griesgraber@mindspring.com

Please excuse this very fundamental question, but how do I ensure that I am achieving the optimum s to n ratio in MSP? I am using a G4 powerpook and a MOTU 828mkII. I have built what is essentially a multi-voice looper to be used with electric guitar. I am about to take the patch out for its first performance, and I think that prospect has heightened my sensitivity to how noisy the patch (or the Max/MSP environment) is. To troubleshoot, I opened a new patch that was nothing but adc~ and dac~ objects connected to each other. Still noisy. The I tried swapping a Presonus Firebox for the MOTU - again, same noise. So I switched back to the 828mkII and ran clean, direct guitar signal to Logic 6 and there was very little noise. So my question is, is MSP just a noisy environment, or is there something in the way Max/MSP and the Mac communicate that's generating excess noise and which I can control. 

Please excuse this very fundamental question, but how do I ensure that I am achieving the optimum s to n ratio in MSP?  I am using a G4 powerpook and a MOTU 828mkII.  I have built what is essentially a multi-voice looper to be used with electric guitar.  I am about to take the patch out for its first performance, and I think that prospect has heightened my sensitivity to how noisy the patch (or the Max/MSP environment) is.  To troubleshoot, I opened a new patch that was nothing but adc~ and dac~ objects connected to each other.  Still noisy.  The I tried swapping a Presonus Firebox for the MOTU - again, same noise.  So I switched back to the 828mkII and ran clean, direct guitar signal to Logic 6 and there was very little noise.  So my question is, is MSP just a noisy environment, or is there something in the way Max/MSP and the Mac communicate that's generating excess noise and which I can control.  
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Steve


signal-to-noise-optimization-in-msp

i don't hear or see any noise when connecting an adc~ to dac~ in 4.5.6 on a Dell tower w/ built-in sound hardware.

Thanks for the reply cebec. Is there anyone out there who *has* experienced noise issues in setup and has overcome them?

Thanks for the reply cebec.  Is there anyone out there who *has* experienced noise issues in setup and has overcome them?


i haven't had any problems like this. any internal feedback systems seem totally silent until "seeded" with some sort of intentional audio. is the noise getting into the loops and multiplying (i.e. does it come from your audio input and get amplified by the system), or is it always a consistent noise level?

i haven't had any problems like this.  any internal feedback systems seem totally silent until "seeded" with some sort of intentional audio.  is the noise getting into the loops and multiplying (i.e. does it come from your audio input and get amplified by the system), or is it always a consistent noise level?


> Thanks for the reply cebec. Is there anyone out there who *has*

> experienced noise issues in setup and has overcome them?

I know of problems with noise which even do not get out of the 

soundcard, but are induced directly into powered speakers (high quality, 

Dynaudios). But inly if the power supply of a Toshiba laptop was plugged 

in. There could be a problem with high energy badly shielded power supplies.

Changing the power outlet helped, but only a little...

If the problem is with a laptop try running it on batteries.

(Apple Powerbooks do not have this problem)

[][] [][][] [][] [][][] [][] [][][] [][] [][][]

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14, Av. Pr. Franklin Roosevelt, 94320 Thiais, France

Stephen Griesgraber wrote:
> Thanks for the reply cebec.  Is there anyone out there who *has*
> experienced noise issues in setup and has overcome them? 

I know of problems with noise which even do not get out of the 
soundcard, but are induced directly into powered speakers (high quality, 
Dynaudios). But inly if the power supply of a Toshiba laptop was plugged 
in. There could be a problem with high energy badly shielded power supplies.
Changing the power outlet helped, but only a little...

If the problem is with a laptop try running it on batteries.
(Apple Powerbooks do not have this problem)

  [][]  [][][]  [][]  [][][]  [][]  [][][]  [][]  [][][]
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]

         Stefan Tiedje
         Klanggestalter
     Electronic Composition
               &
         Improvisation

            /~~~~~
     \   /|() ()|
     ))))) )|  |  |( \
     ///     _/)/ )))))
             ___/   ///

-------------------------x---
--_____-----------|----------
--(_|_ ----|-----|-----()---
-- _|_)----|-----()----------
----------()------------x----

14, Av. Pr. Franklin Roosevelt, 94320 Thiais, France
Phone at CCMIX   +33-1-49 77 51 72


On 26 janv. 06, at 12:04, Stefan Tiedje wrote:

>> Thanks for the reply cebec. Is there anyone out there who *has*

>> experienced noise issues in setup and has overcome them?

