Strange Buzzing Sound

Might there be some RF nearby that is interfering with the system?

I get that on my computer audio monitors when a cell phone is lying next to them.

For that matter it might be the computer. Try moving wires away or about to see if something isn't acting like an antenna?

Also, does the volume control on the amp turn up and down the buzzing? At least that tells you where the insertion point of the noise is coming from.

It doesn't usually buzz or make the sound, only since I plugged the amp in to the mic port, and plugged the mic into the input on the amp. The amp and microphone are both now unplugged and the sound continues...

It also comes up with the error EAccessviolation

Access violation on my computer means I did a no-no and have to reboot. Asus mb with realtek sound.

Vic

I think it may have had too much power going through it. It was a 230v amp, turned to about half. Is there any way to fix this? There doesn't appear to be anything fried...

Hi....

Are you using external speakers? If yes, then I think this seems to be a problem of sound reverberation. i.e when you have MIC connected to amplifier and in case your microphone is close to speakers then smallest noise picked up by microphone is amplified and played thru speaker and it goes in to cycle and cascading the noise volume and it ultimately gives a whistling kind of sound through speaker.

If this is the case then try:

1) Ensure direction of microhone should not face speaker.

2) Maintain distance between speaker and microhone such that it does not give the whistling sound.

I used to mix sound as an Audio Engineer and my home studio. The long beep sounds like steady tone or note positive feedback. Like a foghorn if low enough in frequency. Turn the Master volumes all the way down and see if that goes away.

To much gain or to close to the speakers can cause this with a mike.

The buzzing sounds like 60 Hertz to me which could be a bad ground or shield in one of your inputs or the mike cable. I have heard noise just like this myself. It sounds like a hardware problem. Also the error message should be explained in the manual or look for a manual with Google. I do this all the time. Or enter the model number of your device and feedback or hum keywords and see what you get. Somebody out there may have had the same problem you have. I use Google a lot to debug and learn about many problems it is time consuming at times but I have always found some form of answer! Best of luck!

The mic is not plugged in anymore, and I haven't adjusted the speakers. The sound still continues. I am just worried that I haven't busted it up. It has realtec audio. If I turn the master volume on my computer down, and on my speakers up, the buzzing stops and but I can still hear the beep (very quiet though)

Do you have an external amp that powers the speakers and the input of the amp is plugged into the computer?

If so, if you unplug the input of the amp and turn the computer off, does it make noise?

It almost sounds like there is an impedance mismatch between the computer out and the amp input.

Which output from the computer are you using?

The speakers are plugged into a subwoofer, which has a external power supply. The wire from that goes into the Lime Green, Black and orange jacks on the motherboard

You could try a few things.

1. Unplug the wires from the computer and see if the noise is still present. I would keep the computer off and ideally, short the wire that was plugged into the speaker output on the computer.

Shorting the green plug wire (rings and tip of the plug all together) grounds the amplifier inputs and will reduce any stray field hum from the "air".

Then turn up the amp and listen for noise.

2. Plug one of the speakers into the jack on the computer you pulled the green plug. Turn on the computer and turn up the computer's volume control. Do you hear the same noise?

Obviously, if the noise is step 1 is still there, then you have a bad set of computer speakers. Actually, it is the amp in the subwoofer that has a problem or the amp's power supply. Either way it is not something you will likely fix on your own.

If the noise is heard in step 2, then your sound card in the computer is the culprit.

Finally, sometimes a loose component or bad solder joint can make noises in the audio circuit. An old trick is to rap on the case of the amplifier to see if the noise comes and goes with the physical shock of being hit. I know that I make noise when I am hit.

I hope that helps.

It is something to do with the sound on the motherboard, the sound is present if I plug different speakers in.

Seems like you need a new sound card for your PC.

See post 15

Tom

Ok if you go to Control Panel there is an option called "Sounds and Audio Devices". Click the Hardware tab and you will see the hardware & drivers installed. Highlight by clicking on each one and at the very bottom you have Hardware Status "This device is working properly". I am using Windows XP. If this message says anything else the hardware or driver or both are bad. This is a Realtec AC'97 diagnostic troubleshooting tool. There is a troubleshooting button you can press if you find any problems with any of the items in the list. Check Properties of each item also. If everything is OK there is a Voice tab and "Test Hardware". Plug the mike back in and keep the volume low to prevent feedback and follow the instructions. This will test your hardware and software. Check all the tabs and there is a button under Volume tab that will allow you to place the audio status of your card at the bottom right of your screen it looks like a speaker. You may have to experiment with these settings. Make sure Midi, Line or any other input that you are not using is "Muted". The Buzz or 50 Hz hum could be coming say from Line input which you may have open and possible other noise like the beep sound. The fact that the Master Volume cuts these sounds down is encouraging. So check every setting and mute and turn down the volume on all inputs you are not using. If you pass the Hardware Test check all cables for loose wires or use different input cables or a different mike to check this stuff out also. It sounds to me you have a 50 Hz problem sometimes caused by an input not muted with volume turned up this will cause a buzzing sound and may be picking up noise from computer monitors as well I know in Holland they use 230 VAC 50 Hz and it interfered with my electronic equipment. The beep could be a hardware problem or a configuration problem. Last thing search the web for Realtec AC'97 and see if your drivers are out of date. They have been updating them in the past 2 years or so.

