What the *%$#!! is this??

labman · Post by **labman** » Fri Jan 14, 2011 1:47 pm

Frodo wrote:
I was just using a 2Control-- but it's really fine and working very well.
I also have a Central Station for a passive monitor hub, also working well..

Thanks for the good info. Been comparing the SPL MTC and the Avocet for one room. If SPL gear is good enough for hobbits...

Frodo · Post by **Frodo** » Fri Jan 14, 2011 2:33 pm

labman wrote:
Thanks for the good info. Been comparing the SPL MTC and the Avocet for one room. If SPL gear is good enough for hobbits...

Hey-- don't take my word for it until I've got it all working properly!!

I was looking at the Avocet as well as the Dangerous Audio stuff. If the Avocet is on your list, I'd say go for it. Crane Song is top shelf. SPL 2 Control is a no-compromise compromise, imho. It's darn good, but it's not Avocet or Dangerous.

Frodo · Post by **Frodo** » Sat Jan 15, 2011 12:41 am

I had to post this. While hunting for more clues I ran into several long threads where similar problems are going with ProTools.

Here's one called "That aggravating white noise!!". By the time you get to the end of page 3, one guy had already called the sound The Skoik and coined the phrase "I got skoiked", etc. It caught on pretty quickly.

He even wrote a song about it--- too funny!

THE SKOIK

In any case, there are different causes for white noise, pink noise, and digital noise. I think The Skoik is the worst kind of digital noise. Most interesting is to have found that the symptoms are practically identical no matter what interface or DAW is in use.

One thing that slipped my mind is something so simple and so lo-tech silly. I'm not sure if it really is THE cause, but it has cleared up some issues in the past where static electricity might be at issue: Open the computer chassis and rid the entire thing of dust. It wouldn't hurt to have a small computer vacuum and/or a can of compressed air on hand.

Timeline · Post by **Timeline** » Sat Jan 15, 2011 9:07 am

Funny, but that's not the sound I'm getting. Frodo, is that what your hearing?

Frodo · Post by **Frodo** » Sat Jan 15, 2011 9:23 am

Timeline wrote:Funny, but that's not the sound I'm getting. Frodo, is that what your hearing?

Not exactly, but everyone's using different interfaces and software. Mine starts out as a crackling then explodes into a wall of noise.

Timeline · Post by **Timeline** » Sat Jan 15, 2011 10:15 am

Frodo wrote:
Timeline wrote:Funny, but that's not the sound I'm getting. Frodo, is that what your hearing?
Not exactly, but everyone's using different interfaces and software. Mine starts out as a crackling then explodes into a wall of noise.

Me too but there is a hi frequency zap before the snaps start. I'm able to immediately restart DP and its again all clean. How about you?

Frodo · Post by **Frodo** » Sat Jan 15, 2011 11:20 pm

Timeline wrote: Me too but there is a hi frequency zap before the snaps start. I'm able to immediately restart DP and its again all clean. How about you?

I've heard the squeal before, but 99% of the time it's just crackle at first and then the big skoinking whoosh. Restarting DP has been one way to clear its buffers. Completely power cycling the computer and all audio gear has been another approach to clear out Virtual Memory as well as the data floating around in the interface.

I just got back from NAMM a short while ago and was really glad to see SSL there (very nice, helpful people). Because of the diversity of hardware and software in use by those experiencing this, we spent a bit of time talking about the similarities of the symptoms rather than the differences.

Sure, it could be a hard drive on the way out, garbled data on that drive, bad cables, dust bunnies, and all the rest. But the rep listened to my symptoms attentively and patiently before saying that he uses the same interface (of course) and had the same thing happen to him! I felt oddly better already.

He went on to say that there could indeed be something else at issue, like a defect. If it were necessary for me to send in the card and box for examination, they would send out a loaner. If something were truly defective by design, they would replace the device.

But he also asked me if the interface itself were in a rack. Curious, yes? He suggested that I try pulling it out of the rack and running it for a few days, making sure it got plenty of air. He said his solution to the same symptoms was due to the ADDAs heating up and that having 1U of air space open above and below the interface would keep it cool. When convertors get warm, he said, they can misbehave (ie: snap, crackle, pop, hiss, squeal, etc.) Oddly enough, I could hear echoes of my cable company installer saying the same thing about not laying DVD cases on the cable box to the same effect, but I never managed to draw a connection between the cable operator's advice to what I heard today (until I heard what I heard today).

I almost dread the reality that someone might have the same symptoms who does *not* have their interface in a rack or who doesn't find that their interface feels unusually warm to the touch.

These days, ANYTHING sounds reasonable to me-- but I'll try it tomorrow to see how it goes.

Timeline · Post by **Timeline** » Sun Jan 16, 2011 6:55 am

I don't think it's the IO if you and others are getting it with a 424 PCI card and MOTU IO. I run RME fireface and at first I was going to blame the actual firewire feed but maybe more input is required. Always liked SSL and glad to see they are kickin it. Wish they would make an SSL automation mixing system that would work independently with any DAW. This way we could have total mix professionalism.

Cheers
G

stephentayler · Post by **stephentayler** » Sun Jan 16, 2011 9:13 am

I like the look of this new offering from SSL

http://www.solid-state-logic.com/news/a ... ID=329&T=M" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

too bad it is only USB with HUI/MCU compatibility though

Stephen

Frodo · Post by **Frodo** » Sun Jan 16, 2011 3:39 pm

Timeline wrote:I don't think it's the IO if you and others are getting it with a 424 PCI card and MOTU IO. I run RME fireface and at first I was going to blame the actual firewire feed but maybe more input is required. Always liked SSL and glad to see they are kickin it. Wish they would make an SSL automation mixing system that would work independently with any DAW. This way we could have total mix professionalism.

Cheers
G

It may not be the I/O itself at all. It's not isolated to the bus, PCIe or FW or USB.

FWIW-- I've pulled my interface out of the rack and all has been well all day. Silly, huh? Keep the ADDA cool and all is likewise cool, at least in this case.

Of course, no sooner than I'll hit the "submit" button that something else could rear it's ugly head, but let's hope not.

dave898 · Post by **dave898** » Sun Feb 20, 2011 2:46 pm

I just bought a 2408mk3/PCIe-424 a few weeks ago, replacing a 828mk2/firewire, and almost immediately started experiencing the same bursts of white noise as described in this thread. Never had that with the 828.

I'm running a DP project full of VIs - Kontakt, PLAY, Vienna, Stylus, etc and all of my software is up to date (and my rig is completely capable of handling all these VIs).

After reading the comments about PLAY in this thread, I've noticed that when the bursts occur during playback, if I simply mute the PLAY output(s) in my sequence, the bursts instantly stop. I can even keep the instance(s) of PLAY in the sequence, and everything's fine as long as it's not play-enabled.

Just wanted to offer my $0.02 to the discussion....

bdr · Post by **bdr** » Sun Feb 20, 2011 8:06 pm

dave898, have you downloaded the latest version of Play? Supposedly fixes 'noise bursts' although to be honest I haven't tried it out.

MOTUnation.com

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