1. How to Reduce Unwanted
Electrical and Acoustical
Noise When Recording
Assignment 4
Mahta Moattari

2. Introduction
O Hi, my name is Mahta. I’m from
Fredericton, NB, Canada. In this
assignment I like to talk about how to
reduce unwanted electrical and acoustical
noise when recording. I hope you find it
useful.

3. Unwanted noises
O We have two type of noise when we
record music:
O Acoustic noise: noise of the space and
everything that comes into it
O electrical noise: noises that the gear itself
creates
O There are different strategies to avoid
these noises while recording

4. Recording and space
O Whenever you are recording you need to
remember, you are recording instrument
in the space.
O The more noise free space will result in a
cleaner record.
O The cleaner the record the more option
you have to work with

5. Find that noise
O Listen carefully to find the different noise
resource and somehow isolate them, for
example:
O To avoid computer’s fan noise, move
farther away
O Put a blanket or a pillow against the
window
O Heat, air conditioning and TV cause noise
too
O Before recording, listen and try to reduce
all those different types of noise

6. Find that noise
O Every piece of gear makes some kind of
electrical noise
O The self-noise specification can be found
in manual
O To reduce that noise, use as few pieces
of gear as possible
O Also use short cables and use balanced
cables, like XLR cables or TRS cables as
much as possible

7. Find that noise
O The power system of your studio can also
cause electrical noise
O Turn off the dimmers and light dimmers
O Use high quality gear
O Reduce the amount of noise by mike
placement, also by not turning the mike
pre-up and instead get the mike closer to
the source

8. Find that noise
O Mike polar pattern also can have an
impact on noise
O A directional microphone will focus on the
source and reject the sound of the room

9. Tools that can reduce noise
O In the post production process we have
some tools that can reduce noise
O We should not try to fix the noise in the
mix
O But these tools are important because
noise can be useful musically