I know such a noob topic. But I do need to address this issue in light of OB2.
So I had always been having issues with USB noise. To mitigate the issue I put my RME Babyface into my my monitor - essentially acting as a hub - which more or less resolved the issue. However more with OB2 I want to run all my usb devices on the computer itself.
And christ is there a lot of noise. This doesn’t end up on recordings and it’s not there when the computer is off (Babyface is bus powered). Therefore I don’t think it’s a ground problem (all things are on the same electrical socket)
Is it possible it’s due to cheap components that cause interference when in use? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
It is, but it’s between your computer’s supply and the devices.
It’s basically caused by your computer and the way it ‘abuses’ its power supply.
The only thing that can help is getting either an isolated USB port on the computer or use some sort of USB isolation device somewhere between the device and computer. USB isolation needs to be made for the speed of USB connection. You can’t use a USB1 isolator for a USB2 or USB3 connection. So be cautious when buying.
Ok cool. I’ll look into it. I’m sure you’re right.
But the RME is bus powered (the AR of course has its own power supply). Isn’t the RMEs power supply the computer’s then? I’m just asking so I understand…
EDIT: this doesn’t seem like a common problem. Is it my motherboard or cases problem? How can I make sure to avoid it in the future?
It’s a common enough problem for devices that don’t include their own isolation or power conditioning.
That doesn’t mean that a device like the RME can’t fix some of those problems.
About motherboards, well, the problem is kindof inherent to how computers use their power supply. A lot of switching is going on, putting short but big stress on the power.
I’m not sure the onboard USB stuff will be isolated due to cost of the board. So you’d have to look for a special isolated PCIe card or something like that.
Am I crazy or do these things often boil down to the fact that ground hygiene is low in USB connections? Does USB have any ways to combat potential ground issues?
