My noise issue is back, I opened a ticket with support.
As mentioned in the other thread, I have always issues with USB 3 ports on my laptop, while USB2 works as expected.
I had this problem with a rented Qu-16 last year, tested the multitrack straight to a SanDisk Ultra USB 3.0 -32 GB, during soundcheck and it sounded like i was getting cross-talk from a techno jukebox.
Reset the usb in the desk and tried again during the gig but the same problem occured.
I believe the “fix” for this is to mute the ST3 channel…
I would like to know what fixes this issue.
I have never had that sound… using both mac USB2 and win7 old early USB3 laptops
and surely if both win and mac have been tried?
Please keep us all posted.
Last night I was doing some multitrack test recording on both a laptop and a USB drive. The USB stick in the QuDrive recorded and played back flawlessly. The laptop recordings weren’t flawless.
The first laptop recording test was using Waves Tracks Live, recording for about an hour. On playing back the recorded multitrack audio through the USB B port on the Qu16, this “streaming noise” showed up on a specific place in time on the recording on all channels. The noise faded on the recording after about 90 seconds. Multiple playback attempts confirmed that this was recorded into the tracks. Strangely, on multiple playback attempts, the noise would show up randomly on other sections of the tracks, yet stopping the playback, resetting the playback cursor and playing again would clear up the noise. If that didn’t work, a reboot of the Tracks Live program would clear up the playback noise (except for the same specific section of the recording mentioned above). There was one point where playback stopped and a warning box popped up stating that the hard drive couldn’t keep up with playback. So on my second recording attempt I switched to Reaper x64.
In the Reaper settings I switched the program priority to the highest level (I guess this makes the program force the computer to set it to Realtime Priority). The Reaper recording went fine. Playback was another issue. The same noise would show up occasionally and randomly. Stopping playback and starting playback cleared up the playback issue - the noise never showed up in the same places on the recordings, meaning that the noise was not part of the recording. The recording was usable.
This is on an Acer laptop with an i7 processor running Windows 10 x64. This laptop only has USB3 ports, so I had to use USB3 and couldn’t do the test with a USB2 port.
For this live recording gig I’ll be relying on the QuDrive recording and use the laptop recording as a backup. I’ll also be feeding a stereo mix to the camera recording rig for a guide track.
I definitely think this is a laptop issue, not a console issue. It could be a read/write speed issue with the hard drive, or a USB port issue.
Has anyone reported this issue using an SSD?
Did you try increasing the USB and ASIO buffers (in Qu control panel on PC)?
No, I didn’t try that. They were already at 1150 or so.
Airickess, did you disable all the wifi and bluetooth radio’s on the laptop while playing back ? They gice huge spikes in the processoractivity when they search for new devices which is every 30 seconds or so.
There is a very nice article on the Presonus site somewhere on how to optimize a W7 machine for DAW duties.
Giga
Yes, I disabled wi-fi. I think the bluetooth is already disabled on this laptop.
I don’t think the sound is created by low buffer size. It doesn’t skip and hesitate like it would with a small buffer size. I’m wondering if it is a wordclocking issue.
i’m having these same issues, i’m going to try it again without wifi on and see if that helps.
Did you double-check that no other application is using the Qu as a sound interface? In particular to not selecting the Qu as your Default Sound Output on Windows?
not selecting the Qu as your Default Sound Output on Windows?
I dont use Windows a lot QU and Reaper however never had an issue.
I’m just a little confused about:
Are you saying to NOT use QU as your default sound device?
Yes. Just had to remember myself after playing some demo through a Windows player after selecting Qu as my playback device. Afterwards playback from Reaper produce this “electric noise” on all streams. Selecting another default playback device fixed it immediately.
This was written several times but seems to be forgotten as quickly.
Okay so if people are having Hum/Noise problems…
A lot of times this could be introduced through ground-loops related to computer setup, a lot of times in Laptop situations.
I had this same issue with the connection of a Synthesizer.
You can find in some cases a USB Optical Isolator.
This will break the ground loop from occurring between the computer and the equipment.
Now I am not sure about the speed for the multiple audio streams, however this works well for a slower MIDI data rate.
I had found mine on Amazon for around $40.
There quite possibly be more higher speed ones available, or a DIY design could be done to remedy this.
You might also be able to find filters/isolator surge distribution. Or try different plugs for different electrical circuits.
Maybe research remedies for computer ground-loop noise. Many cases in the past sometimes you can remember hearing CD noise on
the output of old soundcards? Just a suggestion and hopefully this is an alternative path to help people alleviate their issues.
-sephult
So I am loving this console, but extremely frustrated at the moment.
-
I am experiencing what I believe others are saying is "electrical noise".
This noise seems to come on after a length of time when playback is occuring.
It very much sounds like the clock, or bit stream is slipping…very much creating the sound of Bit Reduction.
I currently have tried disabling my internal sound card from the Windows Sound Panel.
I have disabled QU from being active, then made it active.
I have tried modifying the buffers, as well as sample rate.
I originally was using a USB3 port, and switched to a USB2.
When doing so the device manager displayed that the QU was not releasing itself from memory (Driver Problem, board detection issue?)
I am running an
i7-2011_LGA/5820k Haswell
EVGA X99 Classified, 4.2 OC,
32GB DDR4 Quad 3GHz OC,
Nvidia GTX980/GTX750ti
I’ve never had streaming issues via USB on this machine using Focusrite or Propellerhead USB drivers.
I have steadily used an RME over the years and not once had an issue with streaming multiple channels.
I am going to collect some data and submit a ticket, this definitely has to be a driver issue!
Focusrite at one time had a clocking issue which causes pops in their ADAT streams, and many people were attributing
to their hardware…definitely not it was an issue in which the driver had a bitstream miscalculation.
So I very much hope they do resolve this quickly, for once I get a beautiful console, I have high respects for Allen and Heath and their name, but I couldn’t believe how much problems I have had with such an expensive top-of-the-line console…when some of the cheapest USB-based hardware has been rock solid in their drivers and they consistently and many times directly update beta to help the testing go along for a stable release.
Please help!
-S
I’m curious as to whether this situation occurs when using Mac rather than Windows.
Anyone? Anyone?? Bueller???
I can try with a Mac next time aim out.
Gfx drivers are the frequently fingered culprits though…
Okay so I just sent a bunch of info to A&H ticket.
I just find it extremely odd how the GFX drivers are now the culprit in my USB Audio Interface drivers, when I have never experienced this bad of an issue with other vendor’s audio drivers (Using the same computer).
I find other situations and clues:
Using Sonar, I quickly start shuffling through the media browser and playing back files, just randomly it seems one will start the problem then everything gets worse. Changing the file then corrects it.
My Sensomusic DAW it will work fine for quite some time then do the progression and for awhile fix itself.
The problem can be fixed immediately by changing the USB Streaming mode to a different setting I am finding, and a lot of times it starts subtle, gets progressively worse and worse…and after awhile it has been correcting itself. I have also changed out my USB to one that has double ferrite on it, and also just recently changed to background processes. I have also set the QU panel to realtime priority.
Very distraught that this is happening, I’ve spent a bunch of time on this with no solution so far.
-s
I am not unsympathetic to your situation and certainly wish you well. It just seems that patience is required to understand all the variables inherent in such cases. It’s sort of like picking up a guitar after playing piano and blaming the instrument for not knowing the tune and playing it perfectly the first time through.
Others have solved these problems. You will too. Stick with it and keep an open mind. Sometimes the biggest obstacle is to forget what went on previously with other gear and approach the job as objectively as possible, assuming nothing until proven and constantly back-checking to verify things as you move through the process.
Good luck.