Cannot calibrate creative x-fi soundcard

[brucek]

I just measured the card with and without the mic cal. and I am getting good repeating measures with and then without

Then you're doing something very wrong that you'll need to correct. Measuring a loopback cable will produce completely different results depending on whether you have a mic/meter file loaded - how could it not. The mic/meter file is applied to the measurement results, so they must be different.

When you say you do a measure - tell me what you do. What buttons are you pushing.

Your plots above look suspect. The soundcard cal file should drop at the extremes (as it does) , and the Measure should be flat.

Below is a typical soundcard calibration file and a measure of a loopback cable. The cable results show a flat purple line. The soundcard cal file is dotted. Note the vertical scaling I used - 1db per division.





brucek

[robertcharles123]

What abot these. I just did them. I am off to a wedding. Be back later.





Thanks,

Robert

[brucek]

Yep, looks good.

Now you simply remove the loopback and use that calibrated channel for your mic/preamp and output to the receiver for your measurements. Use only the analog line-out to the receiver - and you can use a Y-splitter to feed the left and right channel. Be sure the receiver is in the stereo only mode with its crossover engaged.
To measure the sub alone, disconnect the mains speakers.

Be sure to run the Check Levels (using the sub calibrate signal)

Then run Calibrate and set to 75dB.

Then Measure from 0-200Hz for the sub. Be sure to use the sub cal signal.

Post all sub plots with a standard Vertical graph axis of (45dB - 105dB) and the Horizontal graph axis of (15Hz - 200Hz) using the Graph Limits button in the top right corner of REW.

brucek

[robertcharles123]

Got the REW to actually work today, but no real measurements and a lot of noise in the system when it is hooke up. I guess I need to start over again?

[brucek]

I guess I need to start over again?

You don't need to redo the soundcard cal file, but if there's a problem, it doesn't hurt to use a loopback cable and ensure it measures flat (using the soundcard calibration file) before you begin.

brucek

[robertcharles123]

When I hook an rca cable to the output of the soundcard, a massive hum comes from the drivers. I then went directly to the back of the amp and it was a massive noise. Any thoughts?

Thanks,

Robert

[robertcharles123]

brucek wrote:

You don't need to redo the soundcard cal file, but if there's a problem, it doesn't hurt to use a loopback cable and ensure it measures flat (using the soundcard calibration file) before you begin.

brucek

I will do that shortly.

[brucek]

When I hook an rca cable to the output of the soundcard, a massive hum comes from the drivers. I then went directly to the back of the amp and it was a massive noise. Any thoughts?

Do you mean, when you connect a cable from line-out of the soundcard to the AUX or CD input of your receiver you get a hum from your speakers?

If so, this is likely a ground loop, or a bad cable. Be sure to plug the computer into the same power bar as the receiver.

brucek

[JohnM]

And always switch off your amps before changing any connections...

[robertcharles123]

brucek wrote:

Do you mean, when you connect a cable from line-out of the soundcard to the AUX or CD input of your receiver you get a hum from your speakers?

If so, this is likely a ground loop, or a bad cable. Be sure to plug the computer into the same power bar as the receiver.

brucek

I tried a host of different cables to no avail. I turned everything oof and then powered up the amp it was connected to. Noise that gets louder as it goes-extremely loud. I pulled the cords and shut it down.

I am going to reload the soundcard and retry everything. Thanks for the help.
I am going to give the reload a shot tonight.

Thanks,

Robert

[JohnM]

robertcharles123 wrote:

I turned everything oof and then powered up the amp it was connected to. Noise that gets louder as it goes-extremely loud. I pulled the cords and shut it down.

That behaviour would be typical of a feedback loop caused by monitoring being active in the soundcard's mixer.

[robertcharles123]

JohnM wrote:

That behaviour would be typical of a feedback loop caused by monitoring being active in the soundcard's mixer.

I unchecked all of the monitoring stuff and all of the eq and effects. I think I need to go to the website and troubleshoot the soundcard. I hope that works. I will try to post later.

Thank you,

Robert

[brucek]

I unchecked all of the monitoring stuff

To be sure that it is indeed off, examine the line-in status of the Playback Mixer in Windows. It should be muted, while line-in in the Record Mixer should be enabled.

brucek

[robertcharles123]

brucek wrote:

To be sure that it is indeed off, examine the line-in status of the Playback Mixer in Windows. It should be muted, while line-in in the Record Mixer should be enabled.

brucek

I will try this, but I really do not know how to "just do" what you say here.

[brucek]

I will try this, but I really do not know how to "just do" what you say here

What operating system are you using? XP or Vista...

[robertcharles123]

brucek wrote:

What operating system are you using? XP or Vista...

XP. I cannot find the things you are listing.

Thanks,

Robert

[brucek]

XP. I cannot find the things you are listing.

To be sure monitoring is off, mute the Line-in in the Windows Playback Mixer and enable it in the Windows Recording Mixer.

Double click the speaker icon in your System Tray. (The System tray is in the lower right hand corner of your computer screen).

This will popup the Windows Playback Mixer.

The jpg below shows that Playback Mixer and also shows how to switch between the Playback and Record Mixer and how to select what items to display in each mixer by using the check box.

Note how the line-in is muted in the Playback Mixer.





Now select the Record Mixer and ensure the line-in is enabled as shown in the jpg below.



brucek

[robertcharles123]

brucek wrote:

To be sure monitoring is off, mute the Line-in in the Windows Playback Mixer and enable it in the Windows Recording Mixer.

Double click the speaker icon in your System Tray. (The System tray is in the lower right hand corner of your computer screen).

This will popup the Windows Playback Mixer.

The jpg below shows that Playback Mixer and also shows how to switch between the Playback and Record Mixer and how to select what items to display in each mixer by using the check box.

Note how the line-in is muted in the Playback Mixer.

Attachment 15314



Now select the Record Mixer and ensure the line-in is enabled as shown in the jpg below.

Attachment 15313

brucek

My panel only has master volume, wave volume, midi and cd. The recordhas cd, micrphone, mono out, and wave out.

Thanks,

Robert

[brucek]

My panel only has

You have to tick the checkbox in the Properties panel (as shown in the jpg I attached above) to add the feature.

brucek

[robertcharles123]

brucek wrote:

You have to tick the checkbox in the Properties panel (as shown in the jpg I attached above) to add the feature.

brucek

I did that and those options are not listed.

these are the boxes available.


volume

wave

midi

cd

micrphone

pc beep


On the record option, these are the options

cd

microphone

wave out mix

mono out


Nothing like you have listed can be checked. That is alll that is included in the properties menu.

I cannot find anything else.

Thanks,

Robert

[brucek]

OK, I guess we won't go down that road any further.

Can I see a jpg of your soundcard application. Maybe I will see something that isn't correct that is causing all this noise.

brucek

[Ricci]

Dumb question Robert. Are you using a laptop? If so have you tried running it off of the battery alone? My own set-up has a noise problem whenever I use the laptop power supply, but I wouldn't say it was a massive hum. Mine is just nasty background hiss and buzz. I'm just throwing that out there. It's probably not what you have going.