What Voice Recorder gets rid of background noise?

Background noise can be a major issue when recording voice audio or voiceovers. Background noise refers to any unwanted sounds that are picked up during the recording, such as computer fans, traffic, appliances, other people talking, etc. This noise can be very distracting to listeners and interferes with the clarity of the voice audio. There are different types of background noise ranging from white noise, which is a constant dull hum, to more sporadic sounds like doors slamming or sirens.

Finding a voice recorder that can effectively reduce background noise is crucial for achieving clean, professional-sounding voice recordings. Noise cancellation and reduction features allow you to minimize background noise so the focus is solely on the vocals. This improves listening comprehension and ensures your message is communicated clearly. With the right gear, it’s possible to record voice audio with minimal distracting background noise.

Causes of Background Noise

There are several common causes of background noise that can interfere with voice recordings:

Ambient sounds like traffic, construction, or people talking can easily be picked up by microphones. The sounds reflect and reverberate in the environment, becoming difficult to isolate from the desired audio source (Izotope).

HVAC systems like fans, heaters, and air conditioners produce a constant hum that microphones inevitably capture. The sounds get transmitted through walls, ceilings, floors, and vents (Quora).

Electrical interference from lamps, computer monitors, microwaves, and other electronics can cause buzzing, humming, or high-pitched noises. The electromagnetic frequencies get picked up by microphone cables acting as antennas (Descript).

Reverb and echo are caused by sound waves reflecting off hard surfaces like walls, floors, ceilings, and windows. This creates repetitive reverberation that reduced audio clarity (Izotope).

Features that Reduce Noise

There are several key features that can help reduce background noise when recording voice audio. Using the right combination of these features is important for getting clean, high-quality voice recordings.

Directional Microphones

Directional microphones are designed to pick up sounds coming from one specific direction rather than all around. This allows them to isolate the desired voice and reduce surrounding ambient noises. Shotguns, cardioids, and hypercardioids are examples of popular directional mic patterns.

Wind Screens

Wind screens, also called windshields or pop filters, are coverings that go over the microphone to block wind interference and vocal plosives (popping ‘p’ sounds). They help mitigate distracting wind noise when recording voices, especially outdoors.

Noise Cancellation Technology

Noise cancellation uses digital signal processing to actively remove ambient noise from recordings in real-time. This could involve phase-cancelling unwanted sounds or modelling a noise profile to subtract. Noise cancellation is very effective at eliminating constant background noises.

Enhanced Audio Filters

Devices may also utilize EQs, compressors, limiters and other audio filters to clean up the vocal signal. These reduce subtle background noises, minimize peaking sounds, and bring the voice forward in the mix for maximum clarity and intelligibility.

Tascam DR-40X

The Tascam DR-40X is a 4-track solid state recorder known for its ability to capture clear audio by reducing background noise. It features dual cardioid microphones that can record in X/Y or A/B positions. The X/Y configuration picks up a mono signal, while A/B provides a wider stereo image.

Dual analog limiters prevent sudden volume spikes from distorting the audio. There are also physical knobs to control the mic gain, so levels can be precisely set before recording. The mics can rotate from 90 to 120 degrees, providing flexibility to position them for optimal source pickup and noise reduction.

Users mention the DR-40X delivers clean audio with minimal hiss or interference. It’s a good choice for recording interviews, music, podcasts and other applications where capturing clear, undistorted audio is essential.

Zoom H5

The Zoom H5 is a versatile handheld recorder known for capturing clear, noise-free audio in a wide range of environments. It features interchangeable microphone capsules, allowing you to swap between an XY mic, Mid-Side mic, shotgun mic, and other options to best suit your needs. The H5 contains onboard microphone preamps with distortion-free phantom power, so you can use professional condenser mics for pristine recordings.

To reduce background noise, the H5 provides adjustable limiters, compressor and AGC to prevent clipping. There are also onboard effects like low cut filtering, compression and reverb that can clean up and enhance your recordings. The included foam windscreen further cuts down wind and plosive noises when using the built-in or external mics.

This recorder captures audio up to 96kHz/24-bit resolution for rich, detailed recordings. With up to 6 tracks to work with, you have flexibility in post-production to edit and layer clear voiceovers and ambient sounds. The Zoom H5’s combination of swappable mics, effects and high resolution make it a top choice for voice recording with minimal background noise.

