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Host Computer Question…

E

Evolution DB

Member
Hi,
New to the forum. My system currently consists of an X4, two X8P’s and a Satelite Octo Core. In the optical end of the X8P is an Audient ASP 880. I own roughly 90% of the entire UAD Plug In Library. The current host computer is a custom made Windows tower with an Intel i9 processor, 64GB of RAM and 4TB of total storage.

When I track Guitar or Bass, when sitting in front of the tower there is just too much noise. The only way to fix this issue is to move literally 30 feet across the room with a set of cans and a 30 ft extension, turn my back to my mixing desk after I precount/pre roll the track then run back to disarm the track. It’s a major annoyance and pain.

So my question is first to the PC owners…..

Have you experienced this and if so, what was the problem and was there a solution? Maybe a new sound card? IDK.

And for the Mac users……

Does this kind of thing exist on the Mac side?
In addition as I have considered moving back to the Mac platform and am currently looking at the new Studio cubes, is there a particular model of the Studio that would be better suited to the Apollo environment over another? By this I mean that depending on the configuration they start at $1,999.00 for the base model and can go as high as $9,300.00 maxed out. I stay strictly within the UAD plug in platform. I currently run Pro Tools Monthly for my DAW but also use Presonus Studio One 6 Professional.
As far as tracking is concerned I use a Townsend Sphere for Vocals and acoustic instruments, guitars / bass are tracked either Hi Z, or with my Two Notes Torpedo Studio if using real amps, or I have two channels setup for my Fractal Audio AxeFx III or swap to a Neural DSP Quad Cortex, Keys are done via USB in and Drums I use a 5 pc Drum Tec electric kit with a total of 7 ATV Cymbal Pads running a Pearl Mimic Pro Module Each piece has its own discreet channel. I also sometimes run Superior Drummer 3 Massenburg or Slate Drums 5.
If I decide to switch back to Mac then obviously I would run Luna as my DAW.

Sorry to be as long and detailed as I was above but I wanted to provide you all with as much info as possible to generate the proper answer particularly on choosing the right Mac for the job.

Thank you in advance for all your replies and Happy Holidays.
 
Bear-Faced Cow

Bear-Faced Cow

Hall of Fame Member
What kind of noise are you referring you? Fan noise or are you sitting too close to a monitor? As well, what kind of guitars and basses? If they have single coils pickups, that can result in noise.

I hear you on the distance thang. it’s one of the main reasons I stuck a remote station in my recording area.

As for the type of Mac Studio? Any one of them will work for music. You just need to decide on the how many performance cores will fit your needs. Not to mention that it also dictates the RAM requirements. I’d focus on those two requirements first.

jord
 
klasaine

klasaine

Hall of Fame Member
I can only address the ‘noise’ issue.
Since moving away alleviates it, it’s either ground hum or RFI, neither of which is Mac or pc exclusive. Having to move 30 feet away is extreme. There’s a grounding issue somewhere. Pickups, power supplies, cables, pedals are the first ‘usual suspects’ you need to rule out. Unplug everything and add back one by one. Start with just a guitar or bass and one cable into your interface. Monitor screens can be a big culprit. Turn it off and see what happens.
 
Gary D

Gary D

Established Member
Does the noise issue happen with specific guitars or is it a general problem ? Obviously, single coils can be more problematic, but a ground issue in any guitar can cause issues. Having said that, what you describe seems more like RFI ( as @klasaine has identified ). Even with vintage Strats, teles etc I often track right in front of the desk with a couple of monitor screens within 3/4 feet of me, without any big problems. From the way you describe it, yours is a pretty extreme situation. ( weirdly enough I have a Suhr with 2 noiseless s/c,1 HB which causes me minor issues, even though I have been over the wiring a few times, a regular gate is enough to deal with anything that can't be dealt with at the point of editing ).

I am not convinced that this is a host system issue that will be solved by throwing money at a new Mac. It sounds like there is something else going on, unless there is something throwing in interference from within your pc itself ?

I am no expert on monitors screens etc, maybe someone else could chime in here. Could a particular monitor be more problematic ?

In terms of plug in solutions, I hear good thing about the C Suite Guitar noise suppressor acting as a more sophisticated gate.

Anyhow, I hope you get a solution as I am sure it will be a major pain for you having to work that way.
 
E

Evolution DB

Member
Hello again everyone and thank you so much.

So, this happens with all my guitars regardless of whether they are humbucker or single coil equipped. My tower sits right under my desk. It’s a loud ground hum 60 cycle thing but man oh man is it as loud as ever. I can sit facing everything and play and it’s loud. I can then turn in my chair 45 degrees away and the noise is 85% gone. I can walk out of the room into the living room of my home and it gets louder than ever until I stand facing a certain way in a certain direction and just don’t move. This doesn’t happen with anything else but guitar and bass. When I tracked our first single I had to purchase a Radial Twin ISO. I also tried using my wireless and that didn’t work.

I can tell you that I moved my guitars near all my hardware units and it is as quiet as a church mouse. It’s when as soon as I approach the tower things go haywire so it is in fact related to the tower. And btw, performance wise the tower is an absolute beast of a machine. 😃 My only reason for going back to Mac like I said would be to move to Luna. I just love the entire UA ecosystem and quite honestly have no need to use anything else although I do keep
a Slate membership for those of my friends who use it so we can work along the same platforms. I haven’t had to use it yet though.

I really appreciate you all.

God Bless,

D
 
klasaine

klasaine

Hall of Fame Member
So if different placement yields different levels of noise, and it's 60 cycles - that's a ground issue most likely related to something with a transform in it.

Turning 45° from your computer and the noise reducing considerably is the big clue here, and what tells me it's transformer based.
 
upliftproductions

upliftproductions

Active Member
Have you tried a ground lift or an isolation to eliminate hum. I use the Radial Big Shot.

Also, would love the Specs of your PC running so much UA stuff on Thunderbolt. Thx.
 
E

Evolution DB

Member
klasaine said:
So if different placement yields different levels of noise, and it's 60 cycles - that's a ground issue most likely related to something with a transform in it.

Turning 45° from your computer and the noise reducing considerably is the big clue here, and what tells me it's transformer based.
Click to expand...
So maybe the computer tower power supply since it is most prominent when I bring the guitar near the tower. I wonder if I can get an isolated power supply for it if there is such a thing?
 
klasaine

klasaine

Hall of Fame Member
Is this a new thing or have you always had the noise issues with guitars?
 
klasaine

klasaine

Hall of Fame Member
It’s possible that there’s something going on with a component in the tower.
Could be as simple as a faulty or disconnected ground wire. Or even two things touching that shouldn’t be - ?
 
E

Evolution DB

Member
klasaine said:
It’s possible that there’s something going on with a component in the tower.
Could be as simple as a faulty or disconnected ground wire. Or even two things touching that shouldn’t be - ?
Click to expand...
Yeahhhhhh, I am sending it out next week. Hopefully it can be fixed. If I keep having noise issues I will buy a Mac Studio and just move on.
 
DanteMurphy

DanteMurphy

Established Member
My Mac Studio plays a triad on start up - then you wouldn’t know it was on if it wasn’t for a little led light glowing on it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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