Internal mic has bad sound quality in GB

Question

Internal mic has bad sound quality in GB

Hello,

I just recently got a new MacBook Pro, and with it came GarageBand. I've recorded things in the past using the internal mic on my previous PowerBook with moderate success, but I find that the sound quality is not very good in GB. In particular, there is a high-frequency buzzing that sounds a bit like a swarm of bees. As a test, I tried recording with another simple program, Audio In, and I found that the buzz wasn't present. So it seems to be something happening in GB itself. I'd really like to be able to record using the mic, as I'm stuck far away from my recording setup for the summer, but the audio is nearly unlistenable with the incessant high-frequency hum.

Any suggestions? Any information that I could provide that could help diagnose this problem? Thanks very much,
Adrian

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.4.8)

Posted on Jun 27, 2007 11:03 PM

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Answer 1

Jun 28, 2007 11:26 AM in response to Jose Rosales

There is a definite difference in quality: the sound is much, much worse with the noise reduction. It seems to apply a noise gate with a fairly high threshold, which makes the sound cut out when i don't want it to. Also, for some reason, it also sounds like it reduces the bit-rate, so that the input sounds as if it were recorded under water, for lack of a better description.

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Answer 2

angelmac

Level 1

26 points

Jun 28, 2007 11:43 AM in response to parameter_poem

I have the exact same problem. Moreover, this problem is even bigger in my case because I am recording classical music with the internal microphone. It sounds as if there is a distortion, a wave-like metal sound, inconsistent and uneven.

Macbook Pro 2Ghz, 15'', 7200 rpm Mac OS X (10.4.10)

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Answer 3

angelmac

Level 1

26 points

Jun 29, 2007 2:32 PM in response to parameter_poem

I just found out the solution: Under Sound Preferences, select Input, and uncheck the "Use ambient noise reduction". This reduction greatly distorts the sound that goes into the internal microphone.

Cheers!

Macbook Pro 2Ghz, 15'', 7200 rpm Mac OS X (10.4.10)

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Answer 4

Jul 2, 2007 6:30 AM in response to Christoph Drösser

Do you know if the sound quality has decreased between the PowerBook and the MacBook Pro? When I recorded on my older PowerBook, I didn't have the problems with high-frequency noise that I am having now on my new MacBook Pro.

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Answer 5

angelmac

Level 1

26 points

Jul 2, 2007 2:23 PM in response to parameter_poem

I agree that the sound quality is not great. I believe it is because of the fans, since they are working non-stop. Moreover, the MacBook Pro is thinner than a Powerbook, which means the microphone might be covered with something, or in a different place.
But all in all the internal mic is a good start.

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Answer 6

Jun 27, 2007 11:14 PM in response to parameter_poem

See if there's a difference in sound quality if you enable the ambient-sound reduction in the system preferences.

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Answer 7

Jul 2, 2007 5:32 AM in response to angelmac

True, but my sound quality is not very good even without the ambient noise reduction.

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Answer 8

Jul 2, 2007 6:25 AM in response to parameter_poem

The internal mic does have a bad sound quality.

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Answer 9

profxtjb

Level 1

30 points

Jul 3, 2007 5:31 PM in response to parameter_poem

My internal microphone recorded me like I was in the echo chamber of doom or something. So I had to break down and buy a Blue Snowball USB microphone. It records great.

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Answer 10

Oct 3, 2008 10:37 PM in response to parameter_poem

The internal mic just *****. All there is too it.

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