RCA noise cancelling

[Calippo Tecks]

I've been having some noise problems for a long time and want to get rid of them. They mostly appear randomly, when my PC does 'stuff', like sometimes on mouse movement, graphics card usage and others. (it's not a constant hum)

The chain:

PC -> stereo jack to split RCA cable -> mixer -> active KRK subwoofer -> active KRK monitors

Everything is grounded.

The idea is to buy something like this:
[ame="http://www.amazon.com/PAC-SNI-1-Noise-Isolator/dp/B000K50HJE/ref=pd_sim_sbs_e_5?ie=UTF8&refRID=0JEZ6M2Z7W81CKQJ9QSQ"]http://www.amazon.com/PAC-SNI-1-Noise-Isolator/dp/B000K50HJE/ref=pd_sim_sbs_e_5?ie=UTF8&refRID=0JEZ6M2Z7W81CKQJ9QSQ[/ame]

I prefer buying something from Thomann (I'm from Belgium) or another EU shop, but it's really hard to find this gear. I never bought from Amazon.

Anyone else experience with this?

 

[korbiar]

jow, misschien dit eens checken ? http://www.bax-shop.nl/overige-rand-apparatuur/dap-agi-101-audio-groundloop-isolator

 

[bryan_kilco]

Slightly on/off topic, but I have noise I need to get rid of too. I notice it actually happens when I open Reaper. This same sound is also present in my guitar signal when I'm running an ampsim and is worse when I am closer to my computer. Just wondering if something such as a power conditioner would clean it up. Someone mentioned balanced cables but I have yet to try that.

As for the OP, let me know what you conclude.

 

[Studdy]

I have the same issue, ive tried absolutely everything. Ive narrowed it down to just "dirty" power in my area or could also be radio frequencies etc. Try to see what happens when you turn your monitor (screen) off. A power conditioner did nothing for me. ALthough i did not try super expensive ones ($1000) I bought a couple $100 to 300$ ones and none of them helped one bit.

 

[Calippo Tecks]

jow, misschien dit eens checken ? http://www.bax-shop.nl/overige-rand-apparatuur/dap-agi-101-audio-groundloop-isolator

Hero!

 

[zpoison]

plug your PC in a different wall plug than your monitors

 

[Spectivum]

I had noise when I used both sound cards of my PC and connected them to the monitor speakers. Interface connected with balanced cables, integrated soundcard connected with stereo jack splitter to RCA and RCA cables. Power goes through surge protector which does have some noise filtering but this does not help.
Basically I found the same thing applies as elsewhere in audio, your chain is as good as the weakest part, which I guess is the splitter/RCA.
I deactivated the integrated soundcard and use the interface for all sounds from the PC, no noise since apart from the PC fans which are next on the list...

 

[MrBongo]

keep it digital (if possible).

had the same issue earlier. whenever i moved the mouse, there was a pretty high-pitched buzzing noise. HDD working: different kind of noise.
back then, i used the analog outputs of a Terratec DMX.

Enter SPDIF and Toslink: noise entirely gone. Be it with my RME Multiface or with an internal Creative X-Fi.
Switching back to analog outputs on the X-Fi, they still emit "work noise", just a lot quieter. Even when using balanced cables. My guess is the soundcards´ analog paths are prone to computer´s electromagnetic (?) interference.

This same sound is also present in my guitar signal when I'm running an ampsim and is worse when I am closer to my computer.

sure your guitar´s pickups are not picking up the noise? sounds totally like it.
stay away from anything electrical, be it monitors, computers or your guitar amp. All of them are evil

 

[bryan_kilco]

sure your guitar´s pickups are not picking up the noise? sounds totally like it.
stay away from anything electrical, be it monitors, computers or your guitar amp. All of them are evil

I get the same type of noise if my guitar isn't plugged in, no tracks armed to record and a blank Reaper session. It happens as soon as I open the DAW.

 

[Calippo Tecks]

plug your PC in a different wall plug than your monitors

That's there current configuration, but using different wall plugs doesn't mean you can't get a ground loop problem.

 

[Calippo Tecks]

keep it digital (if possible).

had the same issue earlier. whenever i moved the mouse, there was a pretty high-pitched buzzing noise. HDD working: different kind of noise.
back then, i used the analog outputs of a Terratec DMX.

Enter SPDIF and Toslink: noise entirely gone. Be it with my RME Multiface or with an internal Creative X-Fi.
Switching back to analog outputs on the X-Fi, they still emit "work noise", just a lot quieter. Even when using balanced cables. My guess is the soundcards´ analog paths are prone to computer´s electromagnetic (?) interference.

Thanks for pointing that out. I actually have a spdif out for audio, but I see one problem: those audio SPDIF to RCA converters are (afaik) 'active' devices and I don't have another power socket available right now. I think I'm going to try the RCA ground loop isolator, mentioned by forum member 'korbiar'.

 

[Sludgekicker]

I also run into this issue lately by moving to another flat, im on a totally different electric grid here and noise level is a little higher too.
Heck i could even hear moving my mouse when i started cubase, and boy that ugly noise when cubase starts up...
Anyway what really helped me - besides turning off mostly all electric devices when i happen to record - is tweaking in the PC itself. I think when everything is running on one phase it can cause some nasty and complicated noise which sometimes dont fade into each other but keep adding up. So entered my BIOS and lowered every kind of voltage (RAM and CPU core voltage) to a minimum, and when i looked again at the noise level it was drastically minimized. For that i had to underclock my CPU to run it at half the voltage but it kinda worth it, at least i can record this way.

 

[Terminus]

I know when I moved to balanced cables from using rca my noise issues went away. Try moving the rca cables around a bit while you have a frequency analyzer going and see if the frequency changes. Might be interference from your house or even a neighbor on the same line.

 

[Calippo Tecks]

Just for those who might have the same problem.
This little groundloop isolator did the trick:

http://www.bax-shop.nl/overige-rand-apparatuur/dap-agi-101-audio-groundloop-isolator

The audio is still 100% like it should be and the noise level went down to zero.

 

[7string]

Glad the isolation transformer worked for you. The ground loop happened at the splitter. From the computer to the splitter the cable shielding has a single path to ground. Then you split it with two paths to ground with the dual rca cables creating a ground loop to your mixer. Ground lifting the shielding from one (or both) sides may have worked too.