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I'm trying to troubleshoot a buzz/static that I picked up in a recording session recently and am looking for either confirmation of my conclusion or other possibilities I haven't considered.

I have attached below two very short samples of this buzz/static sound. The first is from my main recording set up (listed below), the second is from a Tascam DR-07X that I usually run as a fail safe. My current theory is that it is some sort of bluetooth/wifi/something interference, as it sounds somewhat similar examples I've heard online (found on the r/audioengineering troubleshooting guide). The backup Tascam audio sounds like this especially. My main set up's noise is not the same, though.

After the session I went home and meticulously troubleshooted by swapping all the different mic/cable/preamp combinations I couldn't replicate the static at home in either the tascam or my main set up.

The musicians all used tablets and bluetooth foot pedals to read music, though I've recorded ensembles who use this as well with no issues. We had a second session with this group in the same space, and the issue was still there, even after having everyone in the room power off all devices, etc.

My questions are:

  1. Is it possible that the space we were recording in had some sort of bluetooth/wifi/something signal that was causing this buzzing, and thus was unavoidable?

  2. If so, is it normal for the interference to manifest differently in these two different recording setups?

  3. Is there any chance that this static could be the result of some connection or equipment issue in my main recording set up (which is what I'm most worried about?

  4. Is there anything else that I may not be considering to solve this problem?

Thank you very much in advance for reading this, please let me know if further information is needed, or if this is not the correct place to post these questions.

Main setup sample (Rode M5's in XY, Focusrite Scarlett 18i20, Sweetwater cables)

Backup sample (Tascam DR-07X)

Square-Nerve
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  • Can't say I really recognise the noise, though it does ring a vague bell. The YT video also doesn't contain my least favourite 'phone signal hunting' noise that plagued recordings in the 90s, but is also too old to be reflective of current airwaves tech. As the Tascam is smallest & seems to be most affected, next time I was there I'd wander round the place with the Tascam & some cans & see if you can find a loud point that might give a hint. – Tetsujin Jan 14 '24 at 18:53
  • These days I work a lot on movie sets [though not in sound] & it's rarely anyone complains about the myriad WiFi/BT connected devices. Everyone from focus pull to the ADs & costume has an 'airwave-connected' screen to see what's going on. Even the cameras themselves are wireless. The only commonly-accepted discipline is to put phones on silent; they only insist on airplane mode on very small sets, otherwise, I'd guess 20, 50, even 100 connected devices on or near set at any time on a big production. – Tetsujin Jan 14 '24 at 18:54
  • Sounds digital to me, not analog. And maybe not RFI - could be in a cable or something like that. Maybe it's dirty power. – Todd Wilcox Jan 15 '24 at 05:26

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