How to Reduce the Noise Floor to

Get a Clean Recording

The noise is all the ambient noise going on around your recording environment.

The noise that the mic collects will be more evident as a result of sensitivity,

directionality, frequency response, circuit, and signal processing.

For instance, outdoor noises like people, cars, and sirens, as well as indoor

noises like air conditioners and computer hosts, are typically below 200 Hz,

which is close to the bass range of the human voice. Therefore, the different

noises will be combined after being captured by the mic, and the noise will

become louder.

Live Room Layout

Finding a quiet room is the first and easiest thing you should do. Rooms

filled with plush furniture and accessories help cut down on echo. Fabric

upholstery typically absorbs sound more effectively than vinyl or leather.

Even items like bookshelves filled with books and decorative items can

reduce echo. Essentially, the more objects there are in a room, the less

sound will bounce around it.

Last but not least, acoustic panels, or "baffles,” can be useful when echo

is a problem. For example, in rooms with high ceilings. These wall-affixed

panels, often made of foam or fabric and designed to absorb sound, are often

used in professional audio settings such as recording or broadcast studios.

Mic Selection

Select the appropriate mic for live streaming. The directionality of the mic

should be taken into account first. We advise using a super-cardioid or

cardioid mic if you are live streaming because they have less noise floor

and make human voice more audible. The VM10 PRO features cardioid

pattern and the pickup area is on the front of the mic head. It can give you

more excellent sound quality with almost no noise floor.

Choosing a mic with a low cut is the third thing to think about. As was just

mentioned, the majority of the noise floor is centered at low frequencies.

The low-cut function eliminates the low-frequency part of the audio,

significantly reducing the noise floor while live streaming.

The second factor to consider is the sensitivity of the mic. The more

sensitive the mic, the more subtle the sounds that can be recorded.

Considering the ability to effectively balance noise and human voice.

It is recommended that select a mic with a sensitivity of between

-35dB and -40dB.

Gain Control

We need to check the gain settings on the mic, camera and computer.

You should start with the mic while adjusting the gain. Put on your monitor

earphones to hear the sound, and then adjust the level. Slowly increase the

gain control until it reaches the maximum level you are comfortable with.

Next, individually adjust the gain of the computer, live streaming software,

and camera.

Eliminate Distractions

Regular noise is typically the result of line connection or signal interference.

You should be careful while using 2.4G wireless mics because they are more

prone to interference, especially with routers and cameras that enable 5G WiFi.

If your wire or devices are not connected properly, you can check each one

individually to find out which one is having a problem before unplugging

or switching out the cable. If more wires are used, it is best to select wires

with excellent shielding performance and to avoid stepping, squeezing,

and knotting the cables.

Another is to reduce unnecessary multi-level connections. You don't need

to mix, add effects, or connect the audio interface if you only have one mic.

With each subsequent level of connectivity, the noise floor gets louder.

The internal circuit design and AD/DA conversion are also generally poor,

and the noise will be highly noticeable.

Keeping your noise floor as low as possible can go a long way toward

getting an outstanding audio recording.