Unacceptable noise levels from inputs and outputs

[theextravaganttraveller]

Needed an upgrade to my existing IO and researched all weekend until I finally decided on the MR816x - bad ass pre's, good conversion, great feedback all around. Sold.

Until I get home and plug this puppy in - unacceptable noise from outputs, even turned all the way down!

OK, I'm a big boy, I can trouble shoot things. Open up the software mixer, start poking around. Muting each input channel one-by-one begins to decrease noise (nothing plugged into any of the inputs and gains set to 0 by the way....). With all inputs muted and master level at 0, i can STILL hear noise! Raise to 50% master, completely unusable. (the trim on my Genelecs is set all the way down btw)

I don't have an iso booth so I record where I mix, through cans. Needless to say, I won't be doing ANY recording with the nice condensors I picked up to match this puppy's preamps. And turning off speakers... or inserting a hardware volume control between outs and speakers (as some others who've noticed the noise issue suggested) - simply not an option. I did not buy a $700 unit to be futzing around, this thing needs to sound clean...PERIOD. Hell, my 6-year old Firebox that's been dropped, stomped on, etc, is dead-silent compared to the MR816!

I've tried various other fixes - plugging the MR816 into a different circuit, running it on clean power from my battery backup.... to no avail.

For anyone reading this who's bought this unit - am I crazy? Does your unit hiss when it's on, even at low levels? (I certainly don't consider myself too picky, but noise is noise!) Or did I get a dud? Any suggestions?

For anyone reading this who is considering buying this unit, beware. Several other posters indicate this issue and they've parted with their units due to it. As much as it saddens me, I might be joining that club very soon. Incredible preamps are useless when the audio interface is spitting this type of garbage (at 0 level!) in the room where you record! Even if I was only mixing, it would drive me utterly mad everytime I sat down to work.

Very disappointed.


::::: SETUP - iMac 27", MR816x plugged in via 400->800 FW cable

[grasshopper]

Hey, I have two mr816 csx and they are absolutely dead quiet, no additional noise at all. If everything is setup correctly and you don't have a bad cable or grounding problem then likely you got a dud.

I would take it back and exchange it for another one as you just bought it. They are nice sounding when working properly.
_________________
Cubase 5.5, MR816CSX x2, Presonus FireStudio + Digimax FS, Mackie Control +Ext + C4, Penryn Macbook Pro, 3 Custom Guitars, Roland TD-3, Axiom + Novation Keys, etc.

[theextravaganttraveller]

Hey thanks good to know. I'll be taking mine back today for an exchange, will update once I receive the new unit.

[theextravaganttraveller]

Unfortunately, replacement unit exhibited exact same noise issue as the previous unit so I've decided to part with the MR816. Shame, because the unit DOES sound terrific!....Except for that ridiculously high noise floor!

In any event, I picked up a Focusrite Saffire PRO 40 - several hundred cheaper so I can invest the extra cash....in other gear I probably don't need! Plugged this baby in, dead quiet as should be expected, even at 100% master gain! Same cables, same power, same everything as the MR816....no noise. Quite a head-scratcher.... I suppose it possible that something about the design of the MR just wasn't "compatible" with my space and power....? Or perhaps a bad batch of units, Steinberg? (not sure, but I do know that I'll think twice before buying any Steinberg-branded hardware in the future)

A little saddened about parting with the MR after having researched the hell out of it all weekend... but hey, you do what you gotta do. I think this Saffire will serve me well.

Now I just need to find out where they sell musical inspiration!

[herrtommy]

well, my MR816x is quiet as quiet can be i.m.o
However, I have too experienced a similar issue with a guitar multieffect once. It produced a hella-noise, and was useless to record with. Put up another (same here, same cables, power-outlet and everything) and there was NO noise.
Later we tested the first multieffect at another location, and it worked perfectly.

I have to this day no clue of why this is so...

