Karaoke Forums

Howdy!  Well so far so great with my laptop and Compuhost but the only tiny prob now is I am getting a computerized/digital noise from my Mackie speakers.  It's only heard if no music is playing and or if a song has a musical break/pause in it.  I never had it before and did detached the laptop from my mixer to make sure and I was right the sound is only in my speakers when my laptop is hooked up to it.  I use a usb rca audio out to my mixer and infact I use Monster rca cords so there shouldn't be any probs......anyone had this problem or know how to correct it.  I also tried looking into the computer under my control panel to see what to do under sound but it didn't help me.  My Laptop is a HP and it's Windows Vista!

Any help is greatly appreciated!!!

Thank you,

Tray-ZZZZZZZ

_________________

Does the hum disappear when you disconnect the SVideo from the TV? If it does, reconnect and see if it disappears if the antenna/cable/satellite is disconnected from the TV.

It probably isn't this, since it only happens when the laptop is connected, but you are using powered speakers. You have power running by your signal lines. Are your power cords kept far away from the signal line as possible, crossing at right angles if necessary? What you don't want is the two running parallel closely to each other.

Hello!  Well I tried the s-video thing and it didn't do anything.  But you mentioned the power cords possibly crossing.....I don't have them crossing but I do have EVERYTHING plugged into the same power conditioner....could that be a problem??  As we speak the more I am typing I can hear it through my speaker....yikes...but like I said once I unplug the rca audio cord from my mixer (the one to the laptop) there is no more digital sound....hmmm.  Maybe I will try pluggin the computer into a different outlet instead of the power conditioner.  Thank you!

Tracy

_________________

Any amp whether tube or solid state when run wide open will produce  a frying sound. This is commonly known as floor noise. The older computers with archaic AC 97 Codecs  were famous for this. However the laptops now have some awesome sound  Never run a computer or fader on a mixer at 0 db. This stretches into headroom  which is an entire different subject.

_________________
Join The Karaokle Singers Social Network. Upload Your Music!!

OMG....that did it....I just plugged my computer and usb hub into another outlet instead of plugging it into the power conditioner and YIPPEEEEE....no more annoying computer sound.....now I am typing and it's not making any digital sound at allllll.....OH GLORY DAYS!!!!

Thank you all for your help!!!

But any other suggestions is welcome!!!

Tray-ZZZZZZZZZZZZZz

_________________

Get an adapter that will convert the grounded computer plug to a "two-prong" plug.  That eliminated the problem for me.

Several years back I had filed away an article on grounding. I think it had to do with  something called "Grounding Loops", or something like that.  I haven't been able to retrieve that article.  When and if I find it, and if it addresses this problem in more detail, I'll fill you in on anything else I might learn

I set up my rig at home for testing purposes and noticed a hum like you mention.

Fortunately I know exactly the cause. I was plugging a light into the same power strip as my speakers/computer.

I had no problems for a while, but then I decided to be "good" and get one of the new compact flourescent bulbs for the light. That started the hum every time it was plugged into the same outlet and turned on. I moved where it was plugged in and problem solved. No problem at all with the old style lightbulbs regardless of where it was plugged in.  

I see the same feedback into the sound system you have at a lecture hall I use at work (for work). Plug in a computer in the wrong outlet and the room speakers respond with the annoying humm that is correlated with keystrokes etc. It is feedback/surge into the rooms power.

Sometimes the different plug option does not help.

Buy yourself a ground loop isolator $17 Radio Shack, you will thank me someday when the problem comes back. Be proactive and don't chance it.

actually I have been told you should always have things plugged into same power supply. It could be the power plug unplug it and let the lappy run on battery and see if it gets rid of the hum. I believe in the US you have something that will prevent that earth hum...over here I simply cut off the earth prong of my 3 pin plug
if its not that and you still have the noise then try plugging in a usb music interface (soundcard) and see if the external usb sound improves things

_________________
"Be who you are and say what you feel... Because those that matter... Don't mind...And those that mind... Don't matter."

