Am I maybe getting less than 48v?

[hughjass]

I recently bought a Studio Projects B1 condenser mic, a M-audio fasttrack w/usb, and am running it into my Asus Essentio Dual Core 2.6Ghz, 6 Gigs RAM, USB 2.0 and am using ProToos Essentials. Main problem is crackling/popping when I play/record tracks. Its like quiet static electricity. I'm not clipping. My clip indicator on the fasttrack reads good and the clip monitor in Protools reads good too. I get it even if my master level is peaking at like -5db.
I am also getting odd messages (didn't write them down) from both ProTools and Windows concerning what appears to be power issues. The messages are more frequent when my monitoring level on my headphones (from the fasttrack) is turned up and the music is loud.
I'm wondering if maybe my computer is having problems supplying both the full 48v phantom power and the power to the fasttrack. Has anyone heard of similar issues before? I know some interfaces/mixers have been accussed of not being able to supply a full 48v, or maybe its my computers power supply.
Any advice/help would be greatly appreciated. I don't wan't to do any serious recording with my new toys until I figure out what is going on.

 

[mshilarious]

Computers don't supply 48V, they supply 5V which your interface converts to 48V. Phantom power and headphones combined can be very expensive in terms of power. The maximum draw allowed on a USB rail is 2.5W; depending on how the power supply in your interface is done I could see it taking 2W.

If this is the case, it's a motherboard/PSU issue--check to see if the motherboard can support high-power USB (500mA) from all of its connectors, or if maybe some of them are low-power (100mA) and some are high-power. Make sure you are connected to a high-power port. Also, check to make sure all of the proper connectors from the PSU go to the motherboard--some motherboards have an extra power connector for front-side USB.

 

[Dogbreath]

I'm just here cuz I thought your username was funny.

 

[moresound]

I'm just here cuz I thought your username was funny.

Ya caught my eye too ////Dam no picture!!! I mean how hugh could it be ?

 

[mshilarious]

Ya caught my eye too ////Dam no picture!!! I mean how hugh could it be ?

 

[hughjass]

Glad everyone liked my name. Update: the crackling is not being recorded and appears to be totally random and is definately annoying. I'll playback something that I recorded while I heard crackling later on and its clean as a whistle. Then I'll listen to something I recorded clean a minute later and its crackling. So its in my playback chain and not my recording chain. (Small sigh of releif). I'm just wondering if its in the fasttrack and I have some warranty issues I have to deal with. I've looked at everything from cord placements to electrical appliances running in the house and can't find a relation to the timing of the crackling. I don't have anything else open on my computer either. I'm stumped and frustated. Any ideas?

Btw, I feel like a short busser cuz I can't figure out how to add an original Avatar.

 

[mshilarious]

Have a problem with sample rate or clock source?