I recon this did not help at all, but thanks for the chat anyway
_________________
Mac Pro (8-core Xenon, 8GB RAM) OSX 10.6.4
Steinberg MR816x
M-Audio Profire 2626
Cubase 5.5.2
T-Racks3 DeLuxe

[theextravaganttraveller]

The problem with the 2 MR816s I tested was that they would output noise with no inputs plugged in, all inputs muted in the software mixer, and master set to zero. Turning up the master to reasonable mix levels (%40-50) made it completely unusable.

The Saffire Pro 40 i substituted yesterday is completely quiet on the other hand, even at full master. My guess is bad batch of MRs at my shop maybe, oh well! Steinberg should really QC their product before shipping it out.

Glad to hear yours is working though!

[ciptension]

Dude, do U know what a ground loop is ?

Either way, why don't you record that noise and post it here, so other people can learn how a ground loop sounds

[sav]

Ive also had 2 MR's, both giving me the same problem as theextravaganttraveller, and I'm still baffled as to what is causing the noise.
Previous set up was an 02R desk, Mackie HD recorder, several rack units - not the slightest bit of noise coming from my speakers.
Current set up - Pc, MR816X and same speakers. All connected in the same room, now I get this fuzzy noise!?
The 1st unit I sent back as I thought it was faulty, when the 2nd one turned..same thing!.

[sav]

Ive also had 2 MR's, both giving me the same problem as theextravaganttraveller, and I'm still baffled as to what is causing the noise.
Previous set up was an 02R desk, Mackie HD recorder, several rack units - not the slightest bit of noise coming from my speakers.
Current set up - Pc, MR816X and same speakers. All connected in the same room, now I get this fuzzy noise!?
The 1st unit I sent back as I thought it was faulty, when the 2nd one turned..same thing!.

[ciptension]

Disconnect Speakers from MR816.
Disconnect ANY cable from the MR816.
Disconnect firewire, have I told you ANY cable, or what ?!?
Have you disconnected the power cable?
Fine.
Have you disconnected any ADAT/SPDIF cable?
Good.

Turn all 8 gain knobs all the way down.
Not up, down.
This is counterclockwise.

Now plug the power source to the MR816.
Now plug the power source to the mains.
Now plug in a headset.
NO, do NOT plug your computer in !

Now plug a headset in one of the front jacks.
Do you hear any noise?

If yes, make a few pictures with your setup (details about how the MR816 is mounted , about power cables and anything around it).
Post them to the net and give me the link.

C.

[sav]

Hi Ciptension,

Thanks for your reply.

[ciptension]

Cool.
So your interface looks to be good, right ?

No, I am not related to Steinberg.
Actually I hate this interface with all my guts, but I'm stuck with (for now), so I want to get all the devils out of

Now, without connecting anything else and not touching any knob, plug your speakers in.
Is the noise there?

Share your knowledge, brother.

C.
PS: for me, the noise sounds like white noise you normally get when pushing the preamps all the way up. But is just a guess.

[sav]

Speakers in, no noise.

I'm still listening out for noise in the headphones, right?

Sorry for my slow replys, I got my parents visiting for the weekend (), so Im getting back in here checking for replys as I can.

If this helps any, after checking with the speakers in, I then connected the firewire cable (pc off), no noise in the cans, then switched speakers on, no noise in the cans, just the noise coming out the speakers now that I switched them on. (sorry if im jumping the gun )

Sav.
_________________
Synergy AW700 i7 CPU 920 @ 2.66GHz | 3GB DDR3 | 2x 320GB H/D's | XP-SP3 | MR816X | C4/5

[ciptension]

Is ok, jump all the way up, important is to detect when the noise is coming in.
Please quote and answer online to my Q. :

Well, you have to check for the noise both in cans AND speakers.

So, to get it right, with speakers connected, NO PC connected (just MR816 on, cans in, speakers on and connected), do you get that white noise in the speakers only ?
...

If you disconnect the speakers form MR 816, the noise in speakers remain?
...

Have you noticed any change in the noise shape? (like more hum or different frequencies appearing, different from the file uploaded in your second post)
...
And now, two more:
What speakers are you using? (please also add a link to the model, save's my time )
...

