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Gear / Technical Help => Ask The Tapers => Topic started by: jb63 on March 13, 2014, 02:17:06 PM

Title: Identify The crackly problem
Post by: jb63 on March 13, 2014, 02:17:06 PM
Stupid question time.

https://www.mediafire.com/?enn3rkb4nm1ez39

I made 4 tapes, but this was the one I wanted to keep.
Opening act set taped just fine. Swapped the card for the main set. The first 15 minutes are fine, then this starts and goes on for the rest of the tape. Stopped the recording after the Set and started on the same card for set 3 and set 3 is fine. So basically this just started up in the middle of a file to make me feel like an idiot for carting all the gear around.
Mics mounted, no pinched cables, no molesting of the gear. Everything just sat there recording, but now I've got a file I can't save.

Schoeps MK5 cards > Apogee Mini MP > Korg MR2

Any idea what this is & how I can prevent this from ever happening again?

;-)

Thanks!
Title: Re: Identify The crackly problem
Post by: jb63 on March 16, 2014, 02:04:19 PM
Nobody?

I've tried to repeat it at home. Can't make it happen. But you know how these ghosts
work. It's going to come back at one of those moments when it's the only gear I have. 
Title: Re: Identify The crackly problem
Post by: 2manyrocks on March 16, 2014, 02:27:26 PM
That is peculiar.  It almost sounds like somebody was using a shaker. 

Some kind of interference from an external source like a cell phone? 
Title: Re: Identify The crackly problem
Post by: ScoobieKW on March 16, 2014, 02:41:29 PM
Nobody?

I've tried to repeat it at home. Can't make it happen. But you know how these ghosts
work. It's going to come back at one of those moments when it's the only gear I have.

Not where I can listen right now, but the unbalanced interconnect between the MiniMe and MR-2 would be susceptible to GSM cell interference. T-Mobile, Nextel, ATT are primary US carriers. Keep your unbalanced line as short as possible and try to keep phones away.
Title: Re: Identify The crackly problem
Post by: jb63 on March 19, 2014, 03:12:39 AM
I can't believe it would be cell phone interference.
It just goes on too long.  It is constantly throughout the recording. If anyone wants, I can post a longer sample. I just hate this crap.
Title: Re: Identify The crackly problem
Post by: jb63 on March 20, 2014, 05:39:25 PM
Nothing was nearby except my other 2 sets of microphones & gear.
It was clearly some damage to the recording process from the cables or the card, but I've never had anything like that happen to a stationary no-moving-parts deck before.

I don't know, but it annoys me every time, because this was a cherry of a tape.
Title: Re: Identify The crackly problem
Post by: 2manyrocks on March 21, 2014, 03:49:00 PM
The noise is almost some kind of cycle. Beats me what it is. 
Title: Re: Identify The crackly problem
Post by: jb63 on March 25, 2014, 02:30:29 PM
I just don't want it to be a problem with my gear.
If it's something I can replace some cables and fix, or if I have to overhaul some thing I need to find out!

Is it possible that the memory card could have caused this? Do I need to put up a longer sample?

Ugh.
Title: Re: Identify The crackly problem
Post by: voltronic on March 25, 2014, 06:08:52 PM
Weird that it always goes right to left also.  Doesn't sound like GSM interference - that always has a definite repeated pitch in my experience.  Maybe a moth was flying in very regular counterclockwise circles around your mics???
Title: Re: Identify The crackly problem
Post by: JayBTV on March 25, 2014, 10:16:21 PM
Not sure the cause but Izotope RX3 would fix that pretty well....

Quick decrackle of your clip: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5_oPsYmfykKTHEwY3NmOEZiQU0/edit?usp=sharing
Title: Re: Identify The crackly problem
Post by: adrianf74 on March 26, 2014, 03:32:28 PM
Not sure the cause but Izotope RX3 would fix that pretty well....

Quick decrackle of your clip: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5_oPsYmfykKTHEwY3NmOEZiQU0/edit?usp=sharing
Indeed.  iZotope RX3 is a miracle worker.
Title: Re: Identify The crackly problem
Post by: jb63 on March 27, 2014, 04:57:11 PM
Is that a PC-only program?
It looks super-expensive.
As I'm Mac-only, want to run the whole tape through it and see what happens?
Title: Re: Identify The crackly problem
Post by: JayBTV on March 27, 2014, 05:07:22 PM
Is that a PC-only program?
It looks super-expensive.
As I'm Mac-only, want to run the whole tape through it and see what happens?

It is pricey but I need it for work stuff so definitely worth it.

There is a MAC version and a trial if you want to give it a go yourself: http://www.izotope.com/products/audio/rx/support.asp  - there's a decrackle module and it's pretty straightforward. 

However if it would help you out I could run it through for you if you host the audio.  If you have a GMail account you can upload it to your 15gb on Google drive then share via that (right click/sharing/anyone w/ the link/copy paste the link).  I'd return it the same way....  Link to your GDrive: https://drive.google.com/#my-drive

Email if that's easier: jaybtv5 at gmail.....
Title: Re: Identify The crackly problem
Post by: jb63 on March 29, 2014, 06:57:33 PM
Thanks! Thanks! Thanks!

I will try that mac trial version as soon as i get some computer stuff sorted out.
I have quite a few audio programs, none of which I use correctly.
Meanwhile, here is that tape at 24/48 if you want to give it a try, or if anyone wants to hear the recurring cyclic tape-ruining pattern.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-VlqN5R8fn6RVFhUHF1NmRXVTA/edit?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-VlqN5R8fn6Y09MQV9YZDlNelE/edit?usp=sharing


Thanks for helping, plus, its a pretty good tape, if this kind of thing is your bag.

I can only assume it is some king of signal that is affecting the chain. I'm not sure HOW, but is there a more shielded wire that might prevent this?
Or is that just silly?

Again, thanks for all the input. I'd be lonely without this place.

Title: Re: Identify The crackly problem
Post by: JayBTV on March 30, 2014, 08:49:39 PM
Try this: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5_oPsYmfykKeV80djJabXRlSFk/edit?usp=sharing

Ran it through w/ the sensitivty of 7 on High.

Sounds good to me.  Might be a few spots still audible - could go manually or try adjusting settings if you grab the trial.

Title: Re: Identify The crackly problem
Post by: jb63 on April 01, 2014, 10:09:21 AM
Wow!
Well, that seems to have done this trick.
I haven't inspected the wav file, but it sounds great!Thanks so much for this.you

I've put that file in a new home:

http://www.mediafire.com/download/r8wpr911apf8x81/2013-12-31_schoepsMK5_Raw_2448_Wav_file.rar

so you can kill it now, but I'll leave it there in case someone wants to follow this thread.

THanks so much for fixing... wait for it... tape number 5 of the evening.

I just wish I could be this much help!