Please find the weak link causing awful NOISE in my setup

[menych]

Hi,
If I turn the volume all the way up on my mixer (without anything playing) I am getting an awful noise. I am trying to locate the source of the problem.

I get the noise BOTH from the speakers and the headphones connected to the mixer. Which makes me think that the problem is in or is PRE-mixer.

So. Here is the setup.

1. Plain electric outlet. No stabilizers, no filters, no nothing.

2. MacPro Intel 8core running Logic8.

3. RME HDSPe

4. Multiface I

5. Cheapest 3-foot audio cables

6. Mackie BigKnob



What do you think may generate the noise? It is not simply a hissing noise or hum. It is more like the sound of an AM radio while you are searching for a station.

Can bad cables REALLY generate so much noise?

Or do I have a defective device?


T H A N K
Y O U

[Snatchman]

Hello. Probably should unplug everything out of the mixer. Leave your speakers hooked up. Do you hear the noise thru the speakers and heaphones? If not, plug your gear in one at a time until you hear the noise. That'll probably be the culprit..Also, take a look at your gian structure also.. Good luck..

[menych]

There is really nothing much in the mixer or the RME...

RME:
There is only ONE Input - which is preamp (turned off) connected to a mic (also turned off). Nothing changes when I plug or unplug this input.

Only two outputs - going to mackie (that is my mix)

I tried listening to RME's phones output with my phones - looks like everything is dead quiet there...

MIXER:
If I remove cables going from RME to Mixer - there is silence again.

Put them back in - noise.


RME/Cables/Mixer?

[Batchainpuller78]

I'm guessing It's computernoise?
That RME thing is PCI card right?
put your volume up again until you hear the awful noise.
move the mouse or open an application does the noise change?

[menych]

It is PCIe
And yes, you are right, when I move the mouse, the noise gets worse

[Batchainpuller78]

Yes, I thought so...
as for curing that, I have no Idea and can't help you with that.

Although at the level that you are hearing that noise, you probably won't be playing recorded music?
Play something that is recorded at good levels.
does the noise still bother you there? is it there in quiet passages?
I have that noise as well, but usually in playback it's gone.
only when the computer is waiting for instructions or is calculating something else that It's there. but when it plays back the audioprogram the almost modem-ish sounds are gone.

I like tape-hiss more :D

[mickrich]

I had this problem with my (unbalanced) home rig.
The simple cure was to put an isolation box between my outputs and monitors.
I use the art one and it works fine.
ART DTI Dual Channel Isolation Box

[Mixbuster]

Originally Posted by menych

Hi,
If I turn the volume all the way up on my mixer (without anything playing) I am getting an awful noise. I am trying to locate the source of the problem.

I get the noise BOTH from the speakers and the headphones connected to the mixer. Which makes me think that the problem is in or is PRE-mixer.

So. Here is the setup.

1. Plain electric outlet. No stabilizers, no filters, no nothing.

2. MacPro Intel 8core running Logic8.

3. RME HDSPe

4. Multiface I

5. Cheapest 3-foot audio cables

6. Mackie BigKnob



What do you think may generate the noise? It is not simply a hissing noise or hum. It is more like the sound of an AM radio while you are searching for a station.

Can bad cables REALLY generate so much noise?

Or do I have a defective device?


T H A N K
Y O U

Does your audio cables run through/over you power cables?
Does your audio cables run nearby your computer?
Are your audio cables balanced?

Can bad cables REALLY generate so much noise?

well, before I upgraded my cables I had the same problem

Mixbuster.

[menych]

Originally Posted by Mixbuster

Does your audio cables run through/over you power cables?

No

Does your audio cables run nearby your computer?

Yes. They actually go right behind the monitor and about 3 feet away from the computer.

Are your audio cables balanced?

Actually, I have no idea what this means...
These are a pair of standard 1/4 mono jacks coming from 2 outputs on RME into 2 inputs in bigknob.

well, before I upgraded my cables I had the same problem

Upgraded to what?

[Koed]

You need to buy some balanced jack cables.

The RME is balanced as far as I know, so is the Big Nob.

Balanced jacks look like stereo jacks and you can buy balanced jack cables just about everywhere.

Check here for the definition of balanced audio.


In short: the extra connection is used to send an inversed signal on the cable, which is then used to cancel out any noise picked up on the way.

[Mixbuster]

Originally Posted by Koed

You need to buy some balanced jack cables.

Balanced jacks look like stereo jacks and you can buy balanced jack cables just about everywhere.

Balanced cables: if you look at the jack plug, there should be 2 black(normal) rings going around.

You asked what I upgraded to, I thought I had balanced cables, but I didn't. The manifacture had sent me wrong

Mixbuster

[Mixbuster]

Yes. They actually go right behind the monitor and about 3 feet away from the computer.

If they're three feet away, I don't think that should be a problemo thumbsup