Topic: What is causing this awful sound?

[Bullet1979]

I received a pair of CA-14 cards and omnis and CA-UGLY from Chris a while ago and just put them to use for the first time this past weekend.  I recorded two shows, one of which was part of a one-time-only reunion tour... and my recordings are riddled with this terrible sound!  I realize that this could be caused by something other than the new equipment so I'm reserving judgement and hoping someone here can tell me their theories on the cause - but I have recorded 50+ shows and have never had this problem.

My setup was CA-14 cards -> CA-UGLY -> Edirol R-09. 

I'm attaching a mp3 clip, 128kbps to keep the size down as you will definitely hear it regardless.  I will admit that I used just a standard 1/8" cable that I got from Best Buy from the UGLY to the R09 as opposed to the recommended gold-plated right-angle plug (I didn't have time to order one and wait).  Could that possibly be the cause?  This sound pops up quite a bit throughout the recordings - kinda comes and goes...  Any theories/pointers would be appreciated!

[fmaderjr]

I'm guessing the buzzing must be cell phone interference. Either you had yours on or were standing very close to someone else who did.

[setboy]

yup, cell phone got ya.

[Nielsen81]

Is there anything to do, so problems like that won't occur (is that the right word?) ?

[eman]

If you have an ATT phone (other brand cell phones don't do this), turn it off, not just the ringer. The phone will continue to check in with the ringer off.  Balanced mics will deal with this better than the unbalanced rig you have. Balance refers (in my limited understanding)  to sending a signal and its negative which is then re-inverted at the receiving end. The two are added together so the signal is doubled and the noise, which comes in after the first inversion, canceled out. It is possible (I believe) to do this using the shielding (if any)  of your cable against the inverted signal but takes some research and development. Church might be able to pull it off for you. The R-09 has balanced inputs so if you got some different (balanced) mics with xlr or mini xlr connectors it is likely you won't hear this again.

It also might not even be the recording. Could be the sound was coming through the PA. Musicians with powered on ATT phones in their pockets get picked up by unbalanced guitar cords. This sound came through the PA at Phish Red Rocks last year and countless local shows.

If you don't personally have an ATT phone, this won't happen too often. It hasn't happened to me with my unbalanced rig yet.

ATT presumably is breaking FCC regulations by allowing this crap to happen.

[Bullet1979]

If you have an ATT phone (other brand cell phones don't do this), turn it off, not just the ringer. The phone will continue to check in with the ringer off.  Balanced mics will deal with this better than the unbalanced rig you have. Balance refers (in my limited understanding)  to sending a signal and its negative which is then re-inverted at the receiving end. The two are added together so the signal is doubled and the noise, which comes in after the first inversion, canceled out. It is possible (I believe) to do this using the shielding (if any)  of your cable against the inverted signal but takes some research and development. Church might be able to pull it off for you. The R-09 has balanced inputs so if you got some different (balanced) mics with xlr or mini xlr connectors it is likely you won't hear this again.

It also might not even be the recording. Could be the sound was coming through the PA. Musicians with powered on ATT phones in their pockets get picked up by unbalanced guitar cords. This sound came through the PA at Phish Red Rocks last year and countless local shows.

If you don't personally have an ATT phone, this won't happen too often. It hasn't happened to me with my unbalanced rig yet.

ATT presumably is breaking FCC regulations by allowing this crap to happen.

That is insane!  I did just get an iPhone 4 as opposed to my 3G so I suppose that could explain why I haven't ran into this problem before...  I really wish I had known.. :-/

What part of my setup is unbalanced then, exactly?  And what part of the chain is picking up this interference (mics/preamp/recorder)?  I'm guessing the preamp?  Anyone know what the range on such an issue is?  With half of the world going to AT&T for the iPhone I imagine it will be difficult to distance myself too far from a AT&T user!

[rastasean]

when you were doing your recording, were you wearing the rig? this may not be an issue if you don't wear the rig but this is not always possible.

the unbalanced parts, I think, would be the mic & pre-amp. Neither one of those are using TRS or XLR so I think it would ALL be unbalanced.

I had an old nextel phone that caused the same sound but on other electronics like tv sets or corded, cordless phones. I could also tell when I was getting a phone call if it was next to my alarm clock because it would make a bit of a noise a second or two before the phone rang.
get familiar with this sound, I doubt it will be the last time you hear it.

[coloartist]

That is insane!  I did just get an iPhone 4 as opposed to my 3G so I suppose that could explain why I haven't ran into this problem before...  I really wish I had known.. :-/

It is not your new phone. It is ATT's gsm network. Your old phone would have more then likely done it.  Switch to Verizon. I love my new Droid X.

[hoppedup]

I keep my iphone (3G) in my pocket and have never encountered a problem, even when standing by my rig all night. I use CA-14s, CA-9100, CA-BB, and rat shack 1/8" patch cables. All unbalanced, all the time.

I taped an outdoor show at a college recently and picked up their radio station's signal on one of my rigs (CA-14 cards> CA-9100> Sony PCM D50) and not the other (CA-14 omnis>CA-BB> Tascam DR-07).

[bugg100]

FYI, any gsm network can cause this. AT&T or tMobile in the us....

[Brian E.]

i put my iphone in airplane mode during shows if i'm recording, otherwise you never know.

[splumer]

I had an old nextel phone that caused the same sound but on other electronics like tv sets or corded, cordless phones. I could also tell when I was getting a phone call if it was next to my alarm clock because it would make a bit of a noise a second or two before the phone rang.
get familiar with this sound, I doubt it will be the last time you hear it.

I had the same thing. The company I used to work for issued us Nextels, and whenever  I was running sound for an event, if my phone was near a mixer, speaker or amp, I would get a "fit-fit-fit-fit" sound right before I got a call. Not good for a sound guy. We dumped them once our contract was up and went with Verizon, and never had problems.

I have noticed lately, though, that Blackberries cause interference to wireless mics. Drives me up a freakin' wall.

[Husker Du]

  I did just get an iPhone 4 as opposed to my 3G so I suppose that could explain why I haven't ran into this problem before... 

Don't both of those phones work on a 3G network? 

With half of the world going to AT&T for the iPhone I imagine it will be difficult to distance myself too far from a AT&T user!

Actually, Android based phones are projected to overtake iPhones globally by 2012. They're already outselling iPhones in the USA.

[Belexes]

I have noticed lately, though, that Blackberries cause interference to wireless mics. Drives me up a freakin' wall.

We have that problem where I work as well. We tell all attendees of the meeting to shut off their Blackberries, but they do not so it interferes with the wireless mic's and just about anything else wireless in the room.