Need help identifying a problem... annoying clicks!

[Josh Burgess]

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/954619/clicks.mp3

I just went back and listened to some raw reamped tracks from Jeff's DIs and noticed these annoying clicks in every single track. I didn't notice before in the mix with everything, but it's easy to hear in the individual wavs.

Nothing was clipping... and I've never noticed anything like this with Reaper before. Would this have something to do with my interface? do any of you have any ideas?

 

[Metaltastic]

Probably external HDD noise, before I got my Hum X the only way I could re-amp without noise was to run my laptop on batteries, but even then when my external was clicking it would come through the amp, very irritating!

 

[Josh Burgess]

Probably external HDD noise, before I got my Hum X the only way I could re-amp without noise was to run my laptop on batteries, but even then when my external was clicking it would come through the amp, very irritating!

So, why exactly would it come through the amp? Would this be audible just listening to the cab in the room or only through the mic?

I have two internal hard drives if that makes any difference.... I'm not sure it's a hard drive problem though...

 

[Metaltastic]

Coming through the amp because of a ground loop - or it could be something completely different, just sharing what solved a similar problem I had!

 

[Josh Burgess]

I'm just trying to understand how exactly the hard drive clicking would be coming through... is it going through the interface outputs into the amp & cab and then through mic and preamp? or is it just directly interfering with the mic pre or what?

and you and Greg recommended the Ebtech hum eliminator stuff... but which would I need and how exactly would I be hooking it up?

 

[Metaltastic]

Nah, in my case I'm pretty sure it was coming through the power lines (ground loop), and thus was way worse when the laptop was connected; the Hum X is the one that goes at the end of a plug, and I would always put it between my amp and the wall, which did the trick! (and this was at a variety of locations, e.g. home, college studio, college apartment, so it wasn't just the result of a fluke in the wiring at any of those locations) Greg said it didn't work for him, so he got the Hum Eliminator (which is an isolation transformer that goes in your signal chain, ideally between interface and re-amp box); I'm sure any coloration or signal loss from it is imperceptible, but I still like the fact that the Hum X is strictly on the power cord, so not adding anything extra to the chain, maybe worth giving a try from a place that allows returns anyway!

 

[Josh Burgess]

More info:

* Tried both left and right preamps on the API A2D. clicks still there...
* Tried both left and right outputs on my RME 9632 interface. clicks still there...
* Tried moving the API A2D away from my computer. clicks still there...
* Listened for clicks in the room coming through the amp and couldn't hear them, but they show up on the recording...
* While reamping and recording it, I raised and lowered the DI slider in Reaper. When I listened back, the clicks are consistent in volume with the DI signal through the amp. the click goes away with the slider all the way down (no signal coming through amp) and comes back as I raise the slider (and signal through amp) back up...

I was talking with Greg on AIM and he thinks it's a ground loop and that the Ebtech Hum Eliminator might fix it. Do you guys think this is probably what it is? a ground loop amplifying pops and clicks from the hard drive maybe?

I really hope I can fix this... bought so much stuff for reamping already...

 

[Josh Burgess]

Nah, in my case I'm pretty sure it was coming through the power lines (ground loop), and thus was way worse when the laptop was connected; the Hum X is the one that goes at the end of a plug, and I would always put it between my amp and the wall, which did the trick! (and this was at a variety of locations, e.g. home, college studio, college apartment, so it wasn't just the result of a fluke in the wiring at any of those locations) Greg said it didn't work for him, so he got the Hum Eliminator (which is an isolation transformer that goes in your signal chain, ideally between interface and re-amp box); I'm sure any coloration or signal loss from it is imperceptible, but I still like the fact that the Hum X is strictly on the power cord, so not adding anything extra to the chain, maybe worth giving a try from a place that allows returns anyway!

Made my last post before seeing this reply... yeah, maybe I'll try to pick one up from Guitar Center to try it out so that I can return it if it doesn't work... Were you getting similar pops and clicks coming through on your recordings? did you actually hear them in the room coming through the amp? I can't hear them in the room but they're in the recordings...

 

[Charles J]

Depending on how you have the A2D connected, it could be a clocking issue. Are you going s/pdif?

Had the exact same problem w/our 002R and Digimax D8. Turns out I had to set the master clock to be the D8 and the 002 is now the slave.

Works a treat, now.

 

[Josh Burgess]

Depending on how you have the A2D connected, it could be a clocking issue. Are you going s/pdif?

Had the exact same problem w/our 002R and Digimax D8. Turns out I had to set the master clock to be the D8 and the 002 is now the slave.

Works a treat, now.

Fuck, That's probably what it is! I do have the A2D hooked up to the RME via S/PDIF. I feel like a dumbass not thinking of that earlier. I was already messing around with the buffer size (latency) settings, but didn't think about the clock. I'm going to check that now and try it out again. will report back soon.

Thanks, Charlie. By the way, dude, check your PMs... I replied earlier tonight to that PM you sent like two weeks ago! hah

 

[Josh Burgess]

Yup, that's what it was. The RME clock mode was set to master. I changed it to autosync so that the A2D is the master clock, and that solved the problem. I can't believe I didn't think of that sooner... I've had the Axe-FX hooked up direct via S/PDIF before and knew I had to set it to master then, but didn't even think about it since getting the A2D. :facepalm:

Thanks for the help!

 

[Metaltastic]

Sweet, glad you figured it out dude! (without having to drop money on something you didn't need after all ) And yeah, when I had my problem, it would come through the amp/cab as well, so since yours didn't that was a pretty telltale sign I suppose

 

[Charles J]

No problem, dude! First thing that came to my mind when you said you couldn't hear it in the room/through the cab. That pretty much immediately eliminates any grounding issue because you would for SURE hear it in the room.

Cheers dude!