Noise Floor 101: What It Is and How to Reduce It in Your Studio

You’ve probably heard the term “noise floor” tossed around, especially when discussing recording quality.

But what exactly is it, and why should you care about it?

Simply put, your noise floor is the unwanted background noise that exists in every recording, no matter how quiet your environment may seem.

It’s that constant hum, hiss, or buzz that can make a clean recording sound like it’s being recorded underwater.

Let’s break it down and talk about how to reduce it so your audio sounds crystal clear.

1. What is a noise floor?

The noise floor is the baseline of noise in your recording system when no one is speaking, singing, or making noise.

It’s caused by electrical interference, the mic’s inherent noise, and sound bouncing around your recording space.

So basically, it’s the quiet hum of everything that’s still working in the background.

How to deal with it: The goal is to keep your noise floor low so it doesn’t interfere with the clarity of your voice. While you can’t eliminate it entirely, you can reduce it drastically with some simple adjustments.

2. Gain Staging: Control Your Levels Early On

One of the biggest contributors to a high noise floor is improper gain staging.

If your input levels are too low, you might have to crank the volume in post-production, which can bring up unwanted background noise.

How to do it: Start by setting your gain levels properly while recording. Aim for healthy, strong input levels without peaking into distortion. If you’re too quiet, you’ll have to boost the signal later, which also boosts the noise floor. Recording at a good level upfront helps minimize that extra noise in your post-production work.

3. Controlling the Environment

A lot of the noise floor can be caused by your environment.

If you’re recording in a room with reflective surfaces or a lot of outside noise creeping in, the sound bouncing around can contribute to unwanted noise.

How to do it: To reduce room noise, focus on treating your space. Use acoustic foam or bass traps to absorb sound and prevent reflections.

If you’re recording in a less than ideal space, consider using a reflection filter or building a DIY sound booth with blankets to minimize outside noise.

The quieter your recording space, the lower your noise floor.

A low noise floor is key to achieving clean, professional sounding recordings. With proper gain staging, controlling your environment, and using the right gear, you can keep your noise floor under control and ensure your recordings sound as pristine as possible.