Recording Audio and Noise Removal

Just been recording some loops and hits from hardware and trying some extreme settings with compressors and saturators to see how much noise is audible. There is quite a high level of noise although it is imperceptible when I take the compressor and distortion off the channel.

I'm doing this in Ableton and the noise is audible when I arm the track for recording before I play anything.

Is there actually anyway to eliminate noise at the recording stage completely when recording drum machines etc thru an audio interface? Or would I need to go at it with something like Izotope afterwards to clean it up.

Don't even know if it's absolutley necessary but was wondering what other peoples practices or thoughts on this are.

What audio interface?

You using balanced or unbalanced cables?

What kind of noise? Mains hum or just some floor noise static?

Is the noise audible at only the quiet parts or when the sounds are playing? If so you could maybe use a gate on your recording so that the static at quiet parts does not get through - this is what guitarists use in order to stop noise getting through when they are not hitting the strings.

note.... that a gate could also swallow up some of the transients of percussive sounds so you would need to be careful with it.

It's an Edirol Firewire FA-101, I'm using good quality unbalanced instrument cables. Recording in stereo.

The noise has a very slight hum but it is mostly air. Almost white noise but much thinner (not sure of the technical term for this)

The noise isn't audible when a loop plays but there is some during the quieter single hits and it's constant once I open up the track for recording but only under the most extreme compressor settings and the saturator up to its max setting of drive. Otherwise its silent.

My Korg electribe is the same... think the air noise comes from the valve gains on it... i just tolerate it.... a noise gate might be worth a shot.

Cool, prob just overthinking it. Got a good signal at 24bit so shouldn't be an issue just wanted to see before I go ahead and keep recording.

Tried a few settings with the gates, could come in pretty handy as well. Cheers for the tip :)

Izotope RX is really amazing for the money if you do decide to clean anything. I can't recommend that enough really for that kind of job.

Yeah, think I'm going to purchase it at some stage. Looks like an amazing tool for such a good price.