Avid Pro Audio Community

Avid Pro Audio Community

How to Join & Post  •  Community Terms of Use  •  Help Us Help You

Knowledge Base Search  •  Community Search  •  Learn & Support


Avid Home Page

Go Back   Avid Pro Audio Community > Pro Tools Software > macOS

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #1  
Old 12-19-2016, 03:10 PM
Steamy Williams Steamy Williams is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: London
Posts: 175
Default Silent Thunderbolt Drive Docks

I've just returned an AKiTiO Thunder2 Duo Pro Thunderbolt 2 dual SATA drive enclosure, because it made an annoying high-pitched noise. AKiTiO advertise it as a noiseless storage solution if used with SSD's and the built-in fan turned off. However, when my dealer contacted AKiTiO about the issue, they confirmed that this noise was inherent to the design, and not due to a fault.

So I've just bought the Thunderbolt version of the OWC Drive Dock - which is fanless - to replace the AKiTiO, but I'm getting a similar high-pitched noise. I've ruled out the SSD's I'm using as the cause, as the OWC unit makes the noise even when the bays are empty. And the SSD's are silent when used in a StarTech USB dock that I have. I've just spoken to OWC tech support, and they seem adamant that the noise is due to a faulty unit, but I'm doubtful of this, given my experience with the AKiTiO.

If the noise from the OWC unit is caused by the similar components to those used in the AKiTiO, I'm wondering if there is going to be any way to avoid this sort of problem with a Thunderbolt drive enclosure/dock. Has anyone encountered a similar noise with other fanless Thunderbolt models, such as the Blackmagic MultiDock?

Last edited by Steamy Williams; 12-20-2016 at 01:45 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 12-19-2016, 05:45 PM
Seafoam_Green's Avatar
Seafoam_Green Seafoam_Green is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Qld - Australia (Ex Bali)
Posts: 811
Default Re: Silent Thunderbolt Drive Docks

Quote:
Originally Posted by Steamy Williams View Post
such as the Blackmagic MultiDock?
My Blackmagic Multidock is great , it is as quiet as the 2.5" drives you install in it
__________________
Pro Tools 2021.6.0 Native * Slate Raven MTi-1 Version 3.9.1 * AVID MBox3 Pro * OSX Mojave 10.14.6 * MAC PRO (late 2013) * 3.0 GHz 10-Core Intel Xeon E5 * 64 GB Ram 1866 MHz DDR * AMD FirePro D700 6GB * Lacie LBD 1TB Thunderbolt 2 PCiE * Blackmagic Multidock Thunderbolt2 * Samsung SSD's 850 Pro * WD Black HDD's
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 12-20-2016, 06:37 AM
musicman691 musicman691 is online now
Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: The Sopranos State (NJ)
Posts: 19,160
Default Re: Silent Thunderbolt Drive Docks

The problem could be the power supplies used in these units. To save space and power a long time ago manufacturers went to switch mode power supplies. In this design to save power and space oscillators replace the circuitry in the older linear mode units and often times the frequency and volume will change depending on the load on the unit. Sometimes it can dip down into the human hearing range. There's not a heck of a lot an end user can do about it.
__________________
Jack
See profile for system details
iMac dead & retired as of 11/4/17

QAPLA!
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 12-20-2016, 09:41 AM
propower propower is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Redmond, WA
Posts: 2,202
Default Re: Silent Thunderbolt Drive Docks

The BM multidock is silent for me with SSDs 3 years in use so far.
__________________
2017 27" iMac 3.8GHz i5, 1TB SSD
Logic ProX, Studio One V4, PT current version, Apogee Ensemble TB
Musician: http://www.ivanlee.net/
Design Engineer: http://www.propowerinc.com/resume.html
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 12-20-2016, 01:00 PM
Steamy Williams Steamy Williams is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: London
Posts: 175
Default Re: Silent Thunderbolt Drive Docks

Quote:
Originally Posted by musicman691 View Post
The problem could be the power supplies used in these units. To save space and power a long time ago manufacturers went to switch mode power supplies. In this design to save power and space oscillators replace the circuitry in the older linear mode units and often times the frequency and volume will change depending on the load on the unit. Sometimes it can dip down into the human hearing range. There's not a heck of a lot an end user can do about it.
Thanks for this explanation. A tech friend told me the same thing this morning.

