Static Interference -- Wierd!

[cpbball3]

Ok so I have a Taylor Electric Acoustic Guitar which I plug into a M-Audio Fast Track and I also mic the guitar with a Shure SM57 about 8-12 inches away from the 11-12th fret. The mic is pointed slightly upward, is about 6 inches above the level guitar neck and 8-12 inches away (if you can visualize that lol). Anyway I am recording with Adobe Audition 2.0 on a Dell D620 Laptop.

When recording the guitar I am getting a very strange and sudden static interference that disrupts the guitar and sound quality. It's almost as though someone is lightly blowing into the mic for 1/2 second and randomly throughout the track. It almost sounds like a muffled fart into the microphone at a very low low volume. Could this possible be because my computer is lagging slightly due to a good amount of files and programs I have on it. Although, I only have Adobe Audition running when I am recording. I have had some problems with Adobe Audition freezing though when I am playing multiple tracks at the same time. Do you think it is wise to save everything on my computer on a hard disk and reboot my whole machine?

BTW, I bought the Shure SM57 on eBay for 65$. The guy said it was working fine and he barely used it and it looks almost mint and sounds fine. But on second thought it cant be the mic cause I get the same static interference on the LINE IN even though I am directly plugging my Acoustic into the M-Audio Fast Track.

[apumic]

Has the 57 ever worked properly?
You might bring it to a music story and ask them to check its authenticity. There have been quite a few sellers selling counterfeit 57s and 58s (as well as some other popular name brand mics.... Neumanns are another popular counterfeit, for example -- at the other end of the spectrum). Another way of telling it might be a counterfeit is to look for any chinese or strange lettering, words, or symbols on the mic itself, but your best bet is to have an expert take a look at it.
In the future, since you can get a new 57 from a reputable dealer for $99, it might be best to go that route so you know it's a good mic!

Anyway, back to the rest of the question. Do you have any other mics you could check the rest of your signal chain with? If you haven't tested the rest of your signal chain, it's possible the problem lies elsewhere -- a bad XLR cable (or one crossing an electrical line in your home), a pre-amp going out, a bad ADC (Audio to Digital Converter), etc. When it comes to trouble-shooting, you really need to isolate where the problem is coming from before you can solve it.

[cpbball3]

Ok so i checked my other mic and its definetely not the signal chain. The sound sorta sounds like a snap, crackle and pop noise every now and then. Its really messing up the clairty of the recording and its really annoying . The microphone came from a reputable dealer and came with a shure bag that comes with the microphone. I checked the specs on it and everything is fine plus the other mic i have had the same problem. I increased the latency and everything on my computer to like 3000 samples and i was still getting the noises.

Im gonna attach a little clip of a chord progression and listen in the begining around the 2-3 second mark the noise happens and then at the 22 second mark near the end it happens again. For the most part this clip was played back nicely compared to the other ones that the noise butchers.

Also i would appreciate if you could give feedback on the balance and EQ of the guitar in this track. I am just recording 12 inches away form teh 12 fret with a Shure Sm57

[brandondrury]

Could this possible be because my computer is lagging slightly due to a good amount of files and programs I have on it

I have had some problems with Adobe Audition freezing though when I am playing multiple tracks at the same time.

Do you think it is wise to save everything on my computer on a hard disk and reboot my whole machine?

I wouldn't rule out the computer unless you have used another mic for a quite a long time in an effort to recreate the error. Computers are known to be randomly messed up.

I can't listen to the sample yet because I'm sending a newsletter out and I get to hear 5,000 ticks (one for each email sent) until the newsletter is sent.

The sound sorta sounds like a snap, crackle and pop noise every now and then.

This also sounds like a computer issue. You may want to check out: Home Recording Computers: Clicks, Pops, and Latency

[cpbball3]

I figured it out nvm. My latency was set to more responsive as opposed to more compatible.

[brandondrury]

My latency was set to more responsive as opposed to more compatible.

What?

Brandon

[cpbball3]

MY M-Audio Fast Track has a slider bar and both sides read more compatible or more responsive. The more compatible side has slightly more static noise but runs smoother with a computer and the more responsive side is less static and a faster response time. I guess lol

[brandondrury]

Oh okay, I guess this their way of setting latency. That's one way, I guess.

Brandon