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I have a loud hissing problem using my Rode NTG 2 when it was hooked up to my Tascam D40. When I record from the internal Tascam mics, there isn't a hiss. So I think it's my Rode mic that is causing the hiss. Has anyone dealt with this before? I've tried different input levels and always have the problem with mic. Should I get it replaced with my warranty or is this something I can fix?

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  • 1
    Have you tried different cables? May 7, 2017 at 21:00
  • Are you using a snake?
    – Jim Mack
    Jul 9, 2017 at 1:26

4 Answers 4

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It's the Phantom power. I've done a lot of testing and the Phantom power adds a lot of noise to the NTG 2. I don't know why, but if you don't run it on phantom power and use it only with batteries, the noise goes away.

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As mentioned in the comments, trying a different XLR cable can make a difference here.

I also make sure that if I've got phantom power turned on (via the TASCAM), that there's no AA battery sitting inside the Rode NTG2. Sticking to just one power source has fixed similar issues for me before.

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Some hand held recorders (including some Tascams) only supply limited current when supplying phantom power and if this isn't enough for the mic you will get noise, and sometimes it won't even work at all.

I have the DR-100 mk3 which can supply 24 & 48 volt phantom power to a maximum of 3mA per channel. If I plug in a mic that needs more than 3mA (even if the voltage is correct) the mic will not perform well.

I don't know what current (mA) the NTG2 needs but some of those Rode mics seem pretty "current hungry" to me (eg the NTG4+ needs 4.5 amps!) so that may be the problem. It would also explain why the mic is ok on its own power.

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Have you applied a low pass and/or high pass filter on the audio? Mid grade mics often have built in high/low pass filtering but higher end pro mics will leave the audio feed untouched and expect you to fix it in post.

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