What's That Buzz?

'The Buzz' is something that happens a lot in a recording studio as one of the syndromes of recording.  If you are setting up a recording studio and notice that there is white noise coming from somewhere in your equipment, you will want to make sure that you check some things out, reorganize your options and figure out where the buzz is coming from.

If you don't find the buzz, or white noise, that is taking place in the studio, it can cause problems with the recording.  The white noise, like everything else in the studio, will automatically be recorded as part of the sound wave.  While some of this can be taken out with a filter during the mixing process, the sound will not be as clear and can cause problems by the time you get to the mastering process.

If you hear a buzz, the first thing to check is the spacing of all the instruments.  Often times, the cables or the amps will be too close to each other.  The frequencies will begin bouncing off of each other and will cause the buzz to happen.  You will want to move the instruments away from each other or will want to turn them in a different direction so that the frequencies don't hit.

Not only can that sound come from the instruments, but can also come from monitors.  Your monitors, like the instruments, can create a buzz from the sound frequencies hitting the electrical part of the monitors and bouncing off.  You will want to fix this by moving the monitors into a higher area or mounting them against the wall so that this doesn't happen.  Crossing the monitors on both sides of the room so that they are far away from each other and give a complete sound will also help to prevent the white noise and will allow for a better sound to be heard.

Another check point for the buzz is with the cables that you are using.  If a part of the cable comes loose or has some problems with the wires, it can easily start to create some extra noise.  Cables that are crossing each other may also sometimes have this problem.  If you want to make sure that you are stopping this type of noise from happening, get three prongs to plug into the amps and sound boards if possible.  This is more stable than the single prongs and will prevent extra noises from slipping into the recording.

If you still hear the noise, you might want to check the sound board.  Often times, the wrong levels on the mixing board can cause problems as well.  If the volume is too high on one, for instance, it will cause feed back to occur in the rest of the room.  Checking balances, frequencies, volume levels and trims on the mixing board may lead to preventing the background noises and allow the instrumentation to go into the software needed.

The setup of your studio as well as the way in which you proceed with your equipment should help you to get a handle on any of the extra noise that you hear.  By checking all areas and keeping everything ordered in the right way, you should be able to prevent the extra buzzing sound from going into your recording.