Topic: Square waves digital noise vocal recording BF USB

Hi, for the last couple of days i've been searching for an answer. Testing and testing again.

My prblem:
Recording Mono on Left XLR input at "normal" gain settings in TotalMix gives me resonant peaks round 500Hz and 1Khz at points where vocalist raises voice temporarily. Like a hard B or P or even K sound.
Could be the Mic, cable or a proximity problem. Maybe the Mic stand. Gonna check that.

But the waveform in general is riddled with squares, some really tight together and causing clicks and raspy sounds.
Sounds disorted. Almost electrical.
My non-expert quess would be that it is a communication problem between PC and Babyface

A low cut from the EQ does help for the B's and P's. But it's still heavy on the square waves and clicks.

As soon as i connect the Mic to the XLR input the level indicator shows a bit of signal coming in, almost constant very low volume. (with gain setting TotalMix set to zero) Raising gain with mic connected gives more noise as expected.
But when i disconnect the Mic and raise the gain i still hear a lot of noise.

Now when i connect it to the Right XLR input the indicator might light up for a bit but then dissapears.
Raising the gain does give some noise but not as much as the left.
When i disconnect the mic and start raising the gain, i hear almost nothing.

Tests with another Mic (and another singer) gave same results. Heavy on the square waves.
Distance between Mic and vocalist did help a bit with heavy B'and P's.

If i were Sherlock Holmes i'd say. My left input on my BF is probably damaged. And bad communication between PC and Bf gives me glitches. Maybe faulty USB port? Maybe settings in windows.

Recommended in the manual is that the Babyface should not be the default playback device.
But that would mean i have to turn on my internal audio, to make that the default. But as i understand switching of the internal audio card is better for your BF. Or is my NVidia card the culprit.

Your help or thoughts will be most appreciated!
Robin

2 (edited by robinakalucifer 2019-10-17 14:52:24)

Re: Square waves digital noise vocal recording BF USB

Screenshot https://cdn1.imggmi.com/uploads/2019/10/17/19035f4b07fd68371462019746eb845f-full.png

Ofcourse i've checked the sample rates.
I'm recording at 24-48Khz, same setting as Fireface settings.
Next up is a test with the Class compliant mode swithed on.
A test in DAW mode. And a test with a 64bit DAW instead of 32.
With no Babyface as default playback in Windows.

Forgot to mention, i've had the BF for 5 years, Never had any problems before.

Re: Square waves digital noise vocal recording BF USB

Can you reproduce this with line level input signals?

Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

Re: Square waves digital noise vocal recording BF USB

I'll try

Re: Square waves digital noise vocal recording BF USB

https://cdn1.imggmi.com/uploads/2019/10/17/9d6b7a8ea0bd0d21a5515958cd427ffe-full.png
Less zoom

Re: Square waves digital noise vocal recording BF USB

Well, logic dictates that if you get different results with the left and right input, with the same settings and mic, in this case there is a problem with the mic input. That is if the right input sounds 100% ok.

And what if you don`t record but just listen to the mic on headphones through totalmix

Vincent, Amsterdam
https://soundcloud.com/thesecretworld
Babyface pro fs, HDSP9652+ADI-8AE, HDSP9632

Re: Square waves digital noise vocal recording BF USB

Yes vinark you're right. Indeed the right channel has no audible distortion. But it does have squares en clicks.

I've just finished recording my Ensoniq via the Line input (next to headphones out on right side of BF)
No distortion at all even with gain set to 21.

So i'm thinking. Yes my Left XLR input has problems. But i might also have a problem with either the mic or the breakout cable.
I will try to record again the right XLR input with different Mics, maybe switching some cables.

8 (edited by robinakalucifer 2019-10-17 17:18:47)

Re: Square waves digital noise vocal recording BF USB

Recorded my own voice. In DAW mode, BF not set as default playback in windows.
Rode Mic NTK/K2
Left channel. Gain set to 24 gives distortion without clipping and well below 0db
Lowering gain does help as does lowering voice. Still many squares.

Right channel. Gain set to 24 no distortion but too many squares.
Lower gain does help.
To make it clip at 24db gain you really have to shout ;-)

Borrowed Mic Samson
Same results.

Am i just lucky enough to have 2 busted mics? Unlikely
But not impossible
Perhaps i've blown up my BF or just the A/D converter?
Highly suspicious i can still record my keyboard without any problems

Re: Square waves digital noise vocal recording BF USB

Guess what.

Bought a brand new PC and a brand new Mic.
Same problems. A little less on right channel compared to left.

I think i can safely say it's my Babyface.
:-(