Unbearable digital noise

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

Hi, I'm new to the group - a problem that I can't solve myself brought me here.

I've got a bedroom studio with an old analogue mixing console, a bunch of
synths, and a PC (kinda old, too) that I use exclusively for final audio
recording. My problem is truly unbearable digital noise. Whenever the computer
and the mixer are both on, the mixer starts picking up insane amounts digital
noise from the computer. Seriously, I can listen to my computer going about its
business through my headphones on normal listening levels. CD-ROM drives revving
up, hard disks spinning, the screen switching between resolutions or even going
from all-white to all-black, you name it - even moving the mouse produces
audible noise. I tried moving the computer (it used to sit right under the desk
the console was placed on), plugging them into different sockets, having the
cables not touch each other - all to no use at all. I would appreciate any kind
of advice.

Thanks in advance,
Vera

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

"Vera Cruz" <veracruz@email.si> wrote in message
news:wEcYe.320$h6.109871@news.siol.net
> Hi, I'm new to the group - a problem that I can't solve
> myself brought me here.
>
> I've got a bedroom studio with an old analogue mixing
> console, a bunch of synths, and a PC (kinda old, too)
> that I use exclusively for final audio recording. My
> problem is truly unbearable digital noise. Whenever the
> computer and the mixer are both on, the mixer starts
> picking up insane amounts digital noise from the
> computer. Seriously, I can listen to my computer going
> about its business through my headphones on normal
> listening levels. CD-ROM drives revving up, hard disks
> spinning, the screen switching between resolutions or
> even going from all-white to all-black, you name it -
> even moving the mouse produces audible noise. I tried
> moving the computer (it used to sit right under the desk
> the console was placed on), plugging them into different
> sockets, having the cables not touch each other - all to
> no use at all. I would appreciate any kind of advice.

As a rule general-use PC's rely on audio interfaces built
into their motherboards. These are relatively low tech and
basically very cheaply made. The on-board audio interfaces
in older computers were as a rule worse than the ones in
newer computers, not that the on-board audio in newer
computers is always good enough for even non-critical work.

If you get a quality audio interface, it will be resistant
to these noise problems, whether its inside the computer or
out. Its not about where the interface is, but how it
interfaces with the rest of your computer.

The general solution for your problem would be a good audio
interface. The cheapest, easiest-to-implment replacement
audio interface that I can recommend is the Creative Labs
SoundBlaster USB MP3 which runs about $40 and can sometimes
even be found in Wal Mart stores. From that humble tool, on
up to the $900 or so LynxTwo, if you're lucky you get what
you pay for.

What's your budget? ;-)

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

"Vera Cruz" <veracruz@email.si> wrote in message
news:wEcYe.320$h6.109871@news.siol.net...

> Whenever the computer
> and the mixer are both on, the mixer starts picking up insane amounts
digital
> noise from the computer.

One thing to do is check the software volume control settings, to make sure
all the computer sound outputs you're not using are disabled, and the ones
you are using are at a sensible volume setting..

Tim

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

"Mike Rivers" <mrivers@d-and-d.com> wrote in message
news:1127307874.607742.223810@g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...

> It may be that it's just time to replace the computer or the mixer, but
> do some troubleshooting, first. Disconnect everything from the mixer
> except headphones or your monitor speakers. Disconnect its input from
> the computer, too. Listen for the noise. If you still hear it, either
> the mixer is just too susceptible to EMI or your computer is radiating
> too much EMI. You could try turning off the computer monitor. If that
> makes the noise go away, a new LCD monitor might solve your problem.
> Buy one from a local shop that will let you return it for a refund if
> it doesn't help.

I checked it out, and the noise has absolutely nothing to do with the mixer's
audio path - there was nothing plugged into the mixer's inputs, and the noise
was still there, as loud as before. If I turned off the screen, about a quarter
of the noise went away, but it seems that the computer is the real culprit.

I tried interconnecting the sound card and the mixer both ways, and it didn't
help, either, but when I unplugged the sound card's output from the amplifier,
which the card shares with the mixer, everything went quiet at once. What do you
make of this? Even though I had my "Source" turned to "Tuner", where the mixer
is connected, the amp was amplifying the noise coming from the soundcard, which
is connected to "Aux". Stranger still, only the digital noise gets amplified
when "Tuner" is selected - if I play an mp3 on the computer, for instance, I can
hear the hard disk spinning, but not the actual song playing. This is really
weird.

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

"Vera Cruz" <veracruz@email.si> wrote in message
news:VReYe.328$h6.110292@news.siol.net...
> "Ethan Winer" <ethanw at ethanwiner dot com> wrote in message
> news:4ZOdnfQxJoMg96zeRVn-tg@giganews.com...
>> Vera,
>>
>> > I can listen to my computer going about its business <
>>
>> Call up your sound card's software mixer and make sure all the extra
>> inputs
>> are muted or turned all the way down. This is a common problem, and is
>> usually solved by disabling the microphone and line inputs, digital
>> answering machine inputs, and so forth.
>>
>> --Ethan
>
> This didn't help at all, and the only channels I left on are "Master",
> "Wave/DS", and "Line In".
>

What I heard didn't sound like "digital noise". The two tracks sounded to
me like they were recorded with different mic placements, in either a
different room or a different place in the same room, and with slightly
different levels. Sounded like air-conditioner noise to me. Those things
go on and off, which could account for the intermittancy of the noise.

Steve King

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

Vera Cruz wrote:

> Hi, I'm new to the group - a problem that I can't solve myself brought me here.
>
> I've got a bedroom studio with an old analogue mixing console, a bunch of
> synths, and a PC (kinda old, too) that I use exclusively for final audio
> recording. My problem is truly unbearable digital noise. Whenever the computer
> and the mixer are both on, the mixer starts picking up insane amounts digital
> noise from the computer. Seriously, I can listen to my computer going about its
> business through my headphones on normal listening levels. CD-ROM drives revving
> up, hard disks spinning, the screen switching between resolutions or even going
> from all-white to all-black, you name it - even moving the mouse produces
> audible noise. I tried moving the computer (it used to sit right under the desk
> the console was placed on), plugging them into different sockets, having the
> cables not touch each other - all to no use at all. I would appreciate any kind
> of advice.
>
> Thanks in advance,
> Vera

Plug some headphones into the mixer and listen to it with everyting switched on but
with the mixer not connected to your audio card.

See if the noise only appears when the connection is then made both (a) listening to
the mixer (b) monitoring the sound card.

I'd be surprised in any mixer is actually picking up 'digital hash' directly.

Graham