Realist - Recording - Hum and crackles

gtodd876 · #1 10-12-2008, 07:23 AM

I borrowed a friends realist yesterday to test out. I wanted to try a pickup versus using a mic because I'm experimenting with live looping and a mic doesnt work well because of feedback and the mic also picks up your previous loops when you record(overlay) your new layers. I was impressed with the tone of the pickup and it would work fine except that it was extremely noisy. (hum) It sounded like the hum from a crappy amp with a grounding problem. I turned it down enough so that it was not annoying and to keep testing it out but it would also send out intermittent pops and crackles. This had nothing to do with my computer recording setup as my input level meters would rise up and down with the pop and crackle since they coming in through the input. I record my bass with a mic and have no problems with pops or crackles so I know its the realist. (On a side note I'm trying out the Apogee Duet as my interface and it sounds incredible)

Is this realist just one that has gone bad (grounding or wire problems?) or is this normal with this pickup. If its just a problem with this specific pickup I would consider getting one because I mostly play arco , I don't wanna use a mic for looping, and this is the closest thing to a decent sounding arco that I have tried so far.

gtodd876 · #2 10-12-2008, 07:28 AM

I forgot to say that I was pluging a 1/4 inch cable straight into the 1/4 inch instrument input on the Apogee Duet. Does the realist have to go into a special preamp to be grounded or can it just be plugged into a 1/4 jack like a electric guitar/bass. I would think the instrument input preamps on Duet would take care of any grounding problems.

moles · #3 10-12-2008, 02:38 PM

Sounds like a bad cable, if it doesn't turn out to be the pickup. Even if the 1/4" turns out to be working properly - it's not shielded the way an xlr from your mic would be. Add the radio frequency interference from your computer monitor, lights if you've got a dimmer switch - and you've got hum. The cracks and pops would make me want to try switching out the cable first.