PCTechNoob

I have a pretty old Blue Snowball microphone kicking around that I want to use a pop filter with, but I have a deep and profound hatred for those large circular ones that constantly have to be adjusted and block your entire peripheral vision with the huge bezel around the edge (I have two of them and have sworn never to use one again). With other microphones you can use smaller pop filters / windscreens such as this one: https://www.amazon.com/Stage-Foam-Ball-Type-Windscreen-Black/dp/B0002GXF8Q/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1535584807&sr=8-5&keywords=microphone+windscreen or this one: https://www.amazon.com/PEMOTech-Microphone-Windscreen-Recording-Streaming/dp/B01J5OTVTC/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1535584825&sr=8-3&keywords=audio+technica+at2020+windscreen but these unfortunately don't fit the Blue Snowball because, as indicated by its name, it is a weird ball-like shape and is too fat for any of the above-listed items to properly fit around. I have tried to tell it to go on a diet, but I just will not listen to me, the stubborn little bitch. Is there any alternative small pop windscreen thing that would fit on the Blue Snowball? or could I possibly cut or sort of mod one above windscreens and use some sellotape to roughly but securely place on the Blue Snowball and have it work. Any help and suggestions are greatly appreciated, thanks so much!

So I've been looking at headphones for a few months now, and have found the beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO which seem great for what I'm looking for. I'm not an "audiophile" just looking for a good all-around pair of headphones that are comfy, high quality and can be used in a variety of situations, however I've heard that this pair requires an Amp / Headphone Amp / Pre-Amp (whatever it's called) to function properly with my PC. So I'm just wondering what the difference is from just plugging them directly into the motherboard via the headphone jack in the front of my PC case opposed to a separate Amp, and how my current $30 Sony headphones work fine but the beyerdynamic needs an additional device thingy? And also if anyone has any recommendations for a cheap Amp thing I could use, as I don't want to have to spend the same again just to plug in my headphones, otherwise I'll have to keep looking at other brands and models. Thanks for any help!

I've been searching for some new headphones for a while now. I've been using the Song MDR-XB450s for over 4 years now and they've been great, but they're on-ear instead of over-ear and I would like something with perhaps a little more UMPH. I also think going wireless would be incredibly useful. So far I've seen the Sony MDR-XB950B1s which basically look like a upgraded version of what I have now, however they're Bluetooth and I've never had ANYTHING that's Bluetooth that has fully worked properly, and I would also have to get a cheap little adapter to use them with my PC which may not work properly or deteriorate the sound quality. Anyone recommend any good wireless headphones for general PC work, music and editing etc that aren't SUPER expensive? Thanks.

So about half the time when I double-click on an object in the program monitor, or press the "motion" option under video effects in Premiere 2018, the movement / transform lines don't show so I am unable to move or resize the object, forcing me to manually type in the position and scale, which takes an obscenely longer amount of time than just moving the object with the mouse would. Clicking on other random clips for a bit sometimes fixes the issue and restarting the program fixes the issue but it slows down workflow immensely having to close and reopen the program literally every minute when I cannot move or resize an object. This is also only an issue I've had with Premiere Pro 2018. 2017 was FINE and even though I was doing the exact same thing I am now I have never had this issue with 2017, however after the VFR support update I want to switch to 2018 but this issue is really making it impossible for me to edit anything. So anyone know how to fix this? I've tried many different reinstalls and even entire windows reinstalls and hard drive formats and the issue still persists. I'm also wondering if it's actually a feature I have enabled by mistake as well, although like I said I've never had this issue with 2017 Premiere, only 2018. Any help appreciated, thanks.

If anyone is curious as to how I got around this problem, in the end, I just extracted the audio using a ffmpeg script and then combined this with the original .MTS file in Premiere to create a linked file with audio. It's not ideal but it's the best thing I can figure out to do at the moment, and it's nowhere near as fast as having to reencode the entire .MTS file including video.

