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  #1  
Old 05-27-2010, 03:37 PM
Georgerob Georgerob is offline
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Default Terrible hum and digital noise from mbox (even in windows)

I'm having issues with an mbox and pro tools I've just bought, and I've come to the end of my tether with it so I'm seeking help. Pro Tools starts fine, recognises the mbox, and seems to function fine in every way *EXCEPT* for what you actually hear.. what I get out of my speakers when playing back in PT is a loud nasty hum, and faint audio. This is true whether I take the signal out of the 1/4" outputs, or via the headphone outs on the front or back of the mbox. If I fiddle around with the wire where it plugs into the mbox, I can sometimes get a clearer signal but still with a deep background hum. I have tried 3 different audio cables as that was obviously a likely culprit, 4 different USB cables, I've also tried 3 different amps, and 3 sets of speakers.. but the problem is defo whats coming out of the mbox/computer. And thats just in Pro Tools. In windows, Itunes for example plays the songs, but with regular jittering which sounds like its cutting the audio every 0.5 secs or thereabouts, and its a very digital sounding, harsh cutting sound. Spotify actually refuses to play anything and says "There is a problem with your soundcard, Spotify can't play music". I don't get how it can be semi-working in some programs but not at all in others.

The most perplexing thing is, I've also installed 7.3 LE from the same disc onto my mate's very similar PC, which has windows XP SP3 on it installed from the very same disc as mine, using the same mbox, amps, speakers and cables.. and it all works fine. The mbox works perfectly. So I thought it must be an issue with either *my* windows, the drivers for mbox (But I've installed and re-installed every set of digidesign ASIO drivers I can find), my motherboard, or my CPU. Also, its NOT the kind of noise you get from modems or mains interference. Its not just a light hiss or hum, its a hardcore nasty humming and crackling in pro tools, and a nasty jittering in Itunes. Also, I should mention that in device manager, the mbox is apparently "working properly" and there are no driver conflicts. I've tried uninstalling the drivers from there too, and re-installing. Nothing changes it. Also, in Sounds & Video Devices in Control Panel, the mbox is there, and is apparently working.

I'm at my wit's end with this one. I've tried everything I can think of, and now I've even formatted the HD and re-installed XP...but the problem remains. PS before I got the mbox, I was running m-powered 7.4 and an M-Audio Fasttrack USB - no problems with that.

Please, can anyone help? I have recorded a bit of the sound I get when playing a song in ITunes if anyone would care to listen to it so you know what I'm talking about.

George
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  #2  
Old 05-27-2010, 03:40 PM
sw rec sw rec is offline
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Default Re: Terrible hum and digital noise from mbox (even in windows)

Using I tunes with PT is a bad benchmark, since the two have been incompatible for YEARS.
This sounds like a bad connection somewhere. If you bounce the song out and export it to another machine does it sound okay?
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  #3  
Old 05-27-2010, 03:46 PM
Georgerob Georgerob is offline
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Default Re: Terrible hum and digital noise from mbox (even in windows)

Thanks for the reply! I'm not using ITunes with PT. I'm just explaining that everything that generates sound on my computer is affected by this problem. All sound programs are not playing audio properly.

I will try bouncing some audio in pro tools and playing it on another machine.

Its a problem thats only appeared since getting this mbox. My old m-audio thing worked fine on this computer, which hasn't changed at all. But the mbox works fine cos I've tested it on my mate's PC.

Can I email you a short sample of a song playing so you can hear the noise? Even with no songs playing in PT, or in ITunes, or in Media Player, theres this constant hum and digital clicking and popping.
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  #4  
Old 05-27-2010, 03:48 PM
Georgerob Georgerob is offline
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Default Re: Terrible hum and digital noise from mbox (even in windows)

Here's my setup (I'm starting to wonder if some of my hardware is not compatible with mboxs - even though I can find no evidence of this online):

Mbox 1
Windows XP SP3

CPU Type AMD Athlon XP 3200+
CPU Alias Barton
CPU Stepping A2
CPUID CPU Name AMD Athlon(tm) XP 3200+
CPUID Revision 000006A0h

