Hi!
i have problems with noise as well.
I get a sizzling noise when i move my mouse around. ( pulsar1 and 2 and powersampler)
I tried to use an external converter, but had the same noise issues on that! along with outboard gear!!
So i decided not to ground ANYTHING but the computer, and the noise disappeard from my outboard stuff and external converter. ( still is there on my soundcards)
Is it possible that my PSU in the computer is "polluting" the rest of the system.. i mean, is it possible that noise/current is "creaping" out from the PSU to the ground cable from the PSU and thus infecting everything else that is grounded, with the same noise??
I have a "real" earth connection, but as i have explained, if i ground the PC, then everything else sounds messy..
thanks alot!
PSU noise?
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the19thbear
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Re: PSU noise?
yes, that's very possible.
Re: PSU noise?
He asked me this question in a pm last week, and I directed him to go to the full forums for the best help (I do not consider myself a stand-in as 'best' here). To avoid redundancy, this is my original response:
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Yes that sounds like power supply or the motherboard & case are not making proper contact (some inexpensive system builders will try to assemble so quickly they don't mount the motherboard properly using all available screw mounting holes, and hence the screw points on the board that have metal for grounding wind up perhaps not being used enough.)
The only remedies would be to insure that everything in your case is as firmly attached as can be (remounting the motherboard can be a hassle, just check to make sure all available holes that are ringed by copper/silver metal color are used) and then to replace the PSU. I have had the best luck with PC Power & Cooling myself, but there are other models that are adequate as well that I'm sure could be recommended.
Use the thread to ask more so others can share in the benefit of the knowledge...
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Yes that sounds like power supply or the motherboard & case are not making proper contact (some inexpensive system builders will try to assemble so quickly they don't mount the motherboard properly using all available screw mounting holes, and hence the screw points on the board that have metal for grounding wind up perhaps not being used enough.)
The only remedies would be to insure that everything in your case is as firmly attached as can be (remounting the motherboard can be a hassle, just check to make sure all available holes that are ringed by copper/silver metal color are used) and then to replace the PSU. I have had the best luck with PC Power & Cooling myself, but there are other models that are adequate as well that I'm sure could be recommended.
Use the thread to ask more so others can share in the benefit of the knowledge...
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the19thbear
- Posts: 1499
- Joined: Thu Feb 20, 2003 4:00 pm
- Location: Denmark
- Contact:
Re: PSU noise?
But doestn the motherboard get ground from the plugs? ( would hate checking my motherboard, becuase i have to take out almost all of my stuff from inside the pc.. but if thats what it takes then ill do it 
)
thanks again everyone! keep em coming!
)thanks again everyone! keep em coming!
Re: PSU noise?
well, that reminded me... so I checked it on my system
the noise when interacting with the surface is present, but only faintly.
I recorded a short bass track, but left the instrument on it's stand in the corner, instead I moved the mouse and some windows with noticable buzzing in VDAT.
Rewind, channel volume full up, but nothing additional to the instrument's regular background noise.
Not even the most tiny hint - so it's entirely the analog output of the card that's polluted
Will try via optical out...
cheers, Tom
the noise when interacting with the surface is present, but only faintly.
I recorded a short bass track, but left the instrument on it's stand in the corner, instead I moved the mouse and some windows with noticable buzzing in VDAT.
Rewind, channel volume full up, but nothing additional to the instrument's regular background noise.
Not even the most tiny hint - so it's entirely the analog output of the card that's polluted
Will try via optical out...
cheers, Tom
Re: PSU noise?
You're right, I can hear it on the outputs of both of my cards when using a USB mouse when no project is even loaded. It seems to be firmly in the background noise, but present. I was under the impression was talking about considerably higher levels of noise though?
In my case though I had to do more than 48dB of gain to the temp file I recorded to hear the difference audibly. Normalizing to peak didn't reveal any real visual difference in the waveform between the 2 states (mouse moving and not), ie, difference in amplitude. Watching the peak/rms meter only showed 2-3dB of higher noise. It seems the frequencies the mouse created were not louder than the background noise, just weighted into a different portion of the spectrum.
I can also hear the HD-DVR that I have attached to the mixer right now as a very hf component to the noise, I know the sound because if I unmute that channel at anything close to nominal it's rediculously loud unless the unit is turned on (like -25dB). Then there's broadband noise of the mixer itself. Those are the only 2 components obvious when the mouse isn't moving...
I've attached a file recorded from my analog mixer's main outs. In testing the Scope Project w/ XLR out I recorded a temp file of: first 4 seconds moving the USB mouse attached, next 4 seconds no movement of mouse:
ScopeProjectXLR_plus_USB_Mouse.zip
In my case though I had to do more than 48dB of gain to the temp file I recorded to hear the difference audibly. Normalizing to peak didn't reveal any real visual difference in the waveform between the 2 states (mouse moving and not), ie, difference in amplitude. Watching the peak/rms meter only showed 2-3dB of higher noise. It seems the frequencies the mouse created were not louder than the background noise, just weighted into a different portion of the spectrum.
I can also hear the HD-DVR that I have attached to the mixer right now as a very hf component to the noise, I know the sound because if I unmute that channel at anything close to nominal it's rediculously loud unless the unit is turned on (like -25dB). Then there's broadband noise of the mixer itself. Those are the only 2 components obvious when the mouse isn't moving...
I've attached a file recorded from my analog mixer's main outs. In testing the Scope Project w/ XLR out I recorded a temp file of: first 4 seconds moving the USB mouse attached, next 4 seconds no movement of mouse:
ScopeProjectXLR_plus_USB_Mouse.zip