As one Reddit user shared, “Turning down the monitor mixers for the L/R and 1&2 inputs got rid of the hissing I initially had” (Source). With some adjustment of the gain and routing, the H5 can produce very clean vocal recordings.

Sony ICD-UX570

The Sony ICD-UX570 digital voice recorder has several features to reduce background noise while recording voices. It utilizes Voice Activated Recording which automatically starts recording when it detects a voice.[1][2]

To cut down on ambient sounds, the Noise Cut function suppresses background noises like air conditioning units or projector fans. The recorder can filter lower frequencies to diminish rumbling noises.[3]

The Clear Voice mode enhances speech frequencies to make voices more discernible and understandable. One Touch Recording allows quick and easy recording with just the press of a button.

Olympus LS-P4

The Olympus LS-P4 is a voice recorder that’s designed to minimize background noise in a variety of situations. It utilizes three built-in microphones that can be used for flexible recording options: the directional microphone for recording distant sounds, the omnidirectional microphone for conference recording, and the MEMS microphone for dictation.(1)

To further reduce ambient noise, the LS-P4 has a low-cut filter at 100Hz to remove rumble and has a noise cancellation feature to suppress surrounding sounds during playback and recording.(2) It also comes with 8GB of internal memory, allowing you to record many hours of clear audio before needing to transfer to a computer.

In user reviews, the three microphone system and noise cancellation abilities of the LS-P4 are often highlighted for providing great results for voice, lectures, music and more. Overall, its flexibility, built-in noise reduction and ample storage makes the Olympus LS-P4 a strong choice if you need crisp, clear recordings in noisy environments.

Audio-Technica AT2020

The Audio-Technica AT2020 is a popular side-address condenser microphone known for its ability to reduce background noise. This mic has a cardioid polar pattern, meaning it picks up sound mainly from the front while rejecting sound from the sides and rear. The cardioid pattern helps isolate the speaker’s voice from ambient noises in the room.

The AT2020 is specially engineered for low self-noise, meaning it does not produce a lot of inherent noise that could get picked up and muddy your recordings. It also features internal shock mounting that reduces vibration and handling noise. With its directional pickup pattern, low noise, and shock mounting, the AT2020 is an excellent choice for voice recording applications where minimizing background noise is a priority.

Smartphone Voice Memo Apps

Smartphones these days come with sophisticated built-in voice memo apps that can record high quality audio. For iPhone users, the Voice Memos app allows you to record hours of audio that gets automatically synced to iCloud. The app has a simple interface, onboard editing tools, and most importantly, background noise reduction to help capture clear voice recordings.

For Android users, the Google Voice Recorder app offers similar functionality. It can remove ambient noise and echo during recordings, and has trimming and sharing options. The app even provides automated transcriptions of recordings.

Beyond the default apps, there are also great third-party voice recording apps like Otter, Rev, and Just Press Record that utilize AI for real-time transcription, noise cancellation, and robust tools for editing audio. For best results, use a wired lavalier mic or external USB mic with your smartphone when recording, as they will capture much cleaner audio than the built-in mic.

Conclusion

In summary, the key features that help reduce background noise in voice recorders are directional microphones, windscreens, low cut filters, and noise cancellation technology. Directional microphones focus only on sounds coming from one direction and reject sounds from other directions. Windscreens shield microphones from wind noise and plosives. Low cut filters block out lower frequency noises like motor hums. Noise cancellation uses digital signal processing to actively cancel out ambient noise in real time.

Based on the features and performance, the top recommendations for voice recorders that reduce background noise effectively are the Tascam DR-40X and the Zoom H5. The Tascam DR-40X provides excellent off-axis rejection with its dual cardioid microphone capsules in an X-Y pattern. This allows superior isolation of the main sound source. The Zoom H5 utilizes both directional microphones and onboard DSP noise cancellation to cleanly capture speech. It also has one of the lowest noise floors among portable recorders.

However, it’s important to test different recorders in your intended environment before deciding, as performance can vary based on the exact types and levels of background noise. The recorder that works best for street interviews may not be the same as for conference calls or lectures. Carefully evaluating options with your specific use case in mind will ensure you choose the optimal voice recorder for reducing unwanted background noise.