What cables are you using? Are they balanced or not? (presuming is jack-jack cable do those jacks are TS or TRS ( 2 or 3 "contacts" or "mono" versus "stereo", as dumb people call them; see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TRS_connector).
...


C.

[sav]

[ciptension]

Cool.
We are getting there.

1) What output ports are you using for the speakers?

2) Please try all other output ports and tell me if you get the same behavior. (noise only with the MR started).

3) Are you using the last version of MR and the last driver?

4) The ugly thing is that we have to check the MR settings, so It would be nice to describe this:
a) go to MR-> Setup and describe all settings: word clock master, clock source, sample rate, buffer size, wdm audio routing in and outs, digital io, sweet spot ch strip.

b) In MR->Setup please select DIGITAL IO to SPDIF + SPDIF, then return to main window and, for every sterou out selected in the right, please tell me how are the faders positioned.
For the active output, try to set to the lowest setting all the faders, and see if the noise is going down.

Is the noise going down if you set your main fader all the way down?


C.

[sav]

[ciptension]

Sure, have a nap. I live by Chinese time, so I'll be reading for the night

I was expecting you to have some white noise from your speakers (all have some), so this is normal.
Something bothers me is that you get sensible MORE noise when starting the MR Editor program (I understood right, yes? the noise is coming in ONLY when you start the MR Editor program and vanishes when you close the program, right ?).


There would be 2 more thinks for you to test:

1) It happens for you to have around a power strip with grounding?
If yes, please please me and stick it into the wall, then plug in this power strip your computer, your speakers and your MR816. I hope you still don't have any other device plugged into the MR816.
Also, is your computer connected to other devices, other than Internet? (TV output, TV tunner, printer, etc).
Please disconnect ALL those for a while (with your audio system in "noise mode:P" - MR software started).
Also please disconnect the Internet for a while and see if there is any change with the noise.

2) Please check the default audio device in Control Panel. If the default is Yamaha MR816, please chenge it to your on board soundcard. See if there is any change.

3) Close the MR software and open Cubase. (Default soundcard set to onboard soundcard). Select MR816 as ASIO driver, set up VST connections and play some audio from inside the Cubase.
Is the noise there? If yes, is that coming in as soon as you start Cubase, or not?

4) Try this game: play some music if using media player, set the volume to max, check in the MR software if the DAW Vu-metter is going green up almost to the red zone (important is not to have too low audio signal out of your player).
Now, lower speakers volume down while erasing the MR816 volume (form the front left knob).
Try to keep the music at the same level. What is happening with the noise? Is changing in level with the MR816 volume changes?
If yes, how?

5) I see you are living in UK. If yes, the MR816 is the UK version? Can you make a picture with the power supply? (I think it should be different from the European/US model).


C.

[ciptension]

5) If making a picture is difficult, please check
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mains_power_around_the_world
and identify the plug type in the right side of the screen.

C.

[sav]

Morning/afternoon ciptension

[ciptension]

Please read the PM.

For other people interested in this story, please stand by, we will return to you with one conclusion

C.

[sav]

[iwobic]

Hi All,

I have bought my unit in June, very happy with it but I can't get rid of this noise too.

My set up is Macbook pro (it used to be iMac until 2 weeks ago), mr816x and Adam A7 speakers connected to outs 1&2.
I tried to connect the Adams to all of the analog outs on the unit but they all have the same problem ( some outs got it even worse than 1&2)...
_________________
Macbook Pro 2.66, Cubase 5, MR816x, Yamaha Stage Custom Drum, SEelectronis SE1a matched pair mics, Audix D6, Shure SM57, Audiotechnica AT4040

www.myspace.com/icdigital

[ciptension]

iwobic, have you reported that to Steinberg support?
This is the first to go place, then, if they don not help, come to us and share your support expeirience

C.

[ciptension]

Hi there !

The, have you reported the issue to the support team?
If not, please do and come back (to the new forum) with the answer, there is definitely a problem with this unit on some setups and I am sure they know about it.

Br,
C.