If all the above fails and you work on a desktop computer, you may want to consider buying a good quality sound card instead of the default one. Try to turn them off while recording and hear if it makes a difference. Try use a regular bulb and see if it makes a difference.Ĭlose by wireless phone sets and mobile phones can generate static too. Don’t buy cheap stuff, you will end up buying a better one afterward anyway.Īnother source of static can be a spare bulb or neon light, especially when recording with a camcorder. If you are going to buy one, be prepared to spend at least $100. USB connections do not deteriorate as easily as mini jack connections, thus reducing static considerably. One solution is to use a microphone or headset with USB connection. As a result, it picks up static from your computer, your body, electrical equipment, etc… Firstly, because it doesn’t fit tightly in the plughole, secondly because it is not earthed. If your mic or headset has a mini jack, you will get static from all over the place. The possible problems can vary so widely that I cannot go into that, but if there is an option in your sound settings that says something like “more compatible”, try that and test again. If none of the above, it probably has to do with the a wrong setting in the software application you are using to record sound. Check that and if it is difficult to read which plug hole is which, use a torch light to read the icons above the plug holes. You perhaps may have plugged the mic jack into the wrong plughole. The jack or plug is not properly connected. Do not force but gently push it further in. You did not push the jack far enough into the plug hole. If you have overwhelming static, it can have 3 main causes, presuming that the equipment is not defect: So, the next question should be: “How do I reduce environmental sound?” and this will be discussed in the next post Let’s first tackle the static problem. It is important to make that distinction because static and environmental sound needs to be treated differently. If you are recording sound next to a whirling hard drive or noisy computer, you will produce an audio that appears to have a lot of static but it actually is primarily environmental sound. The most common problem is the microphone (or headset) related to its surroundings. Therefore, it is best to quelch static before it hits the sound card, so to speak.

Some sound editors, like Audacity from SoundForge can reduce static noise, but the disadvantage is that it deforms the audio.

How to remove white noise from mic