Solved! Dealing with noise from gaming with speakers using a Condenser mic

[Themurloc]

So I've been wrestling with the issue of severe background noise when streaming games with speakers instead of headphones, since I get very uncomfortable wearing things on my ears. My first microphone i used for my streaming setup was an AT2020 cardioid condenser usb microphone with my speakers about 1 foot away on the Cardioid "blind spot". The sound quality was crisp and clear on my own voice, but when the action heated up in game, the background noise got atrocious no matter how I tried to configure it (gain settings, noise gates, windows mic levels, etc).

I found a sort of solution in a cheap Pyle dynamic mic. It basically fixed a lot of my background noise problems but while I was having some rare troubles on stream, someone mentioned trying the Blue yeti. Now I know already that the blue yeti is a condenser mic, like the AT2020, but it has more options for tweaking gain and a selectable recording pattern, including a cardioid setting.

If I were to get the blue yeti, would I be able to avoid the same issues I had with the AT2020? Is it's cardioid setting harsher on background noise than the AT2020? And is there anything else I can do to eliminate loud background noise that is very close to the mic using the blue yeti? I'd like to hear opinions on this from people who know more about these kinds of microphones before I go spending over a hundred bucks on something that can't do what I need.

 

[garenhayes]

The Blue Yeti is still a condenser mic and will pick up background noise regardless of the mode it's in.

I know this from both having owned the Blue Yeti and a dynamic mic (Samson q2u) with an USB audio interface.

The dynamic mic cuts off the background much, much better. That's why singers use dynamic mics on stage with loudspeakers blasting music in the background.

This is also why big professional streamers most often use dynamic microphones as well, even when playing with headphones, to reduce keyboard and mouse sound, etc..

As for the problems you were having, we would need some more details there. Although I suspect it might be because you are using a cheap dynamic mic straight into your pc. Most streamers have a USB audio interface to power their dynamic mics.

 

[Themurloc]

The the problem I was having with the dynamic mic was with a slight buzzing introduced after applying a bass reduction filter to make my voice sound clearer and less muffled, which worked, but introduced said buzzing. It doesn't seem consistent and its hard to record an example, so I don't really feel too bad about it if it's not constant. Certainly not anything worth spending over a hundred bucks on a blue yeti to attempt to fix only to have the background noise be even worse.

I was mainly looking for advice on the blue yeti, and you answered my question about that as clearly as I'd hoped. If you know of a surefire way to prevent that kind of buzzing or humming with a dynamic mic, I'd be happy to hear about it, but it's not a high priority.

Here's a recording of the noise with no noise gates applied:

The filter was done using Voicemeeter at the following settings:

https://imgur.com/k1mHUN0

View: https/youtu.be/u_eoYcJQJo4

View: https/i.imgur.com/k1mHUN0.png

 

[garenhayes]

Yes, I can see how that noise can be annoying.

Does the noise only come when you apply that software filter? Then it would be pretty clear that the software is making it. Although it does seem strange that it would do that.

If the microphone sounds fine without the filter. Why not just use it raw? Your voice sounds pretty clear, perhaps it's clear enough without the filter too?

 

[Themurloc]

after tinkering a bit with OBS as well, and removing some of the filters I had applied, the noise is still present without the software mixer active. The filters currently in use are a noise gate, Gain reduction, Compressor, and Noise Suppression. Compressor is likely the cause, since the others strictly serve to reduce noise, But I'd like to still make use of it so I can talk quietly or loudly when appropriate without being inaudible or blowing peoples' ears out, respectively. Unfortunately, most of the terminology in the settings doesn't make sense to me.

https://imgur.com/8ttup3x

View: https/i.imgur.com/8ttup3x.png


I'm currently trying to look up what each setting does and I'll get back if I find out before you can get back to me about it.

Edit: So I'f im understanding it correctly, I can only compress loud sounds to be less loud, but the only way to increase quiet sound is to increase the total gain, which makes the buzzing appear. I lowered output gain to 0 and the buzzing seems to be gone, but everything is quieter than i'd like. I apparently just need to adjust my gain and compression threshhold more.

If there's a way to only increase the volume of sound within a low range of decibels, excluding the lowest frequencies outside that range to effectively increase quiet talking without increasing background noises, That would be the only next step I can take from here.

 

[garenhayes]

Removing buzzing noises is tricky, honestly.

Are you connecting your microphone directly to your PC's 3.5mm mic jack?
I suspect your pc might be generating that interference, as audio controllers on motherboards often introduce hissing/background noise.

Adding a USB interface should fix the background noise, and give your microphone power to be loud enough.

So it would look like this:
Dynamic Mic <XLR------XLR> USB Interface <USB------USB> Computer

Most popular Interface:
amazon.com/dp/B01E6T56CM/

Cheaper one (probably will work fine):
www.amazon.com/dp/B00FFIGZF6