M-Audio 2496 noise, help!
Home > Home Recording Forum > Recording Techniques > M-Audio 2496 noise, help!
Posted on Dec 23, 2004 12:53 pm
BaltRob
Member Since: Dec 23, 2004
This is a great site! I just joined up.
I was reading all about problems with M-Audio sound cards because I have a problem myself, but mine seems to be a little different.
I put in a 2496 card with Windows XP, installed the latest drivers from the M-Audio site, and it sounds great running my keyboards through a Behringer 1002 mixer and then into the sound card, but when I play back a recording (ACID Music studio 5.0) there's this noise like something is turned way up that shouldn't be, and each note played on the keyboard sounds like it was recorded with the level too high.
But I can disconect everything going into the sound card, record nothing, and the noise is still there, so it's not an input problem, I have tried every setting I can find, high low, nothing makes the noise go away, and yes, the sound card is on it's own IRQ, I'm running an Athlon XP-2200, almost a Gig of memory.
I do have quite a few USB plug ins, a wireless mouse, if any of that matters, would going back to Windows 2000 help? I'm not real thrilled with XP anyway.
Thanks for any help, Rob
[ Back to Top ]
Dec 23, 2004 01:18 pm First off, Welcome to HRC, we're glad to have you, I hope you enjoy your stay.
hmmm, well, I used to use the 2496 and never had that kind of problem. I would never recommend going back to that dog Windows 2000, as XP is far superior in terms of multimedia support.
Have you went in and checked your audio levels, not in the Delta control panel, but the Windows Control Panel in the "Sounds and Audio Devices" dialog? Do you have any other cards installed? If so, which is the Windows default?
Dec 23, 2004 01:31 pm Thanks Mr Administrator! :)
I did have a Sound Blaster Platinum before this, but it didn't play well with XP, which is why I went to the 2496, but I took all of that out, including any software, I even deleted it in device manager.
Now when I open the Windows volume controls, theres a Wave volume that's all the way up, I think I played with all those and it didn't help.
And what should I have the Delta control panel set to anyway? under the Patchbay/router settings.... Wav out 1/2? Monitor mixer? or H/W in 1/2? not that changing them helps with the noise problem, this is driving me nuts!
Dec 23, 2004 02:12 pm incoherent post:
welcome.
go into the 2496's control panel. surely your problems are there.
wav out means output from your audio program I THINK
make sure to check monitor mixer, I BELIEVE.
those soundcard levels are tricky and they must be tweaked just so. i think a hot level can result if the audiophile is listening to the audio program with too much intensity (the soundcard's gain). also you have to make sure to figure out those little side-to-side sliders at the top of each colored meter. i think they are left/right pans or something.
look at every setting for the soundcard. go through the instruction manual with a fine toothed comb. i'm leaving the house for the afternoon, but i should be around later and can maybe post my 2496's settings here, if you dont get it working.
Dec 23, 2004 02:14 pm to clarify a bit...
from your description it seems like the inputs the soundcard is listening to are trimmmed just right so there's not a gain overload. but the output of recorded stuff is hot. i think that's WAV OUT. play around with that a little bit; try lowering it.
Dec 23, 2004 02:27 pm No good, turning them all the way down didn't even help, but here's somthing, under the Windows volume controls, under "sound recording" where theres a mic. icon, the volume box is not high lighted, so I can't even get to any recording volume controls! is your's showing?
Maybe your 2496 settings would help, thanks for looking, I'll stay tuned.
Dec 23, 2004 02:31 pm Well, when I had the 2496 I generally had it set to "Monitor Mixer" myself. One thing I always disliked about M-Audio was the confusing control panel, but the sound quality was good, and that is the important thing. Remember to not have any app (or windows) set to any generic input and output (such as "Microsoft Sound Mapper" or anything like that, set your Audiophile explicitly in Windows, and in any application...
BleakA small pie will soon be eatenMember
Since: Aug 26, 2004
Dec 23, 2004 07:05 pm Could the card itself be picking up noise from within ?
Maybe try re-seating the card in another slot.
That will at least elimate the slot or position as a problem.
HuePinnipedal Czar (: 3= Member
Since: Apr 11, 2004
Dec 23, 2004 08:30 pm I had a bit of a prob with mine shortly after the install... switching the slot fixed it . Not sure if it will help in your situation, but sounds like a place to start .
Dec 23, 2004 10:25 pm Did that! I mean I could try to do it again, but I'm running out of ideas, it does sound like it's picking up noise internally though, the noise is even picked up by the little Windows recorder, so that rules out the music program.
And why can't I get any recording controls in the Windows settings? there just not showing up, is this normal with this card?
Dec 25, 2004 04:12 am well, i checked. at this point i doubt its your soundcard settings. in mine the only relevant settings seem to be setting 'monitor mixer' in the H/W out 1/2 column or whatever it is and whatever that means. i recall that i also initially had strange problems before i learned to check 'stereo link' beneath every colored meter on the main panel. on mine, the sliders for each of those meters are cranked all the way to the top. (god, i wonder if that's a good thing to do?). while recording, i just set my audio program's master output to a point where the soundcard meters are not clipping up in the red. i keep the soundcard panel open and check it every time i adjust something in the audio app in order to keep myself in the green.
Dec 25, 2004 12:33 pm Yes, mine are also set to "stereo link" and I have no way to see any Windows recording settings, is this normal with this card?
I am totally out of ideas, when I play a note on the keyboard, the played back recording sounds like you put it through a vibrato efect, not to mention the noise.
I wrote M-Audio, but in the mean time I think I'll be looking at other cards, I could still send this one back
Dec 25, 2004 03:08 pm what do you mean by windows recording settings?
be sure to go into control panel-->sound (or whatever the path is) and to play around with the settings there. check EVERYTHING. go into the 'advanced' boxes and double check it all. and then double-click your speaker icon in your taskbar and make sure that stuff is alright.
related question for anyone: should i have my soundcard out-sliders pushed all the way to ten and be tweaking my audio app's master volume or is that backwards? i remember what you guys taught me about gain staging and it just struck me that with this setup, the audio app doesn't get to pump it out at 10; the card boosts the signal instead. is there any way this could be hurting final products or no?
Dec 25, 2004 09:16 pm Thats what I mean, the control panels that come with Windows to control the volume of things, under audio, I have no boxes that will come up to check record settings, only play settings, same with advanced settings, only play, not record.
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Dec 27, 2004 03:34 pm Sounds like your drivers are not installed correctly, or didnt install completely. I would uninstall the drivers and card. Then do a complete re-install. I would also recomend looking for the latest drivers as well.
Dec 28, 2004 09:53 pm Well I gave up, I took it out and put in an E-MU 1212m, I'm going to try and get some one else to put it in there system just to make sure it isn't the card itself, I don't think it is because it sounds great just playing sounds through it, and then I guess I'll sell it, unless I can find that recept.....
