Topic: Mysterious whine sound in recording -- what kind of interference?

[acidjack]

I was running MK22>NBob Cables>PFA>PSP3>R-26 last night.  The PSP3 is one I bought from Tonedeaf but had not run before; the NBobs and PFA I ran once before with no issue with these same caps.

The NBobs have EN3 connectors and there was an EN3-based extension cable being used (it's like 6ft + another 7ft). The PSP3>R-26 connection was XLR.

At a few intermittent points during this set: https://soundcloud.com/acidjacknyc/sets/wilco-feb-2-2016-live-at-capitol-theatre-port-chester-ny

you can hear a high-pitched whine. It's not especially bad except during the acoustic songs near the end. It doesn't sound like normal cell phone interference, but my guess is it's some kind of interference. The NBob cable is Mogami cable, which is really thin and (possibly?) not that well shielded.

That said, I ran that NBob cable in a venue the other day and it was fine. The PSP3 is the untested element. It was being run on batteries. Cables into the R-26 were interconnects I have used many times.

Any thoughts? I'm going to run tonight with a KCY instead and see if it recurs. Has anyone here ever had one of their PSPs do this?

[mfrench]

can you duplicate the rigging at home, and see if it happens in a quiet circumstance?

[Gutbucket]

I can hear it.  Not sure though.  I've heard similar things with grounding issues and also with power issues, so it may not necessarily be interference. Maybe make sure the PSP3 is powered correctly and is powering the PFAs correctly?  I don't use a PSP so I'm not much help on specifics.

[Gutbucket]

The similar sounding issue this reminded me of occurred with an LD stereo mic.  Holding the unpainted metal case of the microphone completely remedied it.  Upon unscrewing the chromed lower endcap with the 5-pin XLR  in it to visually check for obvious shorts or whatever, I found nothing obvious.  Listening through the mic channels, I found the problem away if the endcap was left unattached to the body.  I'd pulled the mic out to make a recording at home so I just screwed it back together with some polyethylene baggie material forming a gasket between the threads to electrically isolate the cap and  body.  That worked. Good sounding recordings were made successfully.  But the mic has been in it's case in the closet ever since.  I should trouble shoot it a bit more thoroughly /send it for repair. 

Completely different issue than yours for all I know, yet it sounded very similar.

[acidjack]

Small update -- saw same band again tonight, same venue, used different gear. This time I think I actually heard that sound with my ears, though it was somewhat less prominent than in the recording. Last night people onstage did complain about tech issues, so I'm going to listen more carefully to this recording and see if it's present or not. But, I'm at least allowing that maybe this wasn't my equipment. It sounds to me like the kind of DI noise I get if I record an acoustic show and the SBD isn't set up properly/there is a general DI problem.

[jbosco]

Small update -- saw same band again tonight, same venue, used different gear. This time I think I actually heard that sound with my ears, though it was somewhat less prominent than in the recording. Last night people onstage did complain about tech issues, so I'm going to listen more carefully to this recording and see if it's present or not. But, I'm at least allowing that maybe this wasn't my equipment. It sounds to me like the kind of DI noise I get if I record an acoustic show and the SBD isn't set up properly/there is a general DI problem.

A cable management issue?

Fun shows to say the least, I haven't critically listened to mine yet (just in the car and at work), I'll let you know if it's on mine.

[acidjack]

Small update -- saw same band again tonight, same venue, used different gear. This time I think I actually heard that sound with my ears, though it was somewhat less prominent than in the recording. Last night people onstage did complain about tech issues, so I'm going to listen more carefully to this recording and see if it's present or not. But, I'm at least allowing that maybe this wasn't my equipment. It sounds to me like the kind of DI noise I get if I record an acoustic show and the SBD isn't set up properly/there is a general DI problem.

A cable management issue?

Fun shows to say the least, I haven't critically listened to mine yet (just in the car and at work), I'll let you know if it's on mine.

   Nice meeting you. Do let me know. Dan and I thought we heard it some last night, too, as I said, but I didn't notice it on my spot check of the recording.

