Pickups pick up headphones sound

[andrei1]

Hi guys,
Beginner in bass playing (but 15 years in guitar playing), I got a cheap (but very nice) Rogue LX200 B and I came across a strange situation: I recorded the bass in Adobe Audition and, surprise: my bass picks up my headset and I have no idea why and if there's a solution, other than turning them down a lot, which would complicate things. How does it pick up the sound? Those are magnetic pickups, not piezo... It may sound childish what I'm asking but I have no idea.
I searched the forum and google but couldn't seem to find anything on this. Any ideas?
Thank you!

 

[iain westland]

Both pickups or just one? Sounds like they/it has become microphonic. Maybe needs to be dipped again. Are you using on ear or over ear headphones, closed open ? Over ear closed would help to get rid of it but they could proveto be a nightmare on stage.

 

[RobbieK]

Yeah, try some earbuds. I do a lot of recording, and I've never come across this.

There was definitely no live mics around? including the little one in your laptop for skype? I've not used Audition very much, but a lot of DAW's will default to that mic as an input when you arm a track. I've no idea how that would find its way onto the track you are recording though....

It may also be an electro-magnetic effect. Most headphone drivers are just little speakers - with magnets and coils. I've never tried it, but I'd think if they were close enough, they'd induce a current in a guitar pickup...

The only other thing I can think of is possibly a faulty sound card with some weird cross bleeding going on...

You may want to ask this on a recording/home-studio type forum. Please report back if you do, I'd love to know what's going on!...

 

[two fingers]

So if you record any other instrument into the same computer this doesn't happen?

Oh. And Welcome to TalkBass!

 

[andrei1]

Both pickups or just one? Sounds like they/it has become microphonic. Maybe needs to be dipped again. Are you using on ear or over ear headphones, closed open ? Over ear closed would help to get rid of it but they could proveto be a nightmare on stage.

Haven't tried which one... And I am using over ear headphones

 

[andrei1]

Yeah, try some earbuds. I do a lot of recording, and I've never come across this.

There was definitely no live mics around? including the little one in your laptop for skype? I've not used Audition very much, but a lot of DAW's will default to that mic as an input when you arm a track. I've no idea how that would find its way onto the track you are recording though....

It may also be an electro-magnetic effect. Most headphone drivers are just little speakers - with magnets and coils. I've never tried it, but I'd think if they were close enough, they'd induce a current in a guitar pickup...

The only other thing I can think of is possibly a faulty sound card with some weird cross bleeding going on...

You may want to ask this on a recording/home-studio type forum. Please report back if you do, I'd love to know what's going on!...

Absolutely no mics... It's a desktop computer with no mics... I plugged my bass in a mixer which went to line in. I've been recording instruments for 10 years and nothing like this has ever happened. And Adobe Audition is set for line in, I do the hardware setup right after I install it on each machine. My bet was on induced magnetic field... Whatever happens, when I fin a solution, I'll post it here. Thanks!

 

[iain westland]

Try soloing them, see if it's both. Then play just music through your earphones and slowly turn the bass up untill you see it recording on the line (not playing it, just recording) might be that your soundcard input is so weak you're having to push all your gainstage

 

[andrei1]

So if you record any other instrument into the same computer this doesn't happen?

Oh. And Welcome to TalkBass!

Thank you! It doesn't happen to my acoustic guitar, which has a piezo pick up....

 

[andrei1]

Try soloing them, see if it's both. Then play just music through your earphones and slowly turn the bass up untill you see it recording on the line (not playing it, just recording) might be that your soundcard input is so weak you're having to push all your gainstage

Got it. good idea! I'll do that tonight Thanks!

 

[RobbieK]

Absolutely no mics... It's a desktop computer with no mics... I plugged my bass in a mixer which went to line in. I've been recording instruments for 10 years and nothing like this has ever happened. And Adobe Audition is set for line in, I do the hardware setup right after I install it on each machine. My bet was on induced magnetic field... Whatever happens, when I fin a solution, I'll post it here. Thanks!

Cool. A weird one. But interesting...

 

[iain westland]

Have you found some time to experiment....? It's certainly odd, really sounds like you have a loop in the system rather than the bass the more I think about it. Insert or aux inadvertently left on?

 

[honeyiscool]

Bass pickups do pick up headphones and speakers if they are near. Hold your smartphone to your bass and you'll hear the music on your amp. It's how things like TC TonePrint work. That said, I think your sound card is the real problem.

 

[andrei1]

Ok, sorry for taking so long to respond. Whatever you are going to say in your comments - I truly deserve it...
I got an Asus Xonar sound board for my home recordings, which sounds decent (). Later on, after I moved, I got from someone a second desktop computer, for our other bedroom, for simple, regular work things. I've recorded all kinds of stuff on that computer and every single time, now even with piezo pickup, through the mixer or amp, no matter how, the playback track is recorded in the background. OF COURSE it's the on board sound card, idiot! (I needed to punish myself - Worst part is - I recorded 6 voices today for a new song and I thought I'd clean them later. Now I listened - all the instruments are on the same track... Yes, conclusion: haste and user fault
Thank you for all you responses!

 

[iain westland]

Frustraiting isnt it bright side, pickup is ok