Hard-drive noise through monitors

TranceAddict Forums (www.tranceaddict.com/forums)
- Production Studio
-- Hard-drive noise through monitors

Posted by Ray_Chappell on Dec-31-2007 18:06:

Hard-drive noise through monitors

What is the cause of this? The hard-drive is connected via USB2 to the computer and the power from the monitors are connected to a different outlet than the hard-drive. The monitors are hooked up through an interface, which the hard-drive doesn't touch at all... so what would it be that causes the monitors to pick up the feedback/noise of the hard-drive (when it's spinning, you can hear it through the speakers if no music is playing)?

Trying to figure this out, and most Google searches say it usually results when you don't have an external soundcard (but I've got a separate interface) or when the power is going to the same place (not sure how that would work, but I've got them going to different outlets all together now). Any help would be appreciated - thanks.

Posted by MERiDiAN5i2 on Dec-31-2007 21:55:

Hmm. Maybe the hard drive is producing radiated noise (EMI) that is being picked up by the cable between the sound interface and your monitors (or their amplifier, if unpowered) ?

If possible, try balanced connections between your monitors (or their amplifier) and the sound interface. Using balanced connections between my sound interface and sound rig took care of noise issues for me, mainly coming from my flat panel monitor (damn noisy inverters)

Posted by echosystm on Jan-01-2008 01:16:

try what he said!

also, it's impossible not to have any noise at all. turn your monitor volume as low as you can and run the audio signal as close to 0db as you can. this helped for me.

Posted by PassiePassion on Jan-01-2008 22:14:

Is it on a MAC ?
If thats the case
Then you playback too many sounds from one drive at once
If you move some samples to a different harddrive
Then the sounds will be gone

If it needs to playback 20 sounds at once from one disc
Then its just a lil bit too much for the disc
For pc you got a tool called Echo Reporter
Thats a free tool to see how many trax your harddrive can handle at once
Dont know if its available for mac aswell

Posted by echosystm on Jan-02-2008 02:05:

quote:
Originally posted by PassiePassion
Is it on a MAC ?
If thats the case
Then you playback too many sounds from one drive at once

This has nothing to do with it. This is an electrical/grounding problem.

Posted by Ray_Chappell on Jan-05-2008 04:25:

Pefect! - thanks echo and meridian... I switched to balanced, turned the gain down on the monitors and it's all good. REALLY appreciate the help... Thx.