ESI MAYA44eX popping sounds

[nrich]

Just bought an ESI MAYA44eX interface and I'm using it with Windows 10. It looks like everything is working just fine, except that there are these popping sounds when a sound starts and ends. E.g. when I watch a video on YouTube, there is small pop when I press play and again when I hit stop. Also alot of popping when I play games. When I use Cubase I don't notice anything. Spent some time around on Google, but none of the suggestions worked.

Anyone experienced something simular? Can I use a different driver that works well with other Windows application other than Cubase? I use the driver they have on their website at the moment. People been saying their drivers are not really good...

 

[FanOfHandel]

Hi, yes! I just installed it and am getting the same thing! I have tried plugging in all my devices in different wall sockets, tried slotting it into other PCI / PCIe slots, tried updating driver but couldn't update the latest driver for some reason (which may solve this issue), uninstalled all other audio drivers, used headphones as well as speakers. Nothing. Also, my electric desk (goes up and down) makes a click sound through the speaker when making the desk go upwards (but no click going downwards) and this only happens when the speakers are connected to the sound card.
I was about to send back to the shop, but then I wondered whether it could be just a driver issue. It works great but is totally unusable for me as a composer, it drives me crazy and I can't be listening to 'snap/pop' each time audio starts and stops.
I've contacted ESI but haven't received a reply.

Please let me know if you found the solution.
Thanks

 

[ecc83]

"only happens when the speakers are connected to the sound card."

That ^ tells me you almost certainly have a ground loop problem. Th classic fix is a twin transformer isolator box such as the Art Cleanbox 2 but that is a bit of an extra expense.

First of all, are you using balanced cables from the ESI* card to the speakers? If not do so and that might stop the problem. If balanced line does not fix it you can try the old dodge of removing the screen connection at one end of each cable. Quite easy with XLR as you can just snip the pin one wire. If TRS jack you will probably have to remake the ends taking care to insulate the braid.

COULD be a driver/pc glitching issue but I doubt that. Try setting the buffer to a high value, 1024 samples say. If that does fix it you would then need to find out why because the main advantage of PCIe cards is their low latency!

*Ran an ESI 1010e for several years and the drivers were fine. That m'track AI is now gathering dust. Works fine I just no longer have need of it. Free to any passing stranger in UK!

AV Link Ground Loop Isolator: Amazon.co.uk: Hi-Fi & Speakers

That ^ works fine as an isolator. Not super quality I grant you but will prove the problem then you can decide whether to go for the Art or special cables.

Dave.

 

[motherrussia]

Hi, yes! I just installed it and am getting the same thing! I have tried plugging in all my devices in different wall sockets, tried slotting it into other PCI / PCIe slots, tried updating driver but couldn't update the latest driver for some reason (which may solve this issue), uninstalled all other audio drivers, used headphones as well as speakers. Nothing. Also, my electric desk (goes up and down) makes a click sound through the speaker when making the desk go upwards (but no click going downwards) and this only happens when the speakers are connected to the sound card.
I was about to send back to the shop, but then I wondered whether it could be just a driver issue. It works great but is totally unusable for me as a composer, it drives me crazy and I can't be listening to 'snap/pop' each time audio starts and stops.
I've contacted ESI but haven't received a reply.

Please let me know if you found the solution.
Thanks

hi. specialy reg here. sorry for my english.

i have esi maya 44ex, and one to one situation as you have. We hear these sounds, because the sound card enables and disables the audio path when there is no data to output. I thought that it would be nice to play "silence" with some resident program and then the sound card would not turn off. But then I found this chekbox in Windows, see the screenshot.

And now the sound card transmits silence from the input to our output and does not turn off. There should be no clicks. There will be some background noise, but it is better than clicks.