line noise from livedrive

sumpm1 · Jun 8, 2004, 04:52 PM

I have been using kx for a couple of years now with my line in and Amplitube for my guitar. The line noise from the ac97 was pretty unbearable considering I don't have a preamp on the guitar line in. I was under the impression that the i2s codecs on the livedrive would nearly eliminate this noise. I recontly got a livedrive IR and a ct4760. I plugged my guitar directly into the line in/mic2 on the livedrive just as I did with the ac97. The noise on line in 2 is greater than regualr ac97. I also get strange noises that sound like an AM Radio being tune. It is horrible. Alternatively, the aux 2 (connect guitar to rca adapter) reduces the noise floor a little bit, but the noise is more high pitched in aux 2 than in ac97.

Any idea how the line in 2 could be louder than ac97 or what the noise that sounds like AM radio being tuned could be? Could this be a ground problem? Is a preamp necessary?

I am extremely dissapointed. I was under the impression the livedrive was my solution, only to find its worse!

Daniel Drummond · Jun 8, 2004, 07:54 PM

The aux2 connector in the live/audigy drive have a 10db better noise floor than the ac97 coded (line in back of the card). I'd recommend you to use a noise gate or to use an external pre-amp (connecting it to aux2), even if it's a regular mixer pre-amp. The pre-amp in the live drive and in the card are not good quality and inject a lot of noise besides picking up interferece (radio stations etc)....

**dj_stick** · Jun 8, 2004, 10:19 PM

the noise floor of the line level inputs on the live drive is far lower that the ac-97 codec, but the pre-amplifiers are crap. as daniel said use an external mixer or preamp, i myself use a small behringer 802 for this purpose

sumpm1 · Jun 9, 2004, 03:36 AM

thx for the replies.

The line in 2 from my livedrive has more noise than my ac97 line in( th am radio sounds). I just can't understand why. I know it's supposed to be quiter.

Daniel Drummond · Jun 9, 2004, 05:03 AM

Is the cable which connects the drive to the live ok? Do you have any computer fans near (or too near) the soundcard and/or livedrive (it will pick those fans noise...)? Is the signal you are sending into aux2 or line in 2 loud enough?

sumpm1 · Jun 9, 2004, 07:13 AM

No fans near anything. I just received the livedrive and ct4760 used from ebay. The cable used to connect the livedrive and card seems to be a floppy or regular IDE cable. The input is directly from a guitar, so no preamp involved. ******** Yet if I record without any input at all, I get the annoying noise that I am speaking of.. It is not the source that carries the noise, I don't even have anything plugged in and the noise is terrible. I use a noise gate, this has been my solution all along, I thought that the livedrive would decrease the need for it.

**dj_stick** · Jun 9, 2004, 07:34 AM

try moving the live drive away from the optical drives as much as possible, and if you have any extra case fans, make sure they are not attached to the same cable length as the live drive

sumpm1 · Jun 9, 2004, 01:10 PM

good advice dj_stick, will try. Another thing that I just realized is that my old SB0220 will not connect to the Liivedrive. I was under the assumption taht all Live cards would connect to the Livedrive, hmmmm. My SB0220 just has al little white 10 pin connector. Good thing the livedrive I bought came with a CT4760!

**dj_stick** · Jun 9, 2004, 01:11 PM

is the sb0220 port the s/pdif_io ?

sumpm1 · Jun 9, 2004, 01:47 PM

The power cable was connected to a case fan. Thx dj_stick, this got rid of some of that nasty noise. I am using Amplitude VST and you can really hear all of the high frequencies being distorted, so I guess that is why I hear so much noise. Now when I flip from ac97 line in- to line in 2 form livedrive, I can hear a good amount of difference in the noise. It is funny though, as I flip through all of the asio inputs, all of the inputs' noises sound different in frequency, not a problem , just funny that I can get all varieties of strange noises... woohoo

**dj_stick** · Jun 9, 2004, 01:50 PM

some computers themselves cause an excessive amount of noise to audio… such as the one at my school, the kX peak meter reads little or nothing, but the noise the is picked up afterwards when read from the line out port is astounding… i guess such a phenomenon would affect inputs aswell

Daniel Drummond · Jun 9, 2004, 02:54 PM

You'll find this strange, but adding a Reverb R from Max UFX package anywhere in the dsp window (doesn't even need to be connected) reduces the amount of noise my card picks... Don't know why, but it definitely works... Try it...

