PC sound noise!

[abt]

I've had to change my setup and now the noise from my PC sound card is really loud. It's that horrible high pitched digital noise that gets louder when the machine does things.

My current setup is very basic, PC sounds card cable goes into spare inputs on my interface. I was thinking of switching to a sound card with digital out, SPDIF or optical, and getting a new monitor controller that has a digital input, and connecting directly to that. Do you think this digital signal path stop this type of noise?

[Led]

If you have an interface why use the pc soundcard at all? The interface should replace your soundcard, onboard soundcards are notorious for picking up noise from drives etc

[abt]

It’s a HD Native card, so no windows direct sound driver. I forgot that other Avid interfaces don’t have this problem!

[Darryl Ramm]

Originally Posted by abt

It’s a HD Native card, so no windows direct sound driver. I forgot that other Avid interfaces don’t have this problem!

your profile says you have a 003. what is your actual interface?

what troubleshooting have you done? is the noise clearly present in the PC audio independent of the Avid interface it is going into... do you hear it if you directly connect monitors or headphones to that output, disconnect all your other stuff. Is everything properly grounded? try moving displays, monitors/speakers away from the computer, removing unneeded peripherals etc.

swapping the sound card to one with digital out might help or might not (I would try to use S/PDIF over TOSLINK if you have a spare TOSLINK input). I would just try it out if you have run out of other options.

[albee1952]

For many years, I have used the digital(optical) SPDIF from the on-board sound card for all audio outside of Pro Tools. I monitor/source switcher makes this easy(Presonus Monitor Station, Audient Nero, etc). Last year, when I bought a used hp Z820, it did not have this option. The solution was a very affordable USB>SPDIF box from Behringer. It worked great and the audio via digital sounds 100 times better than using the green mini-TRS headphone out on any computer

[abt]

Originally Posted by Darryl Ramm

your profile says you have a 003. what is your actual interface?

Oops! I had no idea, I did try to update this a long time ago but it obviously didn't stick.

Originally Posted by Darryl Ramm

what troubleshooting have you done? is the noise clearly present in the PC audio independent of the Avid interface it is going into... do you hear it if you directly connect monitors or headphones to that output, disconnect all your other stuff. Is everything properly grounded? try moving displays, monitors/speakers away from the computer, removing unneeded peripherals etc.

swapping the sound card to one with digital out might help or might not (I would try to use S/PDIF over TOSLINK if you have a spare TOSLINK input). I would just try it out if you have run out of other options.

Yes, I've tried all these things, the noise I'm talking about is the internal PC noise.

[abt]

Originally Posted by albee1952

For many years, I have used the digital(optical) SPDIF from the on-board sound card for all audio outside of Pro Tools. I monitor/source switcher makes this easy(Presonus Monitor Station, Audient Nero, etc). Last year, when I bought a used hp Z820, it did not have this option. The solution was a very affordable USB>SPDIF box from Behringer. It worked great and the audio via digital sounds 100 times better than using the green mini-TRS headphone out on any computer

The Audient Nero is one of the monitor controllers I'm looking at.

With your USB>SPDIF box, what happens when you crank it way up without any signal going through it? Do you still hear the horrible digital hiss and noise? How far down is the noise floor? Mines pretty audible at normal listening levels.

[albee1952]

Originally Posted by abt

The Audient Nero is one of the monitor controllers I'm looking at.

With your USB>SPDIF box, what happens when you crank it way up without any signal going through it? Do you still hear the horrible digital hiss and noise? How far down is the noise floor? Mines pretty audible at normal listening levels.

I never noticed any noise at all. The analog out from every PC I have tried has always sounded like crap, with lots of noise. I attribute this to cheapo D>A converters and all the noise-generating parts inside the average computer. I currently use a Presonus Central Station, but plan on replacing it soon. Either the Nero or the Presonus Monitor Station 2 are the best options for me(my needs and budget). A friend just replaced a hard-wired switch for the Monitor Station 2 and was shocked at how much better(and quieter) it is(and his hearing is better than mine

[EGS]

Originally Posted by abt

...Do you think this digital signal path stop this type of noise?

Motherboard SPDIF output ---> Central Station (or similar) SPDIF input

[abt]

Originally Posted by albee1952

I never noticed any noise at all. The analog out from every PC I have tried has always sounded like crap, with lots of noise. I attribute this to cheapo D>A converters and all the noise-generating parts inside the average computer. I currently use a Presonus Central Station, but plan on replacing it soon. Either the Nero or the Presonus Monitor Station 2 are the best options for me(my needs and budget). A friend just replaced a hard-wired switch for the Monitor Station 2 and was shocked at how much better(and quieter) it is(and his hearing is better than mine

Thanks. Yes, it sounds terrible. Both the Nero and Presonus are what I've been looking at too.