Lots of noise with DI

[Ermz]

I'm having problems with excessive noise when using programs like Guitar Rig and Amplitube. I don't use any sort of preamp or DI box to line into my PC though. I go straight from my ME-50 pedalboard into the line in, using a standard guitar lead. Is the proper method to use balanced lines to go in, thus reducing noise? Or is there any ways of taking the noise down? We're talking way past sane noise-gateable levels.

 

[Razorjack]

It'll only help to use balanced cables if your soundcard has balanced inputs (and unless it's a dedicated recording card it probably won't have). The noise could easily be coming from the cable though, so try a few other leads. Also, have you got the input level set high enough? If you're holding the input level back to reduce volume you end up increasing noise (clean recording is all about the signal-to-noise ratio).

What type of soundcard have you got?

 

[Hopkins-WitchfinderGeneral]

Also, the power supply for any of these things could be creating the noise. Especially if you have lights on the same system.

 

[2dark]

are u sitting in front of a regular computer monitor (no TFT or LCD)?
it's strong mangetic field goes direct into your pickups ......

 

[Ermz]

I have an Audigy 2 ZS. Not exactly the ideal recording card. Yes, I have a CRT monitor, but I turn it off whenever I record guitar... the noise is still there.

Most of my cables are bunched up in one area and tehre is a powerboard near with like 4 or 3 adapters, could that be causing alot of the noise?

Do you suggest boosting the input signal on my computer, or the little effects box I run my guitar through (Boss ME-50, I just use it to boost the volume)?

 

[2dark]

can you describe the noise?
is it a constant noise or does the noise change?
harddrives and cpu fans produce noise too. this is recognizable by
a changing noise.
also the lights in the room produce noise. neon lights are very bad.

if the noise is coming from the outside you can shield all the signal
transporting cables with copper foil (every electronic shop should
have them) or aluminium foil.
if the noise is produced by your signal chain you should probably
have to put a transformer between the ME-50 and the soundcard.
this way there is no physical connection and no electrical potential
differences between the gear, which can produce humming noise.
(hell, I've no clue how to explain that in english)
transformer for this kind of purpose should also be available in electronic
stores or good hifi stores.

 

[Disconnekt]

Yeah, like 2dark said, neon or fluorescent lights are usually pretty bad. Also, dimmers are notorious... where I used to live, we had dimmers downstairs, and even recording upstairs on the other side of the house, the noise made all my recordings unusable when the light with the dimmer was on. Also check for ground loops... if you have to plug your gear into more than one outlet, each outlet might be grounded slightly differently or on a different phase of your wiring; the bottom line is that voltage differential can be created between two different grounds, and if two different grounds are connected by your gear wiring (such as through the cable connecting your pedalboard to your computer), that voltage differential can create a nasty buzz or hum. Try bypassing one cable or piece of gear at a time until the noise goes away. If you get just as much noise plugging your guitar straight into your computer and bypassing your pedalboard, then you probably don't have a ground loop. Hope that helps!

 

[Wadi]

are u sitting in front of a regular computer monitor (no TFT or LCD)?
it's strong mangetic field goes direct into your pickups ......

Agreed

 

[Hopkins-WitchfinderGeneral]

How close do you have to sit tho?

I never had that problem with mine.

 

[Wadi]

How close do you have to sit tho?

I never had that problem with mine.

With a 17 inch CRT about an arm's length..
Well, at least mine is...

 

[Genius Gone Insane]

are u sitting in front of a regular computer monitor (no TFT or LCD)?
it's strong mangetic field goes direct into your pickups ......

from what i understand, it doesnt affect humbuckers...i haven't had a problem with the monitor on w/ PODxt and emg 81s

 

[2dark]

if you have to plug your gear into more than one outlet, each outlet might be grounded slightly differently or on a different phase of your wiring; the bottom line is that voltage differential can be created between two different grounds, and if two different grounds are connected by your gear wiring (such as through the cable connecting your pedalboard to your computer), that voltage differential can create a nasty buzz or hum

yeah. that's what I was trying to explain. thanks.

from what i understand, it doesnt affect humbuckers...i haven't had a problem with the monitor on w/ PODxt and emg 81s

mh - either in front of a 17" or my 22" CRTs, both humbuckers from my
Jackson Randy Rhoads and the one from my BC Rich is catching a lot of
noise.

If I turn myself about 60 degrees from the CRT while placing and the noise is
gone. Or I have to step back about 1.5 meters.

By mistake I placed an AKG C414 for some vocals under a neon light.
Wow ..... what a hum!

The magnetic field that the CRTs produce are too strong. It's even stronger
behind the CRT. That's why they have a shielding inside.
Still, if you would sit behind a TV or computer CRT all day, you have a high
change of getting cancer.

 

[Ermz]

The noise is fairly constant. I turn the monitor off, and most radiation sources that may be sending EMI into my pickups, so the noise is fairly consistent with whichever guitar I plug into the PC.

Once I get my guitar back from the repairman I'll post a sample of how it sounds.

 

[Ermz]

Ok I've just found out what's causing it. It's the Analog Line-in port itself. Even when tehre is nothing connected to it and I fire Guitar Rig up, there is profuse noise... I have an Audigy 2 ZS... I've heard that the firewire port on those things causes a shitload of noise. Could this be the main reason, or is the card in itself crap, or is it just the crosstalk inside the PC that's causing all this?

 

[Ermz]

Alright, sorry for bumping this up again, but I've done a recording with Guitar Rig to show the kind of noise, and I've also taken a visual excerpt from the program itself during the noise (which is constant without a very high threshold gate).

Yes from the visual it would seem like the noise is getting caused by having the gain cranked nearly all the way up on both the stomp box and amp, but even when they are turned down to softly overdriven its still there. The current gain setting is the lowest I can do to still get that metal chunk.

http://www.geocities.com/cyanidix/storage/noise.mp3

 

[zenx]

Try the http://www.asio4all.com/ drivers, they're supposed to have lower latency and less noise for regular soundcards.

Also mute every other source you have in the windows sound manager (cd, aux, mic, .... both in playback and record windows), except the line-in that you plugged into (note that not all sources are always shown click Options/Properties/ and click to show all sources).

And last: I found guitar-rig to be pretty noisy with high-gain stuff, not as noisy as this mp3 but still...

 

[Ermz]

I tried ASIO4ALL just before actually... had similar problems. My Creative ASIO drivers work fine for me... 5ms latency and no popping. But this damned noise... I've tried doing the muting thing, but to no avail either. Also, I can only mute the playback... the only option I have for recording is to 'select' which source I want to record from.