I'm constantly astounded with the emails I get from home studio consultation clients. Most are pretty simple and involve a misplaced mouse click in a preference menu ...

"My mic won't work”

"My levels are too low”

"Why does my sound, sound distorted?”

This- then this- if this- this -if not- this ...

• Your voice.
• A microphone.
• A cable to take the microphone's analog signal to ... 
• A digital interface, which converts the analog audio signal to the bits and bytes that ...
• Your computer and ...
• Your software understand, and can use to magnetically imprint on your hard drive.

Hello Home Studio Master,

I hope all is well in your world, and that you had a great holiday. After we talked several months ago, I did as you suggested, as I set up my home studio in my closet. It also gives me an alone space in which to hide from time to time. And, I worked on reducing the over modulating and I've been happy with what the results have been.

However, now I have a problem that I'm unable to figure out.

I plugged everything in to do an audition this morning and there's something in the background that almost sounds like an irregular heartbeat that I can't remove.

I've got the MXL hanging from the suspension thing and when I couldn't get it to stop, I tried it in the firm holder and still no good. I made sure nothing was touching the stand; no breezes coming in; everything looks like it's still, quiet, and as it's supposed to.

I closed the closet door so nothing was inside but the mic and stand, and recorded about 10 seconds. I then normalized it so you can really hear the demon that has possessed the thing.

The click in the background was my wife locking me up, so disregard that part.

Please, help. Any suggestions as to what might be causing this?

Hi Jim,

You screwing around with me? I'm not a doctor (but I've played one on TV), and that sounds like Atrial Fibrillation.

Have you had any power surges lately? Sometimes the electronics can be zapped by that, and screw things up (my hunch).

 

There's only one way to find out. You have to use something else to track down the source. For instance, what are you using for a digital interface, a Mic Port Pro? Or is the microphone a USB mic?

You have to have an alternate input device to see if it's the mic, the D/I, or if you're just really excited when you get in the room.

What are you using? I can make a suggestion when you tell me. :-3)

Oh Doctor, I'm using an M-Audio Mobile Pre.

Jim, You're using a Mobile Pre USB. Guess what? I think it's fried. How do I know? A few years back, after a big ice storm and lots of power surges in our neighborhood, my M-Audio MobilePre did something similar and started sending "Snaps” into the audio. I replaced it and away went the problem. I used it a few weeks ago for something and it's still doing it.

How long have you had it? It may be a design flaw. Contact M-Audio and tell them you definitely know that's the problem, as you tried something else and the problem went away. See what they say.

That said, it may be time to get yourself a CEntrance Mic Port Pro or something I just started using, an Apogee ONE. The Mic Port works great for $150. Really!

I'm 99% sure that's it. :-3)

Home Studio Master,

 

Thanks for the advice and troubleshooting. Strange, you diagnose the same way most Southern California doctors do - except for the plastic surgery suggestions.

I ordered the CEntrance Mic Port Pro you suggested, so now you'll have that on your conscience.

I also tried plugging the mic into the #2 port on the Mobile Pre, and all the blips went away. Proves once again, how on target your diagnoses are. I'll have that to use until the new one arrives, and as a back-up if the new one fails.

Thanks again for your help and have a terrific New Year. I'll see you at Voice 2010 in L.A. in June. Jim

This is the first in a series of home studio Q&A columns I'm writing for VoiceOverXtra, which is also presenting live Home Studio Troubleshooting Webinars on Feb. 23 (for beginners) and Feb. 24 (for advanced home studio users). Join us with your home studio problems and see if you can stump me!