Topic: Recording Problems - Can You Please Help Me Trace The Cause?

[jamroom]

I taped Karma To Burn last night and have a tale of woe.

I transferred the wavs out of the R09 on to my pc, joined them together, then split into different sets. I then had a listen to see what it was like, before going to bed.

However, I noticed that the K2B and MM sets have a static like noise that is intermittant and most annoying and ruins the recordings. There are no dropouts (that I have seen so far), it affects both channels, and is present during both loud and quiet passages alike. The waveform looks fine in Audition. It does initially appear that this happened halfway through the K2B set. Though I haven't had time to check, the first bands set seems ok, so the problem probably started an hour or more into the recording.

I considered the following -

1) I initially thought the CA14s were at fault, but both channels?
2) Either the CA14s connector, or one end of the R09->9100 connector was loose, but no dropouts? I don't think anything was loose, but you never know.
3) I have no idea if the problem could be in the CA9100. Would low battery power cause this? I am due to replace the battery, but according to Chris Church, it should have 10 hours, or more left - 40-ish hours, I usually change at 30 to be safe. I have not had a chance to check the voltage yet, but will do.
4) I thought about the R09 line input coming loose. I know this is a common enough issue with the R09, but I would have expected drop-outs, or other loud noises. Is this a possibility?

Another has suggested that the pre battery is mostlikely at low power. Can anyone please confirm or offer an alternative suggestion?

I have a show on Friday, but until I can narrow this issue down, I wouldn't want to try again "just in case".

Any help will be most gratefully received! Thanks.

[runonce]

where was your cell phone?

Sounds like possible cell noise...

[jamroom]

Doesn't sound like any cellphone noise I have ever heard and this would be the first time it has ever caused problems on one of my recordings and I am always surrounded by people with phones switched on. So I don't reckon this is the cause. Thanks though.

[T.J.]

anyway you can post a sample? a short 30 second clip is better than a thousand words

[jamroom]

anyway you can post a sample? a short 30 second clip is better than a thousand words

Sure. I created a short mp3 sample this morning (while the board was still down). At work so cannot do anything else at the moment.

http://www.sendspace.com/file/kvpngu

[Church-Audio]

anyway you can post a sample? a short 30 second clip is better than a thousand words

Sure. I created a short mp3 sample this morning (while the board was still down). At work so cannot do anything else at the moment.

http://www.sendspace.com/file/kvpngu

If I had to guess I would say a bad connection you were moving around when this was recorded. I can hear the phase shift. I would clean all contacts with 100% isopropanol. As far as the battery is concerned just make sure that the prongs that hold the battery connections are bent tight, and not lose.

[Cheesecadet]

I heard the phase issue also that Chris mentioned.  Could it possibly be the mic input cable is twisting in the jack on your recorder?  I had that happen to me once years ago and it sounded just like that.  It bothered me so much that whenever I go lopro for a show I use electrical tape to make the jack so it cannot move at all.

It also allows me to bob around a bit in place without introducing any noise or phasing to the recording (at least when I'm using my omnis)

Just a thought...I hope you figure it out...

[jamroom]

Yeah, I guess there is every chance this is the problem, though this has never happened before. I'll clean everything with contact cleaner and might send the recorder to edirol for repair to the line-in socket. Taping the jack in place would be a good idea.

I presume there would be no way of fixing the recording, no matter how time consuming? I use Audition. Any pointers here would be most welcome.

Many thanks to all for taking time to respond to my plight!

[runonce]

A lot of people had problems with the R9 jacks not being soldered/secured to the circuit board properly...

(a few threads on this...)

[rhinowing]

A lot of people had problems with the R9 jacks not being soldered/secured to the circuit board properly...

(a few threads on this...)

fwiw: when this happened to mine (mic jack), it would work up to an input level of about 6, anything higher and it would just give a blank waveform.

[jamroom]

Yeah, the waveforms were completely normal, which is why I was really surprised (and gutted) to hear the noise. I had another listen and found that the first set was fine and the noise started appearing toward the end of the second set and continued (intermittantly) through to the end of the third set.

Though I think it unlikely to be the the line-in jack coming loose (no dropouts or noise spikes at all), I think I should send it for repair.

Anyone any idea whether this can be fixed on the recording (as per my last post)?

[runonce]

Here's the old thread...

R9 Input woes

http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=71160.0

I'd caution against taping the jack down...these units have known problems with the jacks getting loose. Torquing them down with tape will probably hurt more than help.

Have you tried to replicate the problem at home?

[deadheaded]

sounds like some kind of analog noise.  jack might be loose, connection might be loose or a solder joint in the cable could be loose.

[jamroom]

Have you tried to replicate the problem at home?

Yes, but to no avail. I did move the connector jack slightly (with my heart in my mouth), but it didn't seem to move and didn't make any noise on the recording.

The mic cable connector looks ok and the hydra cable is built to outlast me, so don't reckon that is the problem. If it's not the ol' R09 input saga, then it might well have been connection needing cleaning / connector not fully home / anything, I guess.

[Church-Audio]

Have you tried to replicate the problem at home?

Yes, but to no avail. I did move the connector jack slightly (with my heart in my mouth), but it didn't seem to move and didn't make any noise on the recording.

The mic cable connector looks ok and the hydra cable is built to outlast me, so don't reckon that is the problem. If it's not the ol' R09 input saga, then it might well have been connection needing cleaning / connector not fully home / anything, I guess.

Leave the gear on for a long time and record it. Then put it in a wave editor to look at the wave form if anything jumps out listen to it. If not its probably a lose connection at the gig with your battery or a input.

Chris