When I import .MTS files into Premiere Pro, there is no audio to go along with them. I've seen a lot of supposed fixes but none of them seem to work. I've tried copying all the camera files to the PC, importing directly from the camera etc. But with no success so far. One thing I tried seem to half fix the issue, it was to change the name extension from .MTS to .avi and then install the K-Lite Codec Pack (https://www.download.hr/download-k-lite-codec-pack-full.html), and that gave the videos audio but it is just large amounts of static with some barely audible sound in the background. The only thing that does seem to work would be to use Handbrake or similar to convert these files to .mp4, but after 30 minutes of sitting in front of Handbrake with it barely scratching the first file, even with my decent i7 CPU, I gave up and decided to look for other, much for practical solutions. I'm still struggling to get my head around how programs like VLC Media Player, Vegas Pro, and even Windows Media Player handle these files fine but Premiere does not. Any ideas or suggestions with this? Thanks.

Recently I've been trying out Premiere Pro, but have been running into some storage issues when importing footage. Every time something is imported into Premiere, it creates PEK and CFA files. The PEK files are fine being only megabytes in size normally, but the CFA files are HUGE, usually being around half the size of the actual video footage itself. This is a problem because I have lots of long and high file size footage, which means when I tried to import it, I noticed that suddenly my Hard Drive went from having a decent amount of space remaining to pretty much almost full. Vegas Pro also generates its own SFX files, which are almost exactly the same size as Premiere's PEK files, but it doesn't generate anything like the huge CFA files that Premiere does. So I'm asking if there is any way to disable or turn of the generation of these CFA files? It seems weird how Vegas can work perfectly fine without needing creating large support files but Premiere doesn't. Or do I just need a petabyte storage server to hold everything on? Any help appreciated, thanks.

I'm recording some footage with OBS, and according to MediaInfo, the footage is 60fps constant, but the audio still becomes de-synced after a while in Premiere Pro. The audio is only 43.066 FPS though, which could be causing issues, but I think this is down to the 44.1 kHz sampling rate. How would I record my footage as to not become de-synced over time in Premiere, and I don't want to have to run it all through Handbrake as that would take HOURS, and the footage is already at a constant frame rate so I'm not quite sure what the actual issue is. Any help appreciated, thanks.

Is it possible to do this effect in Vegas Pro (14), with one end of a line staying stationary whilst the other is able to move, in this case, tracking an object. (start at 1:28) If so, how?

I've been using Voicemeeter for a while now for splitting game and Discord audio and can't live without it, but I can't get rid of this slight audio delay that is driving me crazy. I have tried everything but nothing will remove the delay, so I'm looking for an alternative. Any help and suggestions are greatly appreciated, thanks.

I have used this program before and it's awesome! It's called 'Destroy Windows 10 Spying' (link: http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/destroy_windows_10_spying.html) and you can remove all the bloatware and windows 10 spying features in one go.

Make sure that there isn't anything USB related disabled in the BIOS that shouldn't be. Otherwise, the port just might not be able to support that type of data transfer or have enough power to power the USB storage device. If you have other available USB ports to use, then I would just use them and use the front ones for your keyboard and mouse and not worry about it.

After using Voicemeeter for a while now, I don't think I can live without it. There is only one issue I'm having, and that is that the audio is very slightly delayed. This wouldn't be noticeable to the average PC user watching videos and whatnot, but when playing CS GO, it is VERY noticeable. Rather then the sounds playing right when I hit the mouse button, it happens slightly after, which isn't good for competitive CS. When using WDM, MME or KS modes of output, the delay is huge, it is only when I use the ASIO mode that is becomes usable. I have tried changing pretty much every settings I have come across but nothing has worked. http://i.imgur.com/SWdyPJd.png Here is a screenshot of my Voicemeeter Banana, I have come here after trying everything I can think of. Thanks

It seemingly happens randomly. Sometimes I'm scrolling and nothing happens, others the spike will occur. My CPU is the i7 6700k running at stock also.

So I've been using Sony Vegas / Vegas for quite a while now and really like it. It does everything I need it too and it works great. However seemingly randomly my CPU will just up to 80 - 90% while editing (In task manager I can see that it's Vegas that's causing the issue). This makes the program laggy, unresponsive and pretty much impossible to use. I just end up having to sit there for a couple of minuets until the CPU usage comes down back to it's normal 10 - 20%. I thought the issue was occurring when I saved the project, but after testing I don't think this is the case. I can throw the timeline around and save it tens of times in the space of a few seconds and the program holds it's own, but then later during standard editing random spikes occur. I have changed all the settings I can find and reinstalled it multiple times and nothing has worked. Also RAM and drive usage stays normal during these spikes so I don't think it's them that's causing the issue. And all other programs work fine. Any help appreciated, thanks.

