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 Forum index » Instruments and Equipment » Windows as a music workstation
Fireface UFX noise issue
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blue hell
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PostPosted: Thu May 15, 2014 10:42 am    Post subject: Fireface UFX noise issue Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Just posted this on the RME forums, maybe someone here has an idea about what is going on ?

Quote:
I'm using a fireface UFX under windows 8.1 over USB. Hardware revision 356, driver 1.043, using it under WDM with a buffer of 128 samples.

When I ouput a DC signal from software (I've tried the Clavia Nord Modular G2 demo, Audacity and my own soft synth) there is a quite audible white-ish noise present when I listen with headphones. The noise level scales with the absolute value of the DC level.

In normal music I had never noticed this, but was chasing a bug in my soft synth for which I needed to try the DC signal. Now I know that it is there I could easily design some 'music' in which it would be quite audible.

I do not understand why this happens, is it only my system doing this .. questions ...

Probably the easiest way to reproduce is to make a DC signal in a wave editor. In audacity I did this by making a 1 Hz square wave at full amplitude and then copying and pasting a DC section repeatedly .. a bit long is handy as switching the DC in and out causes some nasty clicks .. could make a fade in/out for it though.


Quote:
In the car on the way home today I thought that maybe it would a sample rate conversion issue. Checked that just now, it is not.

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also .. could someone please turn down the thermostat a bit.
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blue hell
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PostPosted: Fri May 16, 2014 12:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Tried something else today, recorded some low frequency sine waves with CoolEdit - same problem, noise is present in the peaks of the sines, so on top of a 47 Hz bass tone I hear pulsating noise. Better audible when the frequency is lower, but still audible on 60 Hz sine too, for higher frequencies it gets masked by the tone, and the tones are getting too loud for my ears then too. So its a small effect, but I would like to know what causes it.

RME gives no reply BTW .. damn .. I could make interesting music with some effort showing the effect Laughing

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blue hell
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PostPosted: Tue May 20, 2014 1:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

To which RME had to say :

Quote:
1. Nobody uses WDM.

2. Nobody listens to DC signals.

3. If you playback a perfectly clean 47 Hz sine and notice noise modulations when listening to it on headphones then the UFX seems defective. Please send it in for warranty service.


So basically I've still no idea.

Prolly got the WDM bit wrong or something?

The point isn't really the signal being DC, the point is that there is noise at high audio amplitudes and that it scales with the amplitude.

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PostPosted: Tue May 20, 2014 3:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Welcome to the wonderful world of RME support, I have had the misfortune of dealing with their hostile 'support' before.
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blue hell
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PostPosted: Tue May 20, 2014 3:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Laughing

Glad I'm not the only idiot then Confused

What was your issue?

Anyway, yes it was a rude reply.

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PostPosted: Sun May 25, 2014 2:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

It was some issue with the OSX kext, I can't remember exactly but I do remember they were arseholes.
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PostPosted: Sun May 25, 2014 5:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

WDM? Wavelength division multiplexing??? With the RME? Uh? Seriously?
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PostPosted: Sun May 25, 2014 5:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

I have had absolutely no problem with my RME interface at all.
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PostPosted: Sun May 25, 2014 5:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

BTW, I hope you didnĀ“t mention the war when you messaged product support at RME.
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blue hell
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PostPosted: Sun May 25, 2014 5:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

I'm sorry .. I may have used some stupid word or something, and I indeed really have no idea about driver models.

But instead of giving silly replies .. could you maybe just try to make a say .. 30 Hz full amplitude sine wave play that and tell me if you hear noise on that when you listen with headphones at a level of say - 12 dB .. as that is what reproduces it here.

And yes, that is pretty loud, don't try it with your favourite headphones maybe and dont try it with frequencies of say 100 Hz, you ears wont like that.

Is RME some religion or something? djeez.

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PostPosted: Sun May 25, 2014 6:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Tomorrow... later.. late here now.
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PostPosted: Sun May 25, 2014 6:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

There are very few headphones that will play something like that in a way that does not distort.
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PostPosted: Sun May 25, 2014 6:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

I only have favorite headphones. Beyer 770 Pro and AkG 271s. The bad stuff is gone years ago.
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PostPosted: Mon May 26, 2014 3:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

It is not distortion, it is noise.
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