All the audio devices say they are working. The only setting which changes the beep is the "rear pink in", which when muted makes the sound louder. I have tried updating the drivers, and re-installed the sound. There were no newer drivers - this pc is only about 3 months old. It did not beep before I plugged the amp in.

"this pc is only about 3 months old"

Bondy, call your vendor. it's still under warranty, I suppose. they're only a call away, and you're only a few hours from a cure to the problem.

It's a home build, and everything is now fixed

Bondy,

If you were driving the microphone input with an audio amplifier, you have probably "nuked" the microphone input on your motherboard. Mic inputs are high-impedance, and audio amplifiers are low-impedance outputs. You could very easily over-drive the microphone input, and damage something on the motherboard. I think you will need to disable your onboard sound device, and add a new sound card (and don't use an audio amp to drive the microphone input again!). Sound-Blaster brand sound cards are pretty common, and very well supported by Windows. You should be able to pick up an entry level 5.1 PCI sound card for under $40-US, the online calculator I found says that's less than £25.

If your mic level seems to be too low, some sound devices have an "Advanced Controls for Microphone" and allow you to select something called "Microphone Boost", if you don't have that option, or if it still seems too low, I would say you may need to look for a better microphone. Good luck!

Tom

Would you recommend simply buying a new motherboard, for £40 or going for a sound card? The motherboard is simply the newer model.

Bondy,

The hardware manager is not going to be able to detect the kind of failure that's probably happened, thus it says "This device is functioning properly". As far as new motherboard vs new sound card, I would think you could buy the sound card for 1/2 the price of a motherboard, but I guess that depends on the source. One thing to keep in mind, if you consider a different motherboard, you may need to reinstall your OS, or at least have to deal with some driver/hardware issues, unless it's exactly the same model of motherboard. You'll have to be sure any new motherboard is compatible with your existing processor, RAM, and any peripheral cards or drives you have installed. If the motherboard you are looking at is just a "slightly" updated version of the existing one, you might get by without too much trouble.

Any chance you know someone who could lend you a PCI sound card, so you could disable the onboard sound and try out a PCI card, to be sure your problem will go away?

Tom

Just buying a sound card, should be here by the weekend.

Hello Bondy,

Appears you goofed, what type amp are you using?

By the way, after you've rectified this situation, a thread devoted to microphone configuration would be worth while; don't use an amp it wasn't designed for this application I'm certain

It is a 10 watt, 230v guitar amp. I don't usually use it with the pc.

The buzzing sound is the result of having over-driven the input.

A PCI audio card about $10-$15 USD or PCIe card about $25 USD is all you'll need unless you want to drive a home theater setup too.

You could have a ground loop created between the PC and the AMP. Try disconnecting the audio cabling at different places and take note if the buzz/hum goes away. Is the amp and PC plugged into the same AC circuit? Is the AMP balanced audio? Your PC card is probably unbalanced. If the AMP is line level output and you are sending it to a mic input you could be over driving the mic input, but this usually results in distorted/clipped audio not a consistent hum/buzz, that usually tells me its a ground loop issue. Also, your amp maybe noisy. The filter capacitors that level out supply voltage could also be going bad, check those for dielectric leakage and/or bulging.

I got a sound card, disabled the onboard audio in the BIOS, and still I have no audio. (It's not muted on the pc btw)

I got my new sound card, everything works great. Thanks guys!

The new sound card also makes the microphone louder, so there is no need to plug the amp in.

Bondy,

Sounds like your little "oops" moment turned out OK , glad to hear that. In case you didn't do it already, make sure you disable the onboard sound device in your system BIOS. If you don't disable it, it can cause hardware conflicts now or in the future. If your not sure how to do that, post again.

Also, don't forget the "feedback" system here at CR4, where you can let posters know you appreciated their "good answers". Just my shameless attempt at fishing for another point on my "good answer" score . But seriously..... I for one can say that I am more willing to take the time to post a detailed answer, if I know there's a chance it may get recognized for being helpful. I think that is one of reasons for the "good answer" feedback system. It's also helpful if someone is having a similar problem, it helps them by narrowing down the posts they have to read to find a possible solution. OK, down off my soap box now......

Tom

Yes, to start with I disabled the onboard audio. GA for your answer btw.