[jbell]

That was my old PSP3 and I ran it with a Scheops MK4's> KCY> Naiant PFA> PSP3 and never had any external noise issues!! 

[drewloo]

When Wilco played here they had a big projector w/ the light show and you could hear the fan in it, but I don't think that's what I'm hearing in your recording.

[jbosco]

Small update -- saw same band again tonight, same venue, used different gear. This time I think I actually heard that sound with my ears, though it was somewhat less prominent than in the recording. Last night people onstage did complain about tech issues, so I'm going to listen more carefully to this recording and see if it's present or not. But, I'm at least allowing that maybe this wasn't my equipment. It sounds to me like the kind of DI noise I get if I record an acoustic show and the SBD isn't set up properly/there is a general DI problem.

A cable management issue?

Fun shows to say the least, I haven't critically listened to mine yet (just in the car and at work), I'll let you know if it's on mine.

   Nice meeting you. Do let me know. Dan and I thought we heard it some last night, too, as I said, but I didn't notice it on my spot check of the recording.

I hear a high pitch whine from the PA on my recording too, most notable in Cold Slope in the quieter "I won't recognize you" part.

[acidjack]

Small update -- saw same band again tonight, same venue, used different gear. This time I think I actually heard that sound with my ears, though it was somewhat less prominent than in the recording. Last night people onstage did complain about tech issues, so I'm going to listen more carefully to this recording and see if it's present or not. But, I'm at least allowing that maybe this wasn't my equipment. It sounds to me like the kind of DI noise I get if I record an acoustic show and the SBD isn't set up properly/there is a general DI problem.

A cable management issue?

Fun shows to say the least, I haven't critically listened to mine yet (just in the car and at work), I'll let you know if it's on mine.

   Nice meeting you. Do let me know. Dan and I thought we heard it some last night, too, as I said, but I didn't notice it on my spot check of the recording.

I hear a high pitch whine from the PA on my recording too, most notable in Cold Slope in the quieter "I won't recognize you" part.

What about during the acoustic set? It definitely seemed noticeable in parts of that, too.

[stevetoney]

At my old folks concerts, sometimes some guy's hearing aid will let out a high-pitched tone from feedback.  Of course the deaf guy can't hear it, and probably half the rest of the audience too.  The artists can usually hear it and don't like it at all!

That can happen at young folks concerts too!  LOL.  That is if you consider a 57 year old attending a jamband concert to be a young folks concert.  Actually, I take my hearing aids out once the music starts, but sometimes when I get home after the show is over I discover that that battery door closed on its own that they're whining down in the bottom of one of the pockets of my gear bag. 

At work, we have Dilbert cubes and now and then I'll walk out of my cube and people will starting popping their heads up around me like groundhogs looking out of their holes.  That's my cue that my hearing aid is squealing.   

[jbosco]

Small update -- saw same band again tonight, same venue, used different gear. This time I think I actually heard that sound with my ears, though it was somewhat less prominent than in the recording. Last night people onstage did complain about tech issues, so I'm going to listen more carefully to this recording and see if it's present or not. But, I'm at least allowing that maybe this wasn't my equipment. It sounds to me like the kind of DI noise I get if I record an acoustic show and the SBD isn't set up properly/there is a general DI problem.

A cable management issue?

Fun shows to say the least, I haven't critically listened to mine yet (just in the car and at work), I'll let you know if it's on mine.

   Nice meeting you. Do let me know. Dan and I thought we heard it some last night, too, as I said, but I didn't notice it on my spot check of the recording.

I hear a high pitch whine from the PA on my recording too, most notable in Cold Slope in the quieter "I won't recognize you" part.

What about during the acoustic set? It definitely seemed noticeable in parts of that, too.

I can't hear it on mine there, but to be honest I don't know if I could hear it, remember I'm an old soundman, over 20 years mixing loud rock n roll kinda damages the ears, here is a link to my copy on etree:

http://bt.etree.org/details.php?id=584892