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Posted by uxud on Nov-14-2005 07:16:

radio noise and monitors?

Hiya,

Just bought a new pair of Behringer 2031a Truths, connected to my M-Audio Firewire Audiophile through RCA -> 1/4" cables.

Sound quality is great, but there is a slight static I can hear on the speakers. It sounds like the speakers are picking up some radio interference from something or other. When I unplug the connection but leave the speaker power on, the problem goes away.

What can I do to fix this? I don't have any XLR outs. Would buying better cables help? The cables I bought were really cheap.

Thanks,
ux

Posted by groundzero74 on Nov-14-2005 11:56:

How do you regulate the volume of the monitors, Are they active monitors - do they have a seperate volume control ? if yes , max that so you don't have to turn up the volume on your sound card.

What i have also found in the past is that incorrect earthing of the power group to your PC in the same loop as your monitors are connected can give noise.

With this i mean check if the PC & Monitors are connected to the same outlet group (mostly 8) and try to use an outlet from another group - also try to use an un-earthed connection and see if this helps.

Those cables wont be the problem most likely - only id they are real crap and very long, and running over power cords of other equipment. On the other hand , you can never have good engough cables. check if the connectors are clean and not worn (with headphones plug/unplug the cables and see if you get a crackle...)

Posted by Freak on Nov-14-2005 13:01:

If cables are crossing, put them at right angles to each other.
Avoid loops in cables- I used to get a local taxi fim bleeding through in one studio a lot from loops in the cables.
Buy/build better cables!! Cheaper ones will allow more noise and interference than more expensive ones!
(edited for spelling lol)

Posted by Digital Aura on Nov-14-2005 14:53:

Also, don't use cable extenders...it just adds another element to your set up that can go bad. I used an extender just to add a few feet to my left monitor speaker and at first it was fine. Over the course of a year I noticed a really bad buzzing sound that I assumed was caused by the power in that circuit. It was the extension. Once I removed it the hum went away and I'm crystal clear again.

Posted by FuzzyGreen on Nov-14-2005 19:20:

Make sure your Your windows mixer settings have everything muted except the line-in that your equipment is connected to. A major culprit of noise is the analog CD-player.
If you have a second sound card (like a cheap MB on-board) in your system be sure to turn off it's inputs.
In addition to that, people using cell phones and wireless phones near your studio can cause interferance.
Always make sure everything has a good ground.

Posted by Tygon on Nov-14-2005 20:50:

How could you buy speakers like that and go cheap on your cables?! Cable quality is severely underrated... it's not all fluff and puff... there's a reason people pay big bucks for cables.

It's like buying a Ferarri and driving it down a single lane dirt road... no joke...

The amplification is dampened and your sound comes through weak... also, with cheap cables, you can EASILY pick up electric frequencies from power bars and outlets which will affect the signal... I'd imagine that's where the buzzing is coming from. That's not even mentioning the connection of the RCA jacks...

Do yourself a favour and spend at least $50-100 on decent, shielded, gold plated cables and you'll actually be USING those speakers...

Posted by FuzzyGreen on Nov-14-2005 22:41:

This brings up another question. Do you guys believe in power conditioners or do you use just a standard surge protector like me?

I do believe cable quality has a VERY *minor* effect on sound quality and eliminating line noise, only if you are going from the cheapest quality tiny cable to a super thick, highly sheilded cable. Also length would play a role in the quality unless your cable is balanced. Other then that, there isn't any need to waste money on super expensive cable.

Oh and another thing, this only applies to analog signals, if you are running digital signals the quality of the cable is a non issue.

Posted by uxud on Nov-15-2005 01:09:

Yeah in retrospect buying $4 cables for $600 speakers wasn't the brightest idea...

I'll upgrade cables and see if that makes a difference. (Forgot to mention, using headphones from the soundcard results in absolutely no noise, so it must be the connection)