So after the release of the i7 7700k with a slightly higher clock speed than my 6700k, I decided to look into overclocking. I am new to overclocking and don't know that much so I apologise if i'm just stupid. I have never overclocked before as I was fine with how my PC was running, but now I want to see if I can get a little more performance out of my CPU. After loading up CPU-Z I noticed some weird behaviour: If nothing is open on my PC and i'm on the desktop, occasionally the multiplier will jump up to 42x before eminently going back to 40x again. While stress testing with Prime95 the multiplier will always stay at 40x with the core speed being, of course, 4000Mhz. This made me think that my Intel boost was not working correctly. I always thought is was working because in RealTemp it shows just over 4200Mhz (See image attached), but every other program shows the clock speed staying at 4000hz, even when under load. I went into the BIOS and found an option called "Enhanced Turbo" which was set to "Auto". (I have never changed anything in the BIOS, it is all at default) I set this to "Enabled" instead and when booting back into windows I find that now the CPU is always at 42x multiplier with a clock speed of 4200Mhz when running Prime95, great! (See image attached) However, the voltage is now at 1.432, occasionally going up to 1.44. Now, from what I've read this is quite high, and I'm haven't even started overclocking yet, just enabling the Intel Boost that the CPU is designed to run. This is why I am really confused, I have all the voltage settings in the BIOS at the default and I haven't changed anything, although I did notice that the BIOS said the max voltage was 1.5 something, which now makes the 1.432 not sound that bad. I am aware of the "silicone lottery" and how some CPUs overclock better than others, but I haven't even started overclocking yet, just enabling the Intel Turbo. See images of CPU-Z displaying clock speed and voltages, all were taken while Prime95 was running a stress test on blend mode thingy. Temps seemed fine as well, never going above 70, usually hovering around 50 in gaming, and just above 60 while stress testing. I have the MSI Z170-A PRO motherboard, and again I apologise if i'm just stupid. Any help appreciated with this issue, thanks.

So recently I purchased an Asus VG248QE monitor, and so far it's awesome! However, I have noticed some strange marks on the monitor. These marks are only really noticeable when the monitor is turned off, but occasionally I catch a glimse of one in game. It is very dusty in my room where I have the monitor, so it collects a lot of dust. This is easy to remove though as I just gently rub a microfibre cloth over the screen to clean it. I was just wondering if these spots were just dust and I need to wipe them off, or if they should be something I should be worried about. Again, it's not a big issue, I was just wondering. Sorry for the awful pictures, they were the best I could get. Any help appreciated, thanks.

I am tying to decide on a mid mid range GPU for my new PC build. Nvidia's mid range cards don't seem like a great deal as the 1050 ti seems a little underpowered for what i'm looking for and the 1060 6gb docent seem like as good of a deal as the RX 480. Also, the gtx 1060 3gb seems like it has too little vram. The RX 480 seems like the perfect card for me as it performed well and at a price that I like, but there is only one problem. I want to be recording my games most of the time, and I don't want to sacrifice performance when recording. Nvidia has shadowplay which, from what ive seen, drops very few frames. I was wondering if there was a equivalent on for AMD users. I have seen some videos saying that you can use OBS with the AMD codec or something, but then I have seen people saying that this docent work and the performance takes a significant hit. I have also seen a recording software called AMD gaming evolved or something like that, which claims to drop few frames on AMD graphics cards, but again, some people say this is good and others do not. I was wondering if someone with an AMD graphics card could tell me if there is a way to record with minimal performance hit similar to shadowplay. Otherwise it will probably be better if I went with Nvidia as I wouldn't have to worry about the lost frames when recording. There is a good deal on a new GTX 970 on ebay which looks decent.

