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Subject:Hard Drive "Noise"
Posted by: fromthevault
Date:4/12/2001 3:16:34 AM

Just started using 4.5XP this week. Everything works fine
but I am getting some slight noise at the beginning and end
of recordings. It seems to be due to vibration from hard
drive activity but I am not sure. I can edit or fade it
away, but it sure would be easier if I could eliminate it
before recording. Anyone else have/had this problem? The
source used was the CD Player in the computer. Thanks in
advance for any ideas.

Subject:RE: Hard Drive
Reply by: nlamartina
Date:4/12/2001 1:15:52 PM

Vault,

I have two suggestions for you. I'll explain their
reasoning afterward:

1. Copy the sources file to your hard disk, and try
recording again (also check for scratches).

2. Turn Ultra DMA mode off on your hard disk.

Here's the reasoning behind this:

1. Sometimes, when playing excessively large files from a
CD-ROM, you'll experience a crackling noise. Why this is,
I'm not sure (probably has to do with buffer or error-
correction being off, who knows), but it's something I too
have experienced. The file itself is not corrupt.
Therefore, put it on your hard disk and stream from there
to avoid problems with throughput noise (if that's the
case).

2. On some motherboards (ones with certain VIA chipsets),
noise will be picked up during recordings when the hard
disk is in UDMA mode. This occurs because the sound card is
recording interference from the CHIPSET, not the hard drive
itself. VIA has offered fixes in the form of drivers, but I
(and other owners) have yet to correct the problem. The
only fix so far is to turn UDMA off.

There you go. Two possibilities. Check them out and let me
know if it works.

Best wishes,
Nick LaMartina

Subject:RE: Hard Drive
Reply by: fromthevault
Date:4/13/2001 9:03:23 PM

Thanks for the ideas. I have a feeling that is number 2, as
the noise is of a popping variety, and seems to be in sync
with the light activity I see on the main computer unit, as
the hard drive does it thing. I did a quick look into the
Systems area of my computers Control Panel. Under the disc
area, it looks like I get few choices. But I did see a box
that just said DMA with a checkmark in the box. I shall try
unclicking that and see what happens. Thanks again.

Charles

Subject:RE: Hard Drive
Reply by: fromthevault
Date:4/13/2001 10:17:23 PM

As a follow up, I have concluded that my computer is a
piece of ____ when recording with SF. I can literally
record the sound of just the hard drive activity "noise".
As the light blinks on the computer, a corresponding sound
is recorded. Even when REC levels are set to zero, its
still there, in the -27 to -33 range. A constant noise
signal. Noise Gate Process helps, but its still there and
noticeable in quieter passages.

I did try unclicking DMA in System area, but that only
seemed to add more noise. If any experts want to tackle
this, I can gladly e-mail you a 10 second snippet.

One other thought: could the computers internal FAN cause
my problem. If so, how can I temporarily turn it off?

Subject:RE: Hard Drive
Reply by: Doug_Marshall
Date:4/13/2001 10:36:49 PM

I'm no expert but I'd suspect the sound card. Is it the
typical default card that comes bundled with a computer or
a better card? With the level of noise you're talking about
I'd bet the card is bad.

Subject:RE: Hard Drive
Reply by: fromthevault
Date:4/20/2001 1:21:31 PM

Thanks for the reply Doug

Yes, it is the sound card that came with the computer,
which is a Compaq 4504 circa 1997. As you can imagine, it
is nearly impossible to get ANY answer form Compaq. So I
decided to test the input on the back of the computer and
got the same results. As SF was recording, the hard drive
light flashes and this "noise" is transferred to the
recording in progress.

If anyone has any suggestions on a replacement sound card,
I would be eternally grateful.

Charles

Subject:RE: Hard Drive
Reply by: Doug_Marshall
Date:4/20/2001 4:33:06 PM

Charles,

There are many fine ones. The SBLive cards are pretty good
for non-pro cards. If you want something better, entry
level seems to be just under $200. I have several Echo
Audio cards in different computers myself (Mona24, Darla24,
MIA) and all of these work very well. The MIA is just over
$200 on the street. These are 24 bit/96k capable cards and
very quiet. Support for Nemesys Gigasampler's GSIF
interface was important to me so that guided my choices
somewhat. There is a fairly comprehensive list of good
cards on Nemesys' web site if you want to check it out.
There is a features table and links to the manufacturers
there: www.nemesysmusic.com. From the dropdown box at the
top of the page choose "hardware compatibility" to go to
the sound card page. Hope that helps. - Doug

Subject:RE: Hard Drive
Reply by: fromthevault
Date:4/25/2001 4:05:42 PM

Thanks for the ideas. If have a sinking feeling that the
computer itself is the problem. Its a Compaq 4504 from 1997
and the hard drive is noisy, even during normal operation.
Looking at the design, it appears to me that the hard drive
is in close proximity to the CD player, and even Compaq
can't guarantee that a new sound card will solve the
problem. This might be the signal to upgrade to MORE POWER
and a better unit.

Charles

Subject:RE: Hard Drive
Reply by: fromthevault
Date:5/3/2001 3:27:43 AM

Just want to say thanks to nlamartina. I went back and
reread your first idea. So I tried an experiment. I
recorded from the CD into Musicmatch Jukebox (free by the
way). It automatically records at 160 and 44 as an mp3.
Then I opened the file in Sound Forge. I could immediately
see a flat line where I had been seeing noise bumps before.
The recording came out great and after editing with Sound
Forge, it sounds simply fabulous. Truly stunning sound,
especially considering its TV to CD to Musicmatch to Sound
Forge.

Charles on May 3

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