Behringer UMC22 recording noise/electronic buzzing

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Hello all.

Im rather new to the technical side of amplifiers and audio as a whole so i was hoping i could get some help with a few things.

firstly my equipment is as follows

DAC: Behringer UMC22

Amplifier: NUX y30se

Guitar: Aria AK30CETN (ive also tried with my epiphone les paul)


Onto my problems:

when trying to record using Audacity/Cakewalk there is loud white noise/interference (file attached)

It is most pronounced when first running my guitar through my amp and then into the UMC22 however it is also present when i plug my guitar directly into the 1/4" jack input or when i plug my shure SM58 into the xlr input.

The guitar amp is plugged into a different wall outlet than the pc by the way.

As I said, im a total noob when it comes to this kind of stuff and in doing my own research there seems to be many possibilities for what is causing this so im open to try any ideas.

Secondly i would like to use the audio interface to run both my shure sm58 and my guitar into my amp for playing and singing. I am aware that it's better to use proper speakers for singing but I don't currently have any nor can I afford them. I would simply like to know if this is possible, I have tried plugging both my guitar and my mic into the DAC and then taking the output into both the regular and the aux inputs of my amp but nothing seems to work.



sorry for asking so many noob questions (i know i sound like a total idiot) but i am quite inexperienced with all of this and could really use a hand.
 

Attachments

  • noise.mp3
    220.4 KB · Views: 60
What is plugged in to the UMC22, what is it plugged into (computer - AC or battery operated) and what is plugged into the wall? Lighting? Other equipment?

There's clearly some interference in the recorded signal, so finding the source of that, assuming it's not in the DAC itself, would help.

Maybe start your test with just the UMC22 with nothing plugged in, unless that's what you have posted. Change the USB cable if possible to rule out that as a fault. Then add a mic, unplug the mic and plug in the guitar (no amp), etc. Try to reduce it to the minimum equipment. Etc.

Screen Shot 2020-12-18 at 7.36.45 AM.png
 
Having done some additional testing here is what i have discovered:

The interference seems to be originating from my pc, however when it is freshly started and the components are cool there is none.

I believe this to either be the fault of the fans spinning up and creating additional electromagnetic interference or the components themselves. Either way i can run the equipment for about an hour (regardless of what is plugged in, amp, mic, guitar, etc) before the computers fans need to come on to cool it after which point the interference starts.

Do you know of any way i might be able to isolate the UMC22 from the pc while still sending the audio signal to it? Is this even possible?
 
RMAnny is rather easier for my old eyes! Now that looks very much likel the spectrum you get of those cheap ass converters you get in budget mixers! They centre the 'hash' bang on 1kHz and make a general mess everywhere.

However, OP says it is temperature related? That in itself seem a bit sus'? A (desktop?) JUST running two tracks for an AI should not get hot. I would use a program likwe "Speccy" to investigate what is getting hotter. Maybe a dust buildup?

With regards to a "USB isolator"? Yes, there are such things but IIRC they cost more than the UMC and I have no knowledge of anyone using them or any reports of their efficacy. And, BTWyou want EVERYTHING to be powered from the same outlet even if that means daisy chaining a couple of socket strips.

Dave.
 

Attachments

  • spectrum noise um.png
    spectrum noise um.png
    105.2 KB · Views: 12
I don't have a clue as to how a motherboard controls the fan speed, but I would wonder if it is modulating a constant voltage, rather than raising or lowering the voltage. If so, you might check in the BIOS to see if the fan speed can be "disabled" so that it is on constantly. If the fan control is generating noise, that might make a difference.

The only other thing I might consider is checking for any bad filter capacitors in the computer. I remember when some bad capacitors hit the market a few years back. You could ID them quickly as they would start to bulge on top. My brother had to replace a bunch on some of his motherboards, I had to recap my Panasonic DVD recorder's power supply. At first it would occasionally act strange, then it completely glitched. Looking inside, 5 capacitors were bulging. They weren't hard to replace if you have the right tools.
 
IF the headphone jack is outputing sound, then all the USB cable and port swaps won't change a thing. It has to be the cabling from interface to monitor that is the problem.
 
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