So after a video on the PS4 Pro popped up on my Youtube homepage, I thought I'd do a bit of research regarding the new console and what I found has me a bit confused. I am currently running a 4+ year old low-end system and in desperate need of an upgrade. I was expecting to build a new PC once AMD Zen releases however, I'm now considering a console after not considering one for a long time. From what I found, the PS4 Pro is releasing at around £350 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sony-PlayStation-4-Pro-1TB/dp/B01GVQVL0Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473441436&sr=8-1&keywords=PS4+Pro Now from what I have seen, the PS4 Pro is supposed to put out a resolution higher than 1080p, now I dought it will hit its 4k target but even running games at 1080p + is still a large achievement for that price. I hopped on PC Part Picker and threw together a PC for a very similar price, but only managed an Intel Pentium and an RX 460! http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/sc789W Now a Pentium and an RX 480 is nowhere NEAR enough power to run at even 1440p. It may even struggle with some titles at 1080p. And even if my build is rubbish, it still shows that its going to be hard to get similar performance for a similar price. Now I understand the "games on PC are cheaper" and "the initial cost of a PC is high but after that you make your money back" arguments, but even if you build a PC for TWICE the price, it will still struggle to run games at GOOD 1440p and 4k. A lot of people recommend the GTX 1070 for 1440p+ gaming, and the 1070 on its own its more expensive than the PS4 Pro. So are Sony offering higher resolutions but with a loss of graphical quality and frame rate, (like 4k but everything on low) or have Sony produced a superb bang for the buck 1080p+ gaming machine? Or is it all just lies and deception?

So a few days again I was in the middle of a recording when audacity crashed unexpectedly. At first, I thought it was just a one off thing but upon restarting the program I noticed that my Blue Snowball was showing up as "USB Advanced Audio Device" instead of "Blue Snowball" which it was before. And when I started recording again, I noticed that the mic now picks up very fine details and my voice is incredibly loud. It doesn't sound much better that my awful inbuilt mic in my cheap pair of headphones. I have tried restarting my computer, reinstalling audacity and messing around with my audio settings but nothing has worked. I have found a post online saying that I should return my Blue Snowball with its warranty. I have had it a little over a year but have only used it a few times. I have all original packaging except for the cardboard inside the box which held the blue snowball in there. The Blue Microphones FAQ (http://www.bluemic.com/faq/) says that it is warrantied for up to 2 years. I purchased the mic from Blue Microphones on Amazon: (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Blue-Microphones-Snowball-Omnidirectional-Microphone/dp/B002OO18NS/ref=sr_1_2?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1471189338&sr=1-2&keywords=blue+snowball) I was just checking if anyone could help before I try to get a replacement if that is possible. Any help is appreciated, thanks.

Thanks for all the help! I will continue to look at monitors but I will probably go with the 2430t as I haven't seen anything but good reviews of it so far.

So i'm thinking of picking up either a Benq xl 2411z or a 2430t for CSGO and other twitch games, however, I plan on using it for other games as well. I have heard that the Benq monitors are designed for competitive play and so the panel isn't designed to look nice but just to suit competitive gamers. I understand the Benq XL series monitors have TN panels that don't look as good as IPS panels anyway, but after seeing the Benq in some reviews next to other TN panels the picture docent look nearly as good. So, with the right settings tweaking, can A Benq XL monitor provide a clear, good looking gaming experience as well as being great for competitive play?

So after a lot of research I have come here to ask about choosing a case for my new PC build. Is it better to go with a cheap case such as the BitFenix Nova and add a couple of fans or is it better to spend more on a case? I don't think very expencive cases are worth it as the case does not affect the performance of the PC itself. But how much do you recommend I spend on the case? I am not building a super budget build, the parts inside I hope to be actually mid to high end, I just want to save money where I can. Also, which cases would you recommend. I like plane cases similar to the NZXT S340, but I cannot stand glossy black and so it needs to be matte black or some other sort of material. Thanks to anyone who helps me with this.

So I have been looking at mechanical keyboards for gaming and was wondering if a smaller keyboard was better due to you being able to put your hands closer together. Many companies call there smaller keyboards "tournament edition" or "pro edition" I was wondering if having your hands closer together gave you more control or something. I play Competitive CS GO and other FPS games. Any help is appreciated thanks.

So I am looking to build a new PC mainly to play games, but I would also like to try to try Twitch streaming. I was wondering if the i5 6600k manage to stream in a somewhat high quality. I don't want to spend the extra money on a i7 as later on if I decide I want to do more regular streaming then I will probably build a second streaming PC with a i7. I was also considering the Xeon E3-1231 V3 due to the hyper threading but I also loose most of the overclocking abilities. Will the i5 work for now and output at least 720p? Any help is greatly appreciated, thanks.