extraneous computer noise coming thru monitors

  • Thread starter Thread starter anselm
  • Start date Start date
A

anselm

New member
Recently, I have had this horrible problem with a lot of noise from the computer coming out of my monitors. It sounds like the hardrive maybe? It has gotten really pronounced, and it is very annoying. I have a G5 2.0 with the 2408 mk3 and 424 card.

I don't think the noises are coming through the channels on my DM24 board, but somehow are making it to the amp. I haven't had the chance to try anything to fix it. I thought I would look for help first. I think if someone could tell the cause of this problem, perhaps i could remedy it.

thanks.
 
Update:

Well, I hypothesized the signals might be caused by a ground loop problem. I plugged an adapter into the socket that powers the mixer, interface, and amp. Voila! No more noise! So, if you have this problem, try breaking the loop with a simple little ground adapter.

thoughts?
 
you mean you lifted the ground with a two prong adapter?? that's actually kind of dangerous to do...especially if you plan on leaving it like that from now on. now none of your gear is grounded.

my first guess when reading this is maybe you weren't using all balanced cables/gear.
 
Well, I used to run into this problem with guitar amps, so that's where I got the idea, originally. If there is no loop to begin with, then you don't want to do this.
 
a ground lift on a guitar for a single day of recording, is one thing
removing ALL your gear from being grounded is another.

you need to find the source of the problem and fix that. if it IS a grounding issue for sure, then try placing all your equipment on a different circuit in your house. ideally, you want to put all your gear on it's own circuit anyway, and run it to it's own earth ground....but not all of us can do that.

are you running balanced cables to your monitors (or can you?)?
 
I've been having the same problem. I'm a newb and just purchased a pair of Wharfedale 8.2 powered monitors and I'm am hearing everything that goes thru my computer thru my monitors. I posted about it in the newbies area but nothing helped. I DO have my monitors hooked to my laptop with cheaper Y cables but shit. nothing should be this loud unless it is normal.
 
dmc777 said:
I've been having the same problem. I'm a newb and just purchased a pair of Wharfedale 8.2 powered monitors and I'm am hearing everything that goes thru my computer thru my monitors. I posted about it in the newbies area but nothing helped. I DO have my monitors hooked to my laptop with cheaper Y cables but shit. nothing should be this loud unless it is normal.
Click to expand...

are you just using your soundcard that came with your laptop?
if so, then your problem is probably both using a crappy soundcard with unbalanced connections
 
Yes, this should not be a permanent thing. I was thinking that there would still be grounding from the other source that was causing the loop, but I guess that is not the case.

But, now I know what the problem is, at any rate.
 
anselm said:
Recently, I have had this horrible problem with a lot of noise from the computer coming out of my monitors. It sounds like the hardrive maybe? It has gotten really pronounced, and it is very annoying. I have a G5 2.0 with the 2408 mk3 and 424 card.

I don't think the noises are coming through the channels on my DM24 board, but somehow are making it to the amp. I haven't had the chance to try anything to fix it. I thought I would look for help first. I think if someone could tell the cause of this problem, perhaps i could remedy it.
Click to expand...

Lovely. Same computer, different sound hardware, same problem. I'd been ignoring it for a year and a half, since it only shows up in the output, not on recordings, but I may try to find a way to ground the heck out of the system and see if I can make it go away.
 
Bennychico...

I got this reply on this subject on another forum. What do you think?

"I used to have this problem really badly on my old G4 tower (466MHz) using a Digi 001. It was EXACTLY as you describe, and the noise was so horrible that I literally did not enjoy working some days. I eventually sold the 001 (not for the noise reason) and got an Mbox for Pro Tools, and the noise went away completely.
I almost cried. The noise had been bothering me that much.

The noise you descibe is one of the potential noise problems people report with their G4/G5 and professional audio interface. I have heard of lots of folks simply using a cheap ground lifter plug like you did, and when it's the same problem like you had, that always solves the problem. I couldn't do this with my Digi 001 back in the day, because the 001 got all its power from the PCI bus, and evidently that's where my loop was coming from.

Anyways, I used to be a staff engineer at a larger commercial facility, and the studio designer had lifted the ground on a LOT of gear, and in my talks with the electrician, he saw no problem with this as a permanent solution to noise problems, as long as certain precautions were taken. Like, get a really good power strip to put in front of those lifts. That way, if there's a lightning strike or really bad surge, the strip goes out, not your computer/audio interface/etc."
 
http://www.epanorama.net/documents/groundloop/
"Improper grounding can create a lethal hazard. Correct grounding is essential for correct operation and safety of electrical equipments."

if I'm not mistaken ground loop problems will give you a 50-60Hz hum and not noises from the computer (which I think is resulting from electromagnetic interference)

"(EMI/RMI) is electromagnetic radiation which is emitted by electrical circuits carrying rapidly changing signals, as a by-product of their normal operation, and which causes unwanted signals (interference or noise) to be induced in other circuits.

The most important means of reducing RFI are: use of bypass or "decoupling" capacitors on each active device (connected across the power supply, as close to the device as possible), risetime control of high speed signals using series resistors and VCC filtering. Shielding is usually a last resort after other techniques have failed because of the added expense of RF gaskets and the like."


something as simple as a power conditioner might help alleviate your problem.
I'm still waiting for one of our electirical experts here to chime in and prove me wrong or agree.
;) :cool:
 
Last edited:
bennychico11 said:
http://www.epanorama.net/documents/groundloop/
"Improper grounding can create a lethal hazard. Correct grounding is essential for correct operation and safety of electrical equipments."

if I'm not mistaken ground loop problems will give you a 50-60Hz hum and not noises from the computer (which I think is resulting from electromagnetic interference)

"(EMI/RMI) is electromagnetic radiation which is emitted by electrical circuits carrying rapidly changing signals, as a by-product of their normal operation, and which causes unwanted signals (interference or noise) to be induced in other circuits.

The most important means of reducing RFI are: use of bypass or "decoupling" capacitors on each active device (connected across the power supply, as close to the device as possible), risetime control of high speed signals using series resistors and VCC filtering. Shielding is usually a last resort after other techniques have failed because of the added expense of RF gaskets and the like."



I'm still waiting for one of your electirical experts here to chime in and prove me wrong or agree.
;) :cool:
Click to expand...

So, basically, you think this guy is full of crap:)

I had read something about grounding issues and sound card/hard drive relationships, I wish I could cite it here. Clearly, that is the problem because the noise consistently goes away with the use of the adapter. I just hope to find the appropriate answer.

thanks.
 
oops....i didn't mean to write YOUR electrical experts.
i meant to write our...as in our electrical experts on this forum
sorry
lol :o

it's not that I think he's full of crap, i just think his issue was something else maybe or he's mistaken. i'm no electrician though...this is just my understanding on how ground loops and RMI/EMI works.



you might try a power conditioner as well to help fix it.
 
that happens to me, but only when my laptop's plug is in. if i'm using the battery, it's perfectly quiet.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top