6 Ways to Eliminate Unwanted Noise in Your Studio Setup
Noise is a massive issue for studio owners—hobbyists, and professionals alike.
One of the trickiest things to do is pinpoint where noise is coming from. The problem is that noise can come from many different sources: dirty power, faulty gear, electromagnetic fields, and so on.
To help identify a noise source, you should ensure that you’ve taken steps to eliminate the root causes of the most common noise problems. This will either remove the noise you’re experiencing, or by process of elimination, allow you to get a better idea of what’s causing your ongoing noise problem.
You may have a noise issue and not even realize it. Over time, your ears will grow used to certain noises, making it difficult to identify them. A prime example of this is air conditioning; it’s high-level background noise that many people don’t take into account when recording or mixing audio.
The dangers go beyond capturing noisier recordings. Ongoing noise sources like an AC raise the noise floor of your mixing environment. This is potentially quite dangerous because it can cause you to mix at levels that are damaging to your ears.
I’ve walked into many producer’s studios and immediately noticed noise when they turned their monitors on. They often think it’s a result of the degradation of their monitors (and monitors can deteriorate over time), but more often then not it’s a problem that can be fixed by introducing something as simple as a power conditioner into their setup.
One of Synthtopia’s latest features focuses on the YouTuber loopop explaining “6 Ways To Eliminate Unwanted Hum, Buzz & Ground Loop Noise.” He provides some steps you can take to reduce or remove noise from your setup. loopop suggests using one outlet, balanced audio cables, isolators, ferrite chokes, filters, and then goes on to recommend some advanced tools such as Noise Remover from Accusonus, and RX7 from iZotope. You can view loopop’s full tutorial video below or on Synthopia’s blog.
Charles Hoffman is a Mixing and Mastering Engineer at Black Ghost Audio. After graduating from the University of Manitoba with an English degree, Charles completed his education at Icon Collective in Los Angeles, CA.
Please note: When you buy products through links on this page, we may earn an affiliate commission.