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RME User Forum → FireWire & USB series → Buzzing speakers when connecting BFP+another soundcard simultaneously
My equipment is:
RME Babyface Pro
Cambridge Audio amplifier and speakers
Creative AE-5 Plus soundcard.
When I'm connecting the Creative AE-5 Plus and the BPF simultaneously to the amplifier, and setting the amplifier to receive signals from the Creative AE-5, the speakers are buzzing.
How can I solve this issue?
By not connecting Creative Soundcard anywhere.
Sorry, we need a bit more infos.
This Creative souncard is that a PCi card in a computer ?
A windows computer ?
Has the amp a button on the back side "Ground Lift" ? Push it and listen please.
Is this buzzing noise only there when both are connected, BF and Creativ ?
Is the Babyface powered by the extarnal power supply or buspowered USB ?
Is there a difference when BF is buspowered or on external power supply ?
Ground loop. The Cambridge audio is a hi fi amp and wont have the ability to lift ground. You may need a DI box or decoupling transformer on the creative output. I must admit I would t be using another audio interface at the same time. I have onboard audio disabled in bios on mine. But we all have different requirements. Breaking the loop somehow is probably your only option. Read up on ground loops to understand a bit more.
By not connecting Creative Soundcard anywhere.
Sorry, we need a bit more infos.
This Creative souncard is that a PCi card in a computer ?
A windows computer ?
Has the amp a button on the back side "Ground Lift" ? Push it and listen please.Is this buzzing noise only there when both are connected, BF and Creativ ?
Is the Babyface powered by the extarnal power supply or buspowered USB ?
Is there a difference when BF is buspowered or on external power supply ?
The speakers are not buzzing when I set the amplifier channel to the BFP while both the BFP and the Creative card connected to the amplifier, so I'm pretty sure the speakers won't buzz if I'll set the amplifier to the BFP channel while the Creative card is not connected.
I can check what happen when I disconnect the Creative card but it is a lot of hassle for me and I'm not sure it is worth it.
As for the other questions:
The Creative card is a PCI card.
The computer is a Windows PC computer.
As far as I can tell the amplifier doesn't has a ground lift button.
The buzzing is when both card - BFP and Creative connected to the amplifier, and the amplifier is set on the Creative channel.
The BFP powered by USB power.
Didn't tried external power supply for the BFP.
As mentioned above you have a ground loop. Or it could be usb is interfering with the pcie bus. It’s probably a problem with the creative card. These are not professional devises and the outputs are probably susceptible to interference
As mentioned above you have a ground loop. Or it could be usb is interfering with the pcie bus. It’s probably a problem with the creative card. These are not professional devises and the outputs are probably susceptible to interference
So you aren't sure yet that it is in fact a ground loop?
Not sure how I would be sure since I can't see or listen so informed guess. I can't see a fix though except unplug the BFP when using the Creative.
If you unplug the BFP from the amp but still leave it connected and powered up do you still get a buzzing sound from the creative input? If you don't then it's a ground loop. If you do then it could be something else inducing the noise into the Creative.
Can you use a different USB that is connected to another controller on your motherboard?
mkok - I do not hear any buzzing from the Creative output when I unplug the BFP from the amp.
Then it’s an earth loop. The USB port on the pc is not isolated so you are getting a loop. The bfp is probably got a better internal design so it’s outputs are not suffering the same. This is not a problem with the bfp though.
RME User Forum → FireWire & USB series → Buzzing speakers when connecting BFP+another soundcard simultaneously
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