Jump to content


Please note: You can easily log in to MPN using your Facebook account!

Need Help Trouble-Shooting Computer Audio Problem


Recommended Posts

I have an audible whine coming from my new studio computer.

 

I decided to retire my older Win 7 studio computer, and build a new computer to run Win 10.

 

The new computer is built around an Intel i7 processor (i7 – 10700K), using an Asus Prime Z590-P mobo, 32 GB ram, a 480 GB SSD (Corsair Force MP510 M.2 – 2280) (system drive), and a 2TB Seagate Barracuda HDD (for storage). The peripherals installed on this computer include an Asus DVD drive, and a Star-Tech PCI 2-port firewire interface. There is no graphics card; the graphics are handled by the CPU

 

As with the older retired computer, the new computer plays thru my Mackie 1604 mixer with Firewire Card interface via firewire 400 (the Firewire Card does the AD/DA conversion).

 

After getting the new computer built and got the software installed (OS = Win 10), I connected it in my studio and discovered that there is an audible high-pitched whine coming thru the studio audio system.

 

1.  The whining sound is constant and high-pitched; you could say the “floor-noise” of the audio system now includes a high-pitched tone to it.

2.  I hear the whining sound anytime I am using one of three different audio software programs I have on my computer: Reaper, Cakewalk by BandLad, and Audacity. I do not hear the whining sound when the computer is on but not running Reaper, CwbBL, or Audacity.

3.  The volume of the whining sound is increased and decreased as I raise and lower the computer input pot on the Mackie. The volume of the whining sound does not change if I increase or decrease the volume controls in Reaper, CwbBL, or Audacity

4.  The whining sound is not present when connecting my older Win 7 studio computer to the audio system. From this I conclude that the whining sound originates in the newer Win 10 computer, and is not caused by the Mackie mixer or the Mackie Firewire Card audio converter

 

I need some help diagnosing and fixing the audible artifact.

 

What trouble-shooting steps should I take? On my to-do list is to borrow another audio interface (or bring the computer to another studio) to see if I hear the same artifact when playing thru a different AD/DA converter. While I am not hearing the whining sound when using my older Win 7 computer thru my studio audio system, it may be that the Win 10 OS is not playing nice with the Mackie Firewire Card drivers.

What else should I be doing to track this gremlin down?

 

Thanks for reading.

Link to comment
Share on other sites



  • Replies 6
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

I've had "proximity" problems, something doesn't like something else being too close by. 

 

One recent example is that the Mackie MR5 monitor that I use for mono playback will make all sorts of "itchy noise" if my cell phone is close by. If I put the phone farther away the noise goes away. 

 

Assuming you have long enough cables to allow repositioning that might be worth exploring. It's possible your older computer has components that are better shielded from EMI (electro-magnetic interference or "noise"). 

 

As always, check ALL of your cables. It's been my experience that cables and connectors cause many problems in general. 

Good luck and keep us posted!!!

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you KuruPrionz.

Today, I reconnected the old Win 7 computer to the studio hardware to compare "floor noise" between the older and newer computer.  Much of the cabling I used for both computers - the exception being the computer display (monitor) connections, because the newer computer uses HDMI instead of the VGA in the older computer.  Now that you mention it, the newer computer display has a lump-in-the-middle PS where the wall terminal is ungrounded (2 pins), while the older display uses an IEC 3-pin power cable.  So perhaps the noise I am hearing has to do with the computer display.

 

And yes, I can confirm again the floor noise of the older computer is much less than the newer one.

 

To test out this possibility, I will need to find a grounded HDMI capable computer display.  Maybe this is what happens when I buy the inexpensive computer display from Best Buy.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Is your current HDMI cable long enough to move the monitor away from everything else? Maybe on a chair or something?

Even better if you can run a grounded extension box so the line lump is far away from everything too. 

 

If the noise changes or goes away then you know what to work on, at least for part of the solution. If not, then you can focus on other aspects. 

Sometimes de-noising can take a few experiments. 

 

Another common one I've dealt with often is that some guitars hum if they get too close to the recording system and some of those will stop humming if you spin slowly 360 degrees and find the sweet spot. Weird. 

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

There was an issue with one series of Power Macs where the graphics card would cause noise on audio interfaces. 
 

I’ve seen something similar on the odd Windows machine. Running on integrated rather than discrete graphics?

"The Angels of Libra are in the European vanguard of the [retro soul] movement" (Bill Buckley, Soul and Jazz and Funk)

The Drawbars | off jazz organ trio

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes - both the older Win 7 and the newer Win 10 computer have no graphics card installed: both use CPU-integrated graphics processing.

 

(I have not been doing video work, so I don't perceive a need for an expensive graphics card.  I haven't noticed any display problems with either of these computers.)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Do you use exactly the same Startech 2-port Firewire card in the Win7 and Win10 computers to "connect to youraudio system"?

Or, are you using different Firewire connections in both of the machines?

 

I guess, your issue is bad luck.

The FiWi card picks up HF or such from other components in it´s neighborhood.

 

A.C.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...