Topic: Cell phone interference

[coloartist]

Are you all on ATT? I have never had an issue with this with Verizon. I heard that this is a GSM problem.

[Shadow_7]

My stereo is sensitive to it.  I've had days where my cell phone that I virtually never use, but sits next to the tv / stereo permanently plugged in to charge will just beep beep beep all day long.   Plus the usual dot de dot, dot de dot handshake.  Nothing audible is coming from the phone, it's all interference with the OTHER electronics.  And then I have a couple reel to reel tape machines circa 1970's-ish that pick up those noises.  From the next room over.  And ya'all are so quick to put that microwave over right up to your heads.

[kubacheck]

ever since I got some interference on a recording last year, I've started putting my phone in "airplane mode" during shows..... haven't had the problem since, though I guess I couldn't swear that doing that fixed the problem, could just be a coincidence since I used to leave my phone on all the time and never had any issues before that..... and yeah, I have AT&T.... with my old desktop, I used to know I was about to get a phone call because I could hear the interference coming through the computers speakers (even if the phone wasn't in the same room with the computer) a couple of seconds before the phone would start ringing.....

[K.C.]

Are you all on ATT? I have never had an issue with this with Verizon. I heard that this is a GSM problem.

^^^ this....i've heard the same thing...had problems over moe.down weekend last year, for the
first (& only) time, and i've been with AT&T forever. no problems since, but usually turn off my phone
during shows now...

[adrianf74]

I've been reading more and more about GSM interfering with recordings.  It's really a nuisance.

Maybe we need new TS.COM shirts that read: "We didn't pay good money to listen to your cell phone interference... If you need to text OR talk, take it outside." 

I got hit by some interference at a club show recently as well.  It was frustrating because the recording is fantastic.

[mloewen]

I got alot of interference on my Sony Ercison w810i on ATT but not had the problem since on my Droid.

[Shadow_7]

My recording chain is mostly immune to it.  Radio towers, not so much.  But the house board at some of the clubs I've recorded at isn't so they broadcast the handshake over the PA.

[dlh]

After starting this thread and doing a little research, I tied the xlr housings to the shield and haven't had any problems since.  I know that doesn't prove anything, but it was my first step.   I've recorded in that same club three more times without problems, but there weren't as many cell users in the club either. (too many variables)
Now I guess I'll also have to be more careful about what the connectors are touching. (beer soaked floor? taping in the urinals?)

My suspicion is that if there are enough cell users close to my gear, I'll hear it again.
(Just trying to look on the "dark side" with my glass half empty  )

[page]

Are you all on ATT? I have never had an issue with this with Verizon. I heard that this is a GSM problem.

Tmobile here which is GSM as well. Mine wasn't cell phone interference though, something else. I only get cell phone chatter if I get the phone within about 2-3ft of the cap. The cable seems more resistant and takes almost putting the cable next to the phone to get it. I could see getting some while stealthing, but I don't know what did me in the one time I had noise.

[kubacheck]

I've been at a couple of shows where the artists own cell phone caused interference in the PA system.......

[adrianf74]

I've been at a couple of shows where the artists own cell phone caused interference in the PA system.......

I was deafened during the club show I was at a few weeks back when I was hit with some CP interference.  Comparing my recording to the OP's clips, I think it's safe to say that it was the artists own phone that caused it because it was definitely amplified by comparison.

I didn't hear it at the show (but couldn't hear much because of how loud it was).

I think, in the future, I'm going to use airplane mode on my blackberry as well (or just pull the battery).  Then I can say there's less of a chance.

[Seth01]

Just coming back from doing almost 70 recordings in 21 days (gotta love festival season) and using a new deck for me - the Zoom H4n.  Unfortunately a bunch of my recordings were hit with cell phone interference.  This never happened with my R-09 but I'm typically not surrounded by so many text & phone addicts.  I couldn't believe the amount of people that would rather talk on the phone & text than watch/listen to the show.  During that time, I started putting my deck in a water cooling pouch which is basically plasticized aluminum foil and it seemed to have helped.

[disco]

i taped a jazz improv show in a bar in silverton co recently and got hearing aide interference
Obviously not a surprising thing that the HA interferred with the mics but caught me off guard when one of my channels started spiking for no reason. I was running a pair of split CA-14 omnis about 10-13' above the stage. One of the mics was decently close to the stairs which I saw as no problem until an older fella sat next to the mics. Always an experience....

[guysonic]

May have mentioned this somewhere in this thread already, but many times radio interference is caused by mic input connectors being dirty and/or corroded by fingerprint residue. 
Dirty-corroded contacts tend to rectify incoming radio signals to be record able audio interference, so having a pristine contact interface eliminates this from happening in most cases.

Cleaning with pure isopropyl alcohol (for inside of minijacks suggest using a 'non-flavored' between tooth type plak brush), and then treating the metal with DeOxit ProGold enhancer/protector (Caig Labs product) insures these contacts stay fingerprint clean with occasional dry cloth wipe.   

See my tips page at www.sonicstudios.com/tips.htm for more details and suggestions.

[rjp]

i taped a jazz improv show in a bar in silverton co recently and got hearing aide interference

I've run into acoustical interference from hearing aids at classical shows - once, it was so loud that the performers commented about it. Fortunately, a notch filter can usually deal with that little problem.