Distorted sound/noises in mixer - Pulsar unworkable :(

[Avi E]

hi all,

i've been working with a 6dsp pulsar soundcard for almost 10 years. Recently, after acquiring a new computer, this soundcard started to distort after working OK at first i.e I an hear tracks/music projects but sounds terribly distorted. The mixer of Pulsar also shows these loud static sounds coming in when i attach the Pulsar 2 analogue source to the software mixer.

- i have removed and reinstalled the soundcard into its slot
- i have un and re-installed the software
- i tried the soundcard ina new PCI slot

No change. It happened once or twice that I got brief periods where this sound disappears and so does the distortion, and I can actually work and listen properly.

Is my soundcard gone or are there a few things that i can do to problem solve this issue?

Any help appreciated!
Avi

[ARCADIOS]

since as you discribe you can load a scope project and work through sfp routing window... it is possibly an analog connector problem. NOT necessarilly from scope ios...(rca or xlr... depends on which model you have)... check the whole chain from your source to scope inputs.... (for distroyed cables or plugs).... what about loading a scope synth or wave source?

try to move a little the analog connectors of the scope card and see if there is a cable proble3m somewere...
i believe that it is not a big problem...
your card may be fine for another 10 years



also try to remove the dust.. and clean the cable connector to scope cards....... remove the dust.....and see if that helps......
GUST GUESSING... did you remove the scope cables after 10 years and just reconnected them without cleaning??? if yes.. well this is suspect No1....

[garyb]

yeah, a bad cable whip or heat are the two things that come to mind.

[Avi E]

thanks guys:
arcadios, i tried playing around with the connections between the sources and mixer...when i connect the wave source 1 to the mixer, straight away i can see on the mixer and hear this static noize coming through, so i think it doesn't have anything to do with thhose connections? (Before it was connected in the same way and worked fine)...what do you mean by destroyed cables or plugs?

garyb, what do you mean a bad cable whip or heat? (The computer is well ventilated by the look of things)

[ARCADIOS]

static noise comes also out of wave source? do you hear the distortion even without audio playing?
destroyed cables...basically in contacts among rca and cable...... or sometimes near the rca plugs where the cable becomes weak through the years...

what is your new mobo?
do you have onboard audio?
do you listen clear sound through the onboard audio?

try to see if it works ok back to your old mobo...(i know it makes you tired... but you must see all possible issues)
and again.. make sure you have cleaned the cards pci contacts( there are basic methods described here in z..pure 100% alcohol is fine) and cable plug contacts....

[the19thbear]

I have the same problem - but with the adat ports though.. they are all gone on one of my cards - i only use it because it has my plugins registered to it, and then i have another for the actual ins/outs.

But, hey - as said before - check the cable whip - or if you can find another card, try changing the plate and see if it helps - then you only need to buy a new plate.
-that doesnt work for me though - the card itself is messed up somehow..

Good luck!

[garyb]

cable whip=the collection of cables connected to the d-sub connector. there could be a bad connection in the d-sub or cable mount ends.

heat=strange problems that happen after the computer has been on for a few, and also problems that come and go(possibly).

there are so many possible reasons for "noise", whatever in the hell that is...

it's either a physical problem with the card, or a bad clock source or computer setup issue, bad ground, bad power supply, but it's probably not a software problem, unless it's the os setup, which is not so likely.

[Avi E]

hey guys,

mobo - Gigabyte, G41MT-S2
doesn't seem to have online audio from what i see
Previously, had it working OK with this same mother board for a few days

see the pic attached - loud static noiz taking place when the Pulsar 2 Analogue Source us attached to the STM mixer.
Cable whip is not even attached so its unrelated to that

the pci contacts should be clean as its a new mobo, right? i also changed between pci slots and that didnt help.

additional thoughts?

[erminardi]

same for me this august: it was improvvise IRQ conflict with other PCI devices (and USB chipsets) and heat.
solved removing one PCI board and putting (case pimp!) a 20cm fan in front of scoper+UAD boards.

[garyb]

how can anything come from the analog source if the whip isn't attached?

[the19thbear]

Because the card is broken

[garyb]

really?
even more to the point, why even connect the analog source to anything without a cable whip? if the noise comes from the analog source, but there's nothing connected to the analog source, nor can there even be, because there's no whip, the obvious and easy solution is to remove the analog source, since there's nothing that it's useful for.

it's like the old joke-
"Doctor! i hurts when i do this!"[hits himself in the head]
"well, stop doing that."

[dante]

[the19thbear]

Does It distort when you connect the Adat ins/outs in scope? Or is it just the analog in?
It seems to me that the card is partially messed up - but it might be that one port only. Try the other ports as well..

[ARCADIOS]

try remember the state at the time you realized the problem. did you make any uncarefull moves in the pc box?
did you blow with air to remove dust over the cards? there might be some metalic material.. even at very small size on the board that makes short-circuit.
is there any audio feedback??
can you change the volume of the distortion in the mixer?

if the distortion is really unusual... try to take advantage of it.... use it as an effect ok joke. sorry