Discuss other brands keyboards, synthesizers, modules, software, controllers including how they compare or work with the Nords.

Re: New to MIDI

Postby Mr_-G- » 21 Feb 2015, 11:11

c0wfunk wrote:Trouble is, audio straight from a computer headphone jack will often come with a buzz, especially when plugged in..


Curious, I never experienced any buzz. I currently have my desktop and occasionally a laptop also going through a peavey mixer and it is very quiet.

Edit: #*%@! tablet keyboards are terrible for typing. :evil:
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Re: New to MIDI


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Re: New to MIDI

Postby c0wfunk » 21 Feb 2015, 14:17

Desktops won't usually be a problem, and there are a lot of factors to whether a laptop will buzz or not (grounded plug, environment, noisy improperly grounded power sources, etc).. Quite often it will be perfectly silent at home but then out in live settings a buzz will show up .. In general a USB audio out is not susceptible to the same possibilities.
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Re: New to MIDI

Postby Nick_B » 21 Feb 2015, 17:37

Adding a stereo DI (Radial Pro D2) with a ground lift has solved most of my laptop problems. I use an 8 channel line mixer for my keyboards/laptop input (ART MX822), which solves the stereo/mono summing issues, and put the DI on the end. The lift works well when the power (everywhere) is sketchy.
I don't always use the laptop (only in our Floyd tribute for SFX and Cynthia (EMS) for "Shine on" "On the Run", etc). My goal is to move all sounds/VSTs OFF of the laptop and never use it out live again.
Cheers everyone, my first post! I love this forum. SO helpful.

Art: http://artproaudio.com/art_products/aud ... uct/mx822/
Radial Pro D2: http://www.radialeng.com/prod2.php

P.S. Laptop (Asus) USB interface is a Novation X-Station 61
(Nord Stage 2 and Moog Sub 37 below)
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Re: New to MIDI

Postby Mr_-G- » 21 Feb 2015, 18:28

Hm... Laptops are mostly not grounded anyway, they are doubly insulated. The majority use a "live and neutral" C7 connector (same as many Nords). Where would the 'ground loop' be generated in the laptop that a 'ground lift' setting in the DI would resolve?
Perhaps it is between the submixer and the mixer (if they are connected to different mains rings) but not because a laptop is connected to the mixer, I would think. Please correct me if I am wrong.

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Re: New to MIDI

Postby c0wfunk » 21 Feb 2015, 19:49

Honestly i don't know the ins and outs of it, but I've experienced the issue with a number of laptops in many situations.. Ableton rigs, as vst hosts, other misc. A direct box ground lift usually solves it, but in a particular warehouse studio I play in a lot I would get some level of buzz no matter what. Unplugging the power source from the laptop usually has been a fix, but not always and then you risk losing power during the performance. USB audio outs (the peavey I posted before, an maudio fast track or another fostex version I have) never have the issue. My favorite solution if I don't need inputs is the peavey usbp
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Re: New to MIDI

Postby Mr_-G- » 21 Feb 2015, 20:40

Thanks for the follow up. If unpluggin the brick stops the buzz, could it be the EMI leaking into the audio? Perhaps audio cables running close to it? I think it is important to try to find out why these things happen, we all benefit from each other's experiences. Buying a stereo Radial DI box is not cheap (you can almost buy a synth for that money) if it won't resolve the problem (although perhaps it would be a good investment in the long run).
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Re: New to MIDI

Postby c0wfunk » 21 Feb 2015, 23:44

As for getting to the bottom of this... Its been a while since I was fighting these particular battles. I dont do a lot of ableton anymore and for the sounds I was using the vsts for in the end I gave up on the laptop, bought an old korg sp100, used my 80s synth for an organ, and bided my time til I could buy a nord.

Now i have the electro into two powered twelves and don't have any buzz problems at all and never think about using a computer because the sounds I have are more than enough!

But yeah.. Could have been emi getting into the signal path from a lot of sources..

Also just to throw out there I have a great stereo DI box that cost me 40 bucks, the ART dual z direct.. Always worked great for me and I'll probably use it with my 12s sometimes if I need to.

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