Possible M-Audio Delta 1010 Buzing issue...

Spikeh

Spikeh

New member
Set up:

* Dual M-Audio Delta 1010's
* Soundtracks MIDI PC24 Desk
* Alesis MK2 Monitors plugged directly in to my first M-Audio Delta 1010
* 3.0Ghz Pentium IV Prescot (NOT Duel Core) with 1GB RAM, 300GB HDD, DVDRAM Drive, Asus x800 Graphics Card with 2 monitors.

Issue:
About 6 months ago I started to hear a rather lage buzz when I booted my PC up coming from my monitors. It faded away by the time the PC had booted in to windows.

It's been getting gradually worse, and it got to a point where it buzzed VERY loudly for an hour or more after I booted up, then went away. Now it's buzzing loudly for an hour or more, then getting quieter and sometimes dissapearing entirely - but ALWAYS comes back with force at some point.

Troubleshooting:
I initially thought it was my graphics card fan interfering with the sound cards, so replaced that - to no avail. Then I replaced the PSU as that was making a racket too... wasn't that either.

I eventually got the stomach (I hate having to get dirty with my PC these days, I just can't be bothered with them :P) to open up my PC and diagnose the problem - removed everything but the power supply, and even unhooked the Motherboard from the case to avoid the doubt that there may be a shorting issue somewhere. The buzz was still there.

However - the buzz only happens when the PCI cards for the Delta 1010's are plugged in to my PC - bearing in mind that the Delta 1010s are powered seperately and the monitors are plugged directly in to the outputs on the soundcard. Which suggests to me that it's nothing to do with the sound card and is in fact my motherboard / CPU? I refuse to believe that a second PSU could create the same issues?

I tried just having one sound card running, I tried swapping the PCI cards over, tried plugging the monitors in to all the different inputs on the sound card, and even tried the second sound card on its own. The buzz was STILL there.

Another thing worth mentioning is that the noise happens straight from POST - so it would more likely be a hardware problem than a software / driver issue.

When my CPU gets a little more active, the buzzing seems to get worse... though it's intermittant.


Does anyone have any suggestions / experience with similar problems? I'm going to try to put the soundcards in another PC on Thursday to see if I can rule them out, but I'm utterly stumped.
 
your plan of attack seems sound to me, and i agree with your assessment of "it's hardware". try those PCI cards in another computer and see if they generate the same buzzing. if they do, it's the cards. if they don't, it's probably the motherboard.

good luck!

cheers,
wade
 
Do both cards have this problem on the output, or just the one that it's plugged into currently?

If it is both cards, you might have a bad cap on the motherboard causing leakage into the power or ground rail, into the card, through the cable, and into the interface. That said, my bet would have been the power supply. I'm a little surprised that wasn't the problem.

I assume your outlets are all well grounded?
 
Sorry I've not replied before now, I posted this yesterday but the boards said "Server is busy" so I didn't think it worked!

To answer your questions:-

* I have tried every configuration possible with the PCI cards:-
- Rack mount unit 1 used with PCI card 1
- Rack mount unit 1 used with PCI card 2
- Rack mount unit 2 used with PCI card 1
- Rack mount unit 2 used with PCI card 2
* Also tried all the above configurations with the monitors plugged into the various outputs on the soundcards - well, whichever was primary at the time.
* I don't recall a buzz when I plugged the monitors in to the secondary soundcard (whichever one it was), but I'll try that tonight and let you know.
* I've recently (in the last two years) had my house re-wired with an individual ring main on my studio room and an RDC - there shouldn't be any earthing issues, and I don't have any issues with any other electrical equipment.
* Both monitors are plugged into seperate power outlets on the back wall - I couldn't tell you if the two sockets are wired together or not though...
* The PC / Soundcards are all plugged into a surge protected multi-plug that goes into the second socket on the outlet that my left monitor uses.

I really don't think it's a power issue in the house - though I will try unplugging a few things and moving power around the house, it's worth a try at least!

Remember that the noise stops as soon as I unplug the serial cable from the PCI card or the rack mount unit... if it was the rack mounts, I would expect the noise to stay there. Though I suppose it could be BOTH the PCI cards? but isn't that a bit suss?

How could this issue gradually get worse over 6 months though, and the noise come and go?
 
I think the problem will most probably be in some power supply capacitor on the motherboard. So try them in another computer or borrow a motherboard.
 
This doesn't happen on my other sound card btw... I run an SB Audigy Player for my windows apps too... no buzz on that :(
 
I have a Delta 1010 that developed the same problem. I found that the unit has a capacitor problem, and many older units blow them. I opened mine up and could visually see a blown leaky cap (at least that what I think it is, I'm not an electrical engineer or anything). Anyway, the Delta units apparantly have lifetime waranties, so you can contact M-audio for a replacement (I think) I was about to go down this road but I ended up bying a new mac w/ pcie and bought an Audiofire 12.
 
OK, tried it in a mates PC just now... still buzzing :(

Gonna write off to M-Audio, but the cards were made in 1999, so I very doubt they'll be under any kind of warranty and can't find anything about a lifetime warranty on their site :| I'll let you all know...
 
The capacitor problem is common with the Delta 1010. You need to send it to M-Audio.

When you bought yours (1999), the Delta 1010s came with a lifetime warranty. Find your original proof of purchase info. M-Audio is good about fixing this problem under warranty (I've had to have them do it twice. :( )
 
Same experience here, when I e-mailed M-Audio they were the ones to mention the lifetime warranty on my old unit.
 
Well, I emailed them yesterday and got the number for the UK tech support, rang them up and they informed me there was a lifetime warranty on old Delta 1010s, but I don't have my receipts so no luck :(

I'll have a go fixing them myself - if I can get hold of the capacitors.

Oh, worth mentioning that M-Audio said this was an overheating issue... because I had both my sound cards racked together, so no air could get in to the air vents at the top of the sound card. Makes sense I suppose, but still... bad design if you ask me :(
 
lomky said:
I'l tell you that I had my 1010 racked with lots of extra space, so I think their excuse is bunk.
Click to expand...

Not entirely. Caps are more likely to fail in high temperatures. They are rated for a certain voltage at a certain temperature, etc. Up the temperature and all the numbers change....

That said, caps should have high enough tolerance that this isn't a problem. If they don't, it's a design flaw.
 
dgatwood said:
Not entirely. Caps are more likely to fail in high temperatures. They are rated for a certain voltage at a certain temperature, etc. Up the temperature and all the numbers change....

That said, caps should have high enough tolerance that this isn't a problem. If they don't, it's a design flaw.
Click to expand...


give me the equipment with those new 'metal can' capacitors in them......speshoooool.
 
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