Noise when moving the mouse

[sherlock]

Hi all,

I know this is a classic, but earlier recommendations could not solve my problem. When I move my mouse pointer I can hear noise through my scope analog outputs. I've done all updates like suggested in an earlier post. I also checked the IRQ settings: graphic card is using another IRQ than my three scope cards (each one has its own IRQ).

Is this problem limited to the analog outputs? We used the cards in our studio before with several ADAT connections to our digital mixer and I can't remember any noise.

Any idea what to do? Does switching off ACPI support under windows 7 really have any effect?

Thanks in advance ...

[astroman]

you might want to check if the noise even makes it on the track...
you CAN have it on the outputs, but NOT on the analog ins (or significantly less) and even less likely on a 'direct' synth track.

Adat (or optical connection) points into the right direction: it's usually a ground issue.
Interrupts are of course the 'source' and they can indeed have a significant influence, but what you're hearing is 98% ground related.
btw it's not easy to test, as heavy mouse movements WILL of course generate a lot of interrupts that may disturb your test record then... for a completely different reason

cheers, Tom

[sherlock]

thanks for your reply.

I made several recordings and exported them to another computer. it seems that there is no noise at the analog input ports (but with no device/instrument connected). is there anything I can do to reduce the noise? is this an issue concerning my specific computer components?

[the19thbear]

http://forums.planetz.com/viewtopic.php ... lit=+Noise

[sherlock]

Thanks for the link. I checked everything but the noise remains. Even if no screen is connected. Perhaps I should buy a new video card, but this is some kind of lottery, isn't it? How can I be sure that a new setup will actually work?

[garyb]

well, you have no promise that that's the fix.

normally, this is not a problem, so it's tied to a peice of your hardware. analog i/os do not usually have a high level of noise.

[the19thbear]

Did you do ALL this?:First: find another screen to test with. Some older screens radiate noise into the soundcard.

If that doesn't work:
One solution would be to make sure that NONE of your audio thingies, and I mean NONE share ground with your computer. or make sure that they ALL share the same ground as the computer.
It's kind of a time consuming thing to do, but:
I imagine you have many different audio gizmos plugged in to various different power sockets in your wall.. Right?
Not all Sockets have the same ground and that can cause problems.

Start out by ONLY turning on the computer and the headphone amp and leave all other things unplugged from any socket in the wall. ALL. Connect your scope cards outputs directly to your headphone amp. Is there any noise? If there is, Connect the computer or headphone amp to another power outlet in the wall. Try until it works. Then one by one, connect your other stuff untill you hear the noise again. When you find the culprit, cut the ground on the audio cable on that device and somehow connect it with the ground on your computer/headphone amp.. Or just leave it unconnected, but make sure you put duct tape on the end of the cable..This has helped me many times.

[sherlock]

The noise does not disappear in any case. Even if I unplug the screen (power and vga) and nothing else is connected to the computer/socket. I also tried to put the power supply of the headphone amp to another socket, but I'm not sure if its the same circuit.

Workaround: I use a digital mixer and the ADAT ins/outs.