Motherboard ID 08/04/2004-nVidia-nForce-A7N8X2.0C-00
Motherboard Name Asus A7N8X v2.0 Deluxe (5 PCI, 1 AGP Pro, 3 DDR DIMM, Dual LAN, IEEE-1394)

Chipset Properties
Motherboard Chipset nVIDIA nForce2 Ultra 400
Memory Timings 2.5-3-3-7 (CL-RCD-RP-RAS)
DIMM1: Kingston K 1 GB PC3200 DDR SDRAM (3.0-3-3-8 @ 200 MHz) (2.5-3-3-7 @ 16
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  #5  
Old 05-27-2010, 04:31 PM
Georgerob Georgerob is offline
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Default Re: Terrible hum and digital noise from mbox (even in windows)

Just had a thought.. My powerpack died last week so I put an old 300W one in as a temporary stop-gap.. could this be related?! But then I don't see why spotify would refuse to play it due to "soundcard not working properly". And Pro tools plays but with horrible humming and digital noise. AAAAAGHH!!!
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  #6  
Old 05-27-2010, 04:45 PM
rqstudio rqstudio is offline
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Default Re: Terrible hum and digital noise from mbox (even in windows)

So even music on Myspace or Youtube going through Microsoft Music Player is distorted? Have you tried this w/o the MBox? The MBox doesn't actually have an amp output. You need to either hook it up to a stereo or powered monitors. If you some how hooked the output of your computer and the MBox to the same speakers you could cause some kind of ground loop or something. It is doubtful and hardware is messed up probably just go through these steps 1 at a time and find the culprit.
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  #7  
Old 05-27-2010, 05:45 PM
Georgerob Georgerob is offline
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Default Re: Terrible hum and digital noise from mbox (even in windows)

Thanks for the reply rqstudio. Yeah everything playing was distorted. But I've made progress! - I found out about a program called Digi MME Helper - which can enable various programs - spotify, google chrome (so myspace and youtube play tunes now) to play. And I got it confirmed (like sw rec said) that ITunes just isnt compatible with mboxs. So that solves that puzzle.

What I still have is an enormous amount of interference. For example, when I am playing no sound but the speakers and amp are on, and I'm in windows, if I move a window, I get a buzzing thats totally in sync with the movement of the window - like a comedy sound effect! Even when I move the mouse I get an accompanying noise. This is added to the residual, background humming and digital clicking I'm getting. Is the mbox simply terribly insulated?! Does anyone else get this?
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  #8  
Old 05-27-2010, 06:15 PM
rqstudio rqstudio is offline
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Default Re: Terrible hum and digital noise from mbox (even in windows)

Again, we need to know how you are amping the MBox. You should have dedicated/shielded audio cables going from the MBox to some type of amp. Do not try to combine this with your audio out from your computer!
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  #9  
Old 05-28-2010, 05:10 AM
Georgerob Georgerob is offline
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Default Re: Terrible hum and digital noise from mbox (even in windows)

Sorry RqStudio, my bad. I've got some nice expensive cambridge audio atlantic cable going from the mbox to a marantz amp. The cable is a mini-jack to 2 phonos - so the mini-jack is in the front of the mbox, and the phonos are in the aux-in on the amp. And I've tried it in the rear headphone Out with the help of an adaptor.

I realise that isnt ideal, and I'm off to the shop today to buy some nice fat 2-phonos to 2 1/4" jacks to go into the mbox OUTs on the back instead. But still it shouldn't be doing this even with the audio lead in the headphone-out. Also I've tried the same cable in 1/4" Output 1 on the back of the mbox. I've tested the cables and the amps, and its all the same equipment that was working fine before. And the mbox doesnt suffer from all this interference on my mate's nearly identical PC. I think it is just chronic interference thats the problem.
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  #10  
Old 05-30-2010, 06:25 AM
Georgerob Georgerob is offline
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Default Re: Terrible hum and digital noise from mbox (even in windows)

Problem solved, it was a dodgy PSU! Thanks for everyones help.
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