I had once noise with a USB Digi001. Replacing the USB cable solved the 

Centre de Recherches et de Formation Musicales de Wallonie asbl

> Stephen Griesgraber wrote:
>> Thanks for the reply cebec.  Is there anyone out there who *has*
>> experienced noise issues in setup and has overcome them?
>

I had once noise with a USB Digi001. Replacing the USB cable solved the 
problem.

_____________________________
Patrick Delges

Centre de Recherches et de Formation Musicales de Wallonie asbl
http://users.skynet.be/crfmw/max


On around Jan 26, 2006, at 12:04, Stefan Tiedje said something like:

> But inly if the power supply of a Toshiba laptop was plugged in.

I carry around a universal mains adapter for my PowerBook, even inside 

Continental Europe (hell, even inside Berlin), for the single reason 

> If the problem is with a laptop try running it on batteries.

> (Apple Powerbooks do not have this problem)

And, yes, I once did a performance on batteries for the simple reason 

that I forgot to bring my handy-dandy look-ma-no-earth mains plug 

If a ground loop is the source of Stephen's problem, it's easy to fix 

| Litter Power & Litter Bundle for Jitter

pcastine@bek.no | iCE: Sequencing, Recording, and Interface Building

http://www.dspaudio.com/software/software.html

On around Jan 26, 2006, at 12:04, Stefan Tiedje said something like:
> But inly if the power supply of a Toshiba laptop was plugged in.

I carry around a universal mains adapter for my PowerBook, even inside 
Continental Europe (hell, even inside Berlin), for the single reason 
that it doesn't connect to earth/ground.

> If the problem is with a laptop try running it on batteries.
> (Apple Powerbooks do not have this problem)

And, yes, I once did a performance on batteries for the simple reason 
that I forgot to bring my handy-dandy look-ma-no-earth mains plug 
adapter to the gig.

If a ground loop is the source of Stephen's problem, it's easy to fix 
and will make an enormous difference!

>I carry around a universal mains adapter for my PowerBook, even 

>inside Continental Europe (hell, even inside Berlin), for the single 

>reason that it doesn't connect to earth/ground.

had the same problem with the (MAC) Pbook G3 - had to take the 

earth/plug off - and quite the opposite with the Alu G4 1.5 Pbook - 

when running it with the NO-EARTH plug (provided by apple) i had once 

big troubles (i was feeling the electricity when touching the pbook)

plugging the OTHER cable (provided by apple as well) with 

>
>
>I carry around a universal mains adapter for my PowerBook, even 
>inside Continental Europe (hell, even inside Berlin), for the single 
>reason that it doesn't connect to earth/ground.
>

had the same problem with the (MAC) Pbook G3 - had to take the 
earth/plug off - and quite the opposite with the Alu G4 1.5 Pbook - 
when running it with the NO-EARTH plug (provided by apple) i had once 
big troubles (i was feeling the electricity when touching the pbook)

plugging the OTHER cable (provided by apple as well) with 
earth/ground solved the problem

kasper
-- 
  Kasper T. Toeplitz
noise, composition, bass, computer
http://www.sleazeArt.com

> I had once noise with a USB Digi001. Replacing the USB cable solved 

Oooppsss, I meant a mbox, not a digi001 (i'll never be familiar with 

> I had once noise with a USB Digi001. Replacing the USB cable solved 
> the problem.

Oooppsss, I meant a mbox, not a digi001 (i'll never be familiar with 
digidesign product line...)

> when running it with the NO-EARTH plug (provided by apple) i had once

> big troubles (i was feeling the electricity when touching the pbook)

Yeah, thats what I love most about electronic music, without noise but 

Kasper T Toeplitz wrote:
> when running it with the NO-EARTH plug (provided by apple) i had once
> big troubles (i was feeling the electricity when touching the pbook)

Yeah, thats what I love most about electronic music, without noise but 
being electrified....

Signal to noise optimization in MSP