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Studio work.. computer probs

C

charic

Apr 17, 2006
454
0
Cambridge
#1
Ive just got some new monitors for editing on :D
Theyre the yamaha HS50M's and they sound amazing (to my ears atleast)
However when i hooked them up to my computer i discovered a VERY horrible background noise coming from the computer. Its electronic noise from the laptop itself for definate. When i move the mouse for example I hear a grinding noise through my monitors. :crying:

I know its not a ground loop as ive discussed this in shop. Plus it still happens if the laptop is unplugged.

Does anyone have any ideas on how I can get rid of this? Through computer tweaking preferably... or can you suggest a site where I could read up on this?

Please help! :help:
 
#3
yeah theres an internal mic but im using an external mouse and ive turned off the internal mic.

After reading a few things on this subject i just opened up my laptop. Seems to have made things slightly worse to be honest. But I had found a loose screw in my laptop. I need to get a rubber washer to insulate that in order to put back as it were i expect.

I wanted to remove more of the case but theres a circle where a screw could of been but it is rubber. Does anyone know how to move this?

I want to check to see if all of the screws are uninsulated.

Rik
 
#4
I have this same problem with my laptop. I want to use it to play softsynths/keys live, but the background noise is a bit much. I get little clicks and bussing sounds through the line out. They get worse when I use the mouse. I keep the mic input mute on, so I don't think that's it. I'm guessing it is just electrical noise (maybe RFI??) that gets rectified and amplified by the cheap sound card in the laptop.

I'd love to know if others have experience with this and how to deal with it.
 
#6
I'm guessing you are giving signal to the monitors via a 1/8" jack plugged directly into the laptop. Am I right?

The insides of computers are super duper fantastical noisy. Laptops are generally the worst by far, though there are caveats to that. What this means is that after your laptop converts the audio from digital to analog, it sends it on its way to that 1/8" jack. While in transit, your outgoing audio signal is getting corrupted by the hard drive moving and the video chip doing things and so on.

There's not a free way to fix this, really. Most people do it by moving the digital to analog conversion outside of the machine and away from all of that EMI inside of the computer case. There are a variety of USB and Firewire based units to do this and some manufacturers are starting to involve S/PDIF or ADAT digital audio output jacks in the designs now.

I had a Powerbook for a while, which was a great machine but not nearly as quiet as my Thinkpad was. I have a Total Bithead that I use whenever I'm not at home, and when I got it I velcro'd it to the lid of the Powerbook. When I fired it up the first time, I was rather surprised that I could still hear digifacts from the EMI in the case, even through that aluminum skin. Pulling it off of the back of the screen fixed it.
 
#9
charic said:
Nope, im using an external interface. Im using the edirol ua-3fx not great but the best i can realistically afford atm.
Click to expand...
Try moving it farther away from the computer, ideally more than a foot or two away.


remo said:
try a ball mouse instead of a laser?
check if your mouse an audio interface are on the same IRQ (try changing them if you can)
Click to expand...
Neither of these have anything to do with the issue.
 
#10
charic said:
out of interest what laptop are you using? This is the EXACT same problem as i have.

Mines an EI system laptop.
Click to expand...

I'm using a Dell Latitude D610. It's nothing fancy, but it works. It's technically not mine. My work leases it for me to use, but I loaded it with Cubase and VSTi's and use it at home too.
 
#11
how far are the speakers from the laptop? The HS50s are unshielded monitors. I wonder if it's possible for them to pickup some RFI from nearby emitters in their electronics before the power amp.

That sound you hear when you move the mouse almost certainly interference from the processor itself or electricity on the memory bus. I've heard exactly the sound you describe in headphones plugged directly into the computer motherboard, but never via RFI in nearby unshielded speakers... However, I wouldn't rule it out, especially since the test is so easy. Just try moving the speakers farther away from the laptop and see if it helps. Also, check that the cables from the external interface are of good quality (well shielded) and also run a path that gives the laptop a wide berth.

Let me know if that helps. I am looking to get a decent set of nearfields soon and was considering the HS50s, but since I have CRTs around where I'll be putting them, I decided that unshielded monitors was too much of a risk. I didn't even consider the computer itself though (other than the obvious magnetic risk of having the monitors too close to the RAM/HDD).
 
#12
HS Series cabinets look as great as they sound. Enclosures are constructed of high-quality MDF material and a multiple layer finish that minimizes resonance. Design elements include a black finish and lighted Yamaha tuning fork logo. White polypropylene woofer cones recall the look of the classic Yamaha NS10M, and include low-damping rubber surrounds and full magnetic shielding
Click to expand...

they are supposed to be shielded, but what your describing sounds like they are not. if you can take them a part i'd take a look inside. could be an internal amp issue also.
 
#13
lillitnn92 said:
they are supposed to be shielded, but what your describing sounds like they are not. if you can take them a part i'd take a look inside. could be an internal amp issue also.
Click to expand...

Huh, looks like you're right, I must have missed that when I was doing my research... I still stand by what I say concerning the cable leads though.
 
#14
Ive tried using a multitude of different cables and it doesnt seemed to of helped any. Also this sound is definately coming through the USB so its possible it could be because of the IRQ sharing from what ive heard. However Ive found out that it COULD be a problem INSIDE the laptop.. Hence taking it apart.

Its something to do with the computer for definate instead of the cables or speakers. This i know for definate as i have kept them in the same place with cables running the same but just sitting a cd player in the exact same spot.

Rik
 
#17
TL5 said:
I have this problem routinely at work.
Just for grins, try unplugging the power supply to the laptop and run it on the battery.
Click to expand...


I did this and also disconnected the mouse and found that it did reduce the noise. :hyper:

It didn't eliminate the noise, but lowered it enough that I now feel comfortable enough to try using softsynths/synthbasses live through my laptop. I also turn off the tweeter on my cab, that helps. I'm running straight from the earphone 1/8" jack into my amp/cab (GK1001RB-II/Schroeder 1212R).
 

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