Jun 8, 2004, 04:52 PM	#1
sumpm1 DriverHeaven Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 50 Rep Power: 0	line noise from livedrive I have been using kx for a couple of years now with my line in and Amplitube for my guitar. The line noise from the ac97 was pretty unbearable considering I don't have a preamp on the guitar line in. I was under the impression that the i2s codecs on the livedrive would nearly eliminate this noise. I recontly got a livedrive IR and a ct4760. I plugged my guitar directly into the line in/mic2 on the livedrive just as I did with the ac97. The noise on line in 2 is greater than regualr ac97. I also get strange noises that sound like an AM Radio being tune. It is horrible. Alternatively, the aux 2 (connect guitar to rca adapter) reduces the noise floor a little bit, but the noise is more high pitched in aux 2 than in ac97. Any idea how the line in 2 could be louder than ac97 or what the noise that sounds like AM radio being tuned could be? Could this be a ground problem? Is a preamp necessary? I am extremely dissapointed. I was under the impression the livedrive was my solution, only to find its worse!

Jun 8, 2004, 07:54 PM	#2
Daniel Drummond DriverHeaven Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Brazil Posts: 1,137 Rep Power: 0	The aux2 connector in the live/audigy drive have a 10db better noise floor than the ac97 coded (line in back of the card). I'd recommend you to use a noise gate or to use an external pre-amp (connecting it to aux2), even if it's a regular mixer pre-amp. The pre-amp in the live drive and in the card are not good quality and inject a lot of noise besides picking up interferece (radio stations etc).... __________________ www.palcomp3.com.br/ed

Jun 9, 2004, 05:03 AM	#5
Daniel Drummond DriverHeaven Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Brazil Posts: 1,137 Rep Power: 0	Is the cable which connects the drive to the live ok? Do you have any computer fans near (or too near) the soundcard and/or livedrive (it will pick those fans noise...)? Is the signal you are sending into aux2 or line in 2 loud enough? __________________ www.palcomp3.com.br/ed

Jun 9, 2004, 02:54 PM	#12
Daniel Drummond DriverHeaven Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Brazil Posts: 1,137 Rep Power: 0	You'll find this strange, but adding a Reverb R from Max UFX package anywhere in the dsp window (doesn't even need to be connected) reduces the amount of noise my card picks... Don't know why, but it definitely works... Try it... __________________ www.palcomp3.com.br/ed

Jun 9, 2004, 03:36 AM	Thread Starter #4
sumpm1 DriverHeaven Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 50 Rep Power: 0	thx for the replies. The line in 2 from my livedrive has more noise than my ac97 line in( th am radio sounds). I just can't understand why. I know it's supposed to be quiter.

Jun 9, 2004, 07:13 AM	Thread Starter #6
sumpm1 DriverHeaven Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 50 Rep Power: 0	No fans near anything. I just received the livedrive and ct4760 used from ebay. The cable used to connect the livedrive and card seems to be a floppy or regular IDE cable. The input is directly from a guitar, so no preamp involved. ******** Yet if I record without any input at all, I get the annoying noise that I am speaking of.. It is not the source that carries the noise, I don't even have anything plugged in and the noise is terrible. I use a noise gate, this has been my solution all along, I thought that the livedrive would decrease the need for it.

Jun 9, 2004, 01:10 PM	Thread Starter #8
sumpm1 DriverHeaven Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 50 Rep Power: 0	good advice dj_stick, will try. Another thing that I just realized is that my old SB0220 will not connect to the Liivedrive. I was under the assumption taht all Live cards would connect to the Livedrive, hmmmm. My SB0220 just has al little white 10 pin connector. Good thing the livedrive I bought came with a CT4760!

Jun 9, 2004, 01:47 PM	Thread Starter #10
sumpm1 DriverHeaven Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 50 Rep Power: 0	The power cable was connected to a case fan. Thx dj_stick, this got rid of some of that nasty noise. I am using Amplitude VST and you can really hear all of the high frequencies being distorted, so I guess that is why I hear so much noise. Now when I flip from ac97 line in- to line in 2 form livedrive, I can hear a good amount of difference in the noise. It is funny though, as I flip through all of the asio inputs, all of the inputs' noises sound different in frequency, not a problem , just funny that I can get all varieties of strange noises... woohoo