Sounds like it's all Phil's fault....  Happy GROUNDhog day!

Morgan:  The adapter I recommended accomplishes the very same thing without detroying the original equipment

Liquid:  I think that's what I said.  However, you've saved me from having to rummage through various places and papers to find that article on "ground loops", I'm on my way to Radio Shack.
 I hope the unit is not very bulky!
 Can it be placed anywhere on the line?  I guess I'll find out when I get to Radio Shack.

Not bulky at all it is a standard RCA cable with a barrel on it. They are loacated with the car audio stuff in the store.

yup eric my post was a combo of not reading right thru the thread and my bad memory cos I couldnt recall what the adapter was called...apologies...should I assume the position?

_________________
"Be who you are and say what you feel... Because those that matter... Don't mind...And those that mind... Don't matter."

Ground loops come from the ground pin on the computer power supply. Take the advice to get an isolator or 2 pronged adapter. You will find someday that what you think is a solution isn't, when you try to run in a place that has messed up wiring or ground.

[strike]It might be a squirrel.[/strike]


sorry, forgot I was 86'd from this forum.

_________________
Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

Now that I've had some time to play around with the ground loop isolator, I've found that it has not helped in eliminating the hum caused by the laptop.

The only two solution I have found so far that work are:
  - Plug the laptop into an outlet by itself
  - Use a 3prong>2prong adaptor between the laptop and the power source

And much to my surprise, the little bit of a hum I have coming from my mixer (at volumes levels I don't use) worsened with the isolator attached.  Go figure that?

So, while I am sure the isolator at $17.00 will come in handy someday, I got three adaptors at the dollar store for $1.00!!

Eric,

That's what I've always used (2 prong adaptor). I thought that the suggestion of an isolator would work also. Surprised it didn't. I quit using my laptop, because there were always gremlins lurking with it. I couldn't get the quality of sound I wanted either. The filters on laptop soundcards stink. I put a Audigy card in the slot, and it sounded better, but I couldn't stand the Sound Blaster interface. I put a Turtle Beach usb card on it, but then you have all of this extra wiring hanging all over. I went back to a SSF computer in a rack, with a server tray.

You can see the concept here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/22794316@N ... 5/sizes/l/

As it's often said, "ignorance is bliss".  I purchased my laptop not realizing I did not have all the recommended specs before doing so.  Nonetheless, after using it at shows for over a year now, the laptop works just beautifully!  Best of all, I paid under $700 for it before rebates and gifts (free bag and free Canon printer).

Just recently I had to replace the motherboard on my desktop.  After doing so, I ran into some issues with the sound (e.g. the microsoft automatic sounds blast when they come into play).  The techie suggested a new sound card would solve the problem and would give me superior sound in the process.  I didn't care about improving the sound on the desktop and was skeptical that the new card would solve the problem.  Since it was only asking $40 to install it, I figured it was worth a try.

Well, it didn't solve my problem (which still exists), but I learned from that experience how good the sound card is on the laptop since I compared the laptop to the "new and improved" desktop.  Thought the sound on the desktop has be greatly enhanced, the sound on the laptop is still better!!  

BTW - The biggest problems I had after replacing the motherboard were resolved by my decision to uninstall and reinstall winamp.  That did it!  Oh, and I decided to keep the new sound card for the desktop, anyway.

yeah, uninstalling devices and motherboards also means you need to remove the drivers and associated software.  Sometimes it works flawlessly, other times, you do have to reinstall software, even if it's unrelated. Chances are the audio drivers from the other motherboard were what winamp was dealing with... so by uninstalling winamp and putting a good clean version, you started out like new.

I've even had to do that after a security update! go figure!

OMG, my last post was a bit confusing.  More specifically, only the problem with the microsoft sounds still exists.  In other words, all of the chimes and related that spring up by themselves,  as when one restarts a computer, still blare out whenever they come into play.  Anyone have any suggestions?