I'd prefer to avoid a rackmounted unit, so the Blackmagic Multidock is not ideal. I'm going to try one more desktop model, but if that's not truly silent, I think I'll have just have to get the Blackmagic one.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 12-20-2016, 01:34 PM
musicman691 musicman691 is online now
Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: The Sopranos State (NJ)
Posts: 19,160
Default Re: Silent Thunderbolt Drive Docks

Quote:
Originally Posted by Steamy Williams View Post
Thanks for this explanation. A tech friend told me the same thing this morning.

I'd prefer to avoid a rackmounted unit, so the Blackmagic Multidock is not ideal. I'm going to try one more desktop model, but if that's not truly silent, I think I'll have just have to get the Blackmagic one.
Just because a unit is rack mountable doesn't mean it has to live in one.
__________________
Jack
See profile for system details
iMac dead & retired as of 11/4/17

QAPLA!
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 12-20-2016, 01:38 PM
Steamy Williams Steamy Williams is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: London
Posts: 175
Default Re: Silent Thunderbolt Drive Docks

Quote:
Originally Posted by musicman691 View Post
Just because a unit is rack mountable doesn't mean it has to live in one.
I realise that, but I'm looking for something a little bit more portable.
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 12-20-2016, 01:40 PM
musicman691 musicman691 is online now
Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: The Sopranos State (NJ)
Posts: 19,160
Default Re: Silent Thunderbolt Drive Docks

Quote:
Originally Posted by Steamy Williams View Post
I realise that, but I'm looking for something a little bit more portable.
Okay. This is why a lot of times I write that there's no such thing as TMI when asking for help. Saves time on the back and forth.
__________________
Jack
See profile for system details
iMac dead & retired as of 11/4/17

QAPLA!
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 12-20-2016, 01:50 PM
Steamy Williams Steamy Williams is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: London
Posts: 175
Default Re: Silent Thunderbolt Drive Docks

Quote:
Originally Posted by musicman691 View Post
Okay. This is why a lot of times I write that there's no such thing as TMI when asking for help. Saves time on the back and forth.
Point taken!
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 12-23-2016, 02:28 PM
Steamy Williams Steamy Williams is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: London
Posts: 175
Default Re: Silent Thunderbolt Drive Docks

So I've a tried a 3rd desktop Thunderbolt dual drive enclosure. This one is another AKiTiO model, although it's actually a rebranded by StarTech. I had to disconnect the internal fan (after having StarTech confirm in writing it wouldn't void the warranty), but it now it appears to be silent. It's only Thunderbolt 1, whereas the previous units I tried were Thunderbolt 2. And it doesn't take 3.5" drives either, although that also means it much smaller, which suits me better.

However, contrary to my original post, it turns out my new Angelbird SSD's also make a high pitched noise, but only when they're reading or writing. When I tested them with the other enclosures, I did so with the drives idling, so I hadn't realised they do this. This happens regardless of the enclosure they're in, and I even tested one of them with a USB 3.0 to SATA III adapter cable, so I could be sure it's coming from the SSD and not the enclosures.

Having researched the issue online, it seems quite a lot of SSD's make this kind of noise, so are any SSD's that are 100% silent in use?
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
New OWC 4 bay Thunderbolt drive nst7 macOS 18 02-04-2014 10:19 AM
Silent external firewire drive? SSD? Piers Gibbon macOS 5 02-22-2013 11:01 AM
using thunderbolt drive as a streaming drive edencane macOS 7 05-11-2012 08:49 AM
Very silent external FireWire drive wasserwerk 003, Mbox 2, Digi 002, original Mbox, Digi 001 (Mac) 13 11-13-2010 06:00 AM
MIDI is suddenly silent silent... possible bug?? MichaelK 003, Mbox 2, Digi 002, original Mbox, Digi 001 (Mac) 8 08-20-2001 12:08 AM


All times are GMT -7. The time now is 09:57 AM.


Powered by: vBulletin, Copyright ©2000 - 2008, Jelsoft Enterprises Limited. Forum Hosted By: URLJet.com