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Help please: what is this annoying sound?

#42
@Alex J ,
Do you know your neighbors? If the noise is worse towards one of your neighbors, maybe ask them if they've added any new wireless devices. Or, Ethernet over power. If they have, maybe ask them if they would be willing to turn it off for testing purposes. At least you might figure out what it is.
 
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#46
I used to get some interesting noises when I was near a computer screen or TV.. though not the helicopter sound you're getting. Does the focusrite allow you to monitor your signal without a connection to your computer?

I'm doubtful, but it's worth ruling out.
 
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#47
I got lazy and didn't read all the replies, so this could be duplicate info...

If a nearby tower got activated or programmed to send different frequencies recently, you could be getting blasted with RFI that wasn't there before, and that your preamps are susceptible to.

I had a journey of reluctant acceptance last year wherein I found out that two different Ibanez basses I had, whether they were competently shielded or not, used preamps that sucked up radio noise to the point that I heard nonstop radio commercials thru my amp when in active mode...and sweet silence in passive mode. And yet, an EMG-fitted bass was blissfully calm and quiet, evidently because its preamp was not so easily pirated by rogue airwaves.
 
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#48
Definitely not my phone or TV or monitor, or even computer, as it occurs when they are all off and in a different room.

Interestingly, if I sit in a spot where the sound isn't audible, I can make it louder by keeping any active bass still and rotating the jack in the socket so the right angled connector is facing different ways.

JKos said:
@Alex J ,
Do you know your neighbors? If the noise is worse towards one of your neighbors, maybe ask them if they've added any new wireless devices. Or, Ethernet over power. If they have, maybe ask them if they would be willing to turn it off for testing purposes. At least you might figure out what it is.
Click to expand...

I will certainly ask. They have their own studio in the basement. They also have huge solar panels on the roof, which I guess are connected to something in the loft directly next to mine.
 
#50
Alex J said:
They also have huge solar panels on the roof, which I guess are connected to something in the loft directly next to mine.
Click to expand...
Does the noise happen at night?

Alex J said:
I can make it louder by keeping any active bass still and rotating the jack in the socket so the right angled connector is facing different ways.
Click to expand...
Have you tried different cords?

- John
 
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#57
Lobster11 said:
In this case what you can hear isn't relevant.

Looking forward to a report from the garden....
Click to expand...

Back garden = no noise!

Also with this new cable which apparently has good shielding, it's now only audible still in the loft studio (with every single other electronic device switched off). Gets quieter further away until it has almost completely disappeared on the ground floor.
 
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#59
Alex J said:
So I sat down to record some tracks and immediately was hit with this super irritating sound that I've never noticed before and I can't for the life of me work out what it is.

- It's constant, like a helicopter or an idling engine (mp3 attached), and is the same whether I am touching metal components or not. It never varies in pitch or intensity.
- It is directional in that some angles lessen or increase it, but it occurs whether I plug into my Focusrite Scarlett into my laptop or into a Zoom H4N on batteries elsewhere in the house.
- I tried through my amp and it was very audible out the speakers.
- I have tried several different cables and turned various devices in my studio on or off.
- Holding the cable in certain positions can make it worse.

At first I thought it was a problem with the preamp in my active jazz bass, but I can detect the exact same sound at the same frequency when I use my Stingray so unless they have both gone wrong in the same way at the same time it must be something external, right? I can't hear it when I switch my jazz to passive mode.
Click to expand...
Do you have a ceiling fan on in your place? If so, try turning the ceiling fan off

EDIT: Nevermind, I missed the previous response that you replied to
 
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