White Noise from Samson CO1U

[Shpotacuz]

I've recently bought A Samson CO1U microphone thinking it would be crystal clear quality for my podcast and sorts, what I found was really disappointing, It has this really loud white noise when it records. I really need some help with this because it's hindering my podcast and making it sound "Scruffy", so to speak. Don't get me wrong, if you can try to ignore the noise it's all that I was looking for, but the white noise makes it really hard to listen to.

My specs for my system are as follows, not sure you need them, but hey, worth a go:

Spoiler

Dell XPS L702X Laptop
Intel Core i7-2670QM CPU @ 2.20 GHz, 3.2 GHz Speed boost
6 GB
64 bit OS
Realtek HD Audio Manager Sound card

Is there anyway to ever come this white noise problem, say a mains powered USB hub, or an external sound card? Note: I haven't boosted the sound on it, the white noise is always there

Thank you so much for your time!

Scott

 

[nebrethar]

I owned a Samson co1u and I found out a few problems that caused white noise in my recording. First off, pop the circuit out and check the connections.

I found out one of the connections was frayed but still got the white noise. I also upgraded my sound card to no avail.

I finally narrowed it down to the software I was using.

What are you using to record right now? Samson can be a little fickle with what they will work well with Nd what they won't.

 

[nebrethar]

Oh, by the way, I was using Cakewalk and no software based from cakewalk was silent with my computer.

I have also seen these problems fixed by getting a pci USB hub, it even cleared things up for me even more than it was, and it was pretty quiet to begin with.

The last thing I could imagine it to be is your hardware. Some motherboards just aren't good for recording. I started out on an e machines and I would be surprised if I could get a hiss lower than my music with it.

Honestly, I used to think it was my hardware until I plugged it into a professional comp and it was as quiet and smooth as silk

 

[Shpotacuz]

Oh, by the way, I was using Cakewalk and no software based from cakewalk was silent with my computer.

I have also seen these problems fixed by getting a pci USB hub, it even cleared things up for me even more than it was, and it was pretty quiet to begin with.

The last thing I could imagine it to be is your hardware. Some motherboards just aren't good for recording. I started out on an e machines and I would be surprised if I could get a hiss lower than my music with it.

Honestly, I used to think it was my hardware until I plugged it into a professional comp and it was as quiet and smooth as silk

I've tried a range of recording sortware, from audacity, Sony ACID Pro to recording in Song Vegas 11.0. If it helps when I go to Control Panel > Sound > Recording Tab > Samson C01U > Listen tab, when I listen to it from there it still has the white noise, even if i turn the volume from the panel to 0, the noise is still there, ever so slightly.
I have found my motherboard if that helps: Dell Inc. 0XN71K FAB1.

Thanks so much, feel like I'm finally on the way to crack this one after so long

 

[nebrethar]

Well, the most likely cause of that is induction, electricity coming off of your motherboard and hitting your sound card, causing unwanted noise to be amplified.

Is there a way you could try a pci USB hub that keeps its distance from the processor, ram, other pci cards, etc?

 

[nebrethar]

My bad, not hitting your sound card, hitting your USB hub that is built into your mobo

 

[Shpotacuz]

I'll see what I can do, one question, external or internal, I've seen both types, at least I think...? Internal will be a fiddly job because my laptops a pain to take apart and modify

 

[Shpotacuz]

Ignore me there, it was merely an adapter.

 

[nebrethar]

Well, Id actually like to see if I could have done something less drastic and find this co1u problem. Is become a curiosity for me.

While I do some research, could you answer a few questions?

External would be optimal so is there a way you could try a powered external USB hub of any kind?
Is there another computer you would be able to try the mic on, like just going into recording devices and hitting "listen" to make sure it's not just the mic that is hissing.
And I know it's a bit repetitive, but have you tried other USB mics with that exact computer?

That last question has to do with frequency range. I had a Blue snowflake that hissed bad on my laptop, but sounded fine on my desktop, and my co1u sounded bad on my desktop but pristine on my laptop.

 

[Shpotacuz]

It seems to be popping up ever where, with no answer what so ever, so that would be a great help to people. It may be something to do with some sort of grounding problem, just putting it out there

I could try a USB hub, I know of people who have them so I'll just nab one off them for a while just to try things out.
I've tried several laptops and a desktop, with the hissing on all, I'll keep searching around to try more devices to test it on.
I have have in the past numerous USB headsets with microphones install on them, all without hissing, that's the thing that intrigued me the most.

I'll leave you to your research, ask if you need anything.

 

[nebrethar]

Okay, I'm sorry to say but that narrows it down quite a bit.

The hissing comes from the Samson itself. The mic itself is active, so it takes in "Phantom Power" from your computer, through USB (Normally just enough to keep the sound moving to the computer) but this is a common problem with this model of mic. It's taking in a little extra power and not taking it to the right places, causing the raw power to be amplified like it's coming from the diaphragm of the microphone. I actually had this problem with a Rode mic that I owned, too.

My first piece of advice is not to EQ it. Induction and things of the sort will be on a wide range of frequencies, so you wouldn't be able to just dip out a certain range and completely get rid of the sound.

The best you can do to remedy the issue is to noise gate it. Noise gating is something that is built into most recording softwares that you just have to turn on and tweak, and i don't doubt you have it somewhere in all that software in more than one place. It cuts off all sound when the decibel level reaches below a certain rate, so that the hissing is only there when there is louder sound than the hissing itself, making it so that you would have to listen hard just to hear it.

My suggestion for podcasts is to get a cardioid condenser that goes out to XLR, and get something like a Yamaha Audiogram 3. I use that system for spoken word recordings that I do and it works like a charm. Also, it can run under 150 bucks and you can get a setup that is only marginally below the quality of the best recording hardware (to most people).

This is an Audiogram:

http/www.chappellofbondstreet.co.uk/sites/chappellv3.23/productimages/big/YAM-AUDIOGRAM3_a.jpg

It is what I would recommend. You can mix in the sound coming from your computer, and it is a very quiet little box. It's almost like the phantom power and the audio circuits are on two different planets.

And for the mic i would plug into it, I would recommend a CAD GXL2200:

http/www.proaudiosuperstore.com/media/cad-gxl2200.jpg

It is unbeatable quality for what you would expect. Especially at $80. And it helps that it looks super sleek. You can laugh, talk quietly, or even scream into it and it sounds flawless.

Good luck with whatever you choose, and if you want to send me a link to your podcast or ask a question, or even just chat, i am at Nebrethar@gmail.com

-Neb

 

[Shpotacuz]

Ah, guess it's to ebay with this then
I try not to use noise gates so much due to the hassle, and also making it sometimes feels to unrealistic, but I'll try and give it a go.

The suggestion of revamping my whole setup though seems more of a promising idea, due to the fact that It promises better quality and less hassle

Thank you so much for your time and effort, it is truly appreciated

-Scott