After years of trying to figure out how to eliminate background hiss when recording at home on a PC, I think I finally figured out where it was coming from. It wasn’t coming from the M-Audio Fast Track. It’s not because this room isn’t sound proofed. I think the culprit is definitely the microphone itself. It’s a Shure SM58 which is a dynamic mic so it’s not really the best mic for home recording. It’s a good enough sounding mic for performing at live shows but for home recording no. For home recording, I think I would need a condenser mic in which I do have.

I just learned the difference between dynamic mic and condenser mic:

http://homerecording.about.com/od/microphones101/a/mic_types.htm

The Condenser mic I have is the Shure SM86 which is a phantom powered microphone:

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/SM86

I bought the Shure SM58 and SM86 myself years ago. The Shure SM86 Condenser have never been used yet because I don’t have anything with phantom power.

That’s why I want to get the Focusrite Scarlett 214 ’cause it’s a phantom powered interface and I might be able to use the SM86 on it:

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Scarlett2i4

The SM86 wasn’t a cheap microphone at all as you can see, I bought it for $180 years back. Still have it, just never used it and would like to use it. To use a phantom power mic, it takes special connections in order to use so I’m gonna research into it. I wanna use the SM86 for home recording at some point.

Maybe all the hissing is coming from the old M-Audio Fast Track. If I get a better audio interface, maybe that’ll help get a better sound,

Well, like I keep saying I think I’m definitely gonna upgrade from the M-Audio Fast Track to Focusrite Scarlett 214. I wanna a bigger and better sound. Trying all I can to get that perfect and clean sound I’m looking for. That’s okay ’cause I think M-Audio Fast Track is garbage anyway… I never liked that interface and looking for something even better. The Focusrite looks just right for me.

Kev