personally have no idea what could be the culprit. Sounds a little bit like a mobile phone or so. But I followed the link (tried to) from Luster and finally got here: https://www.forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.php?id=20654. There's the power supply cord of the TFT mentioned as the cause. Try to move/rearrange your cables and look if there are changes then. But I'm sure there will be someone with the right answer soon.

Cheers,
Peter

almo86 · 01-21-2017, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pet

Good news: yes it does.
Bad news: I personally have no idea what could be the culprit. Sounds a little bit like a mobile phone or so. But I followed the link (tried to) from Luster and finally got here: https://www.forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.php?id=20654. There's the power supply cord of the TFT mentioned as the cause. Try to move/rearrange your cables and look if there are changes then. But I'm sure there will be someone with the right answer soon.

Cheers,
Peter

Thanks for the replies guys! Its not the cables because it works fine with other media players like itunes or windows media player. And reaper works fine if you go straight through the laptop, its only happening when reaper gets played through my interface....

hopi · 01-21-2017, 04:45 PM

probably not related, but wtf...

a few years back I had a diff cell phone than now... and had it in my pocket at the computer... and began to notice some very hi freq wiggles... I could not hear them [but that coiuld well be old age] but I could see them on eq graphics that show the signal...

and they were very consistent across all tracks... so if a bunch of single trk's with that were rendered, it would become additive, ...right?

anyway... this drove me a little nuts until I realized it was the cell phone doing it... put the phone in the other room and problem gone...

not saying this is your problem... just saying

almo86 · 01-22-2017, 07:59 AM

It's not because of signal interference... it's just reaper doesn't like being played through my zoom anymore? WTF!!? 😰

Pet · 01-22-2017, 09:02 AM

almo, have you changed the samplerates somewhere? Check if you have the same rate in all your devices.

Luster · 01-22-2017, 10:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pet

But I followed the link (tried to) from Luster and finally got here: https://www.forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.php?id=20654. T

You make me curious. The link did not work for you? I guess it's the SSL thingie I forgot to remove since the cert isn't registered to the domain directly, so you need to make an exception rule in your browser unfortunately.

almo86 · 01-22-2017, 11:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pet

almo, have you changed the samplerates somewhere? Check if you have the same rate in all your devices.

Hey, my zoom says its 44.1khz and the main reaper screen also says 44100. Is there anywhere else to check?

Pet · 01-22-2017, 06:18 PM

@Luster: I just clicked the link and firefox whined "ALAAAARM!! This link is not save!!!"

I then just searched with duckduckgo for "talesofsynvoiz"...

@almo: I had not so much time to do a extended search, just found this site "Trying to set up Zoom R24 as interface - Acoustica User Forums" where that is mentioned, but english is not my first language, so I just had a quick look. Maybe it is of some help for you.

In REAPER I would look in the preferences first - under Audio|Device. (try tick/untick "Allow projects to override device sample rate")

Another option would be to do a fresh portable installation of REAPER and test with that. (Start the downloaded REAPER file, choose "portable" and install it to a USB stick or another HD).