DA converter problem

[Gubbo]

(This question has no direct connection to SAW, so feel free to delete the thread if it's "off topic"...)

I have recently bought a new PC and have moved the old LynxONE soundcard to the new machine. The new setup works fine so far, except for one thing:

Playing music from SAW or Windows Media Player is OK, but 15 seconds or so after I stop playback a very high pitched tone is coming from the loudspeakers. The tone disappears as soon as I start playing again. Extremely annoying.

This is when I use the digital output from LynxONE and listen to my external DA converter - same setup as with the old PC - even the cables are untouched.

I can see no activity on the meters in SAW or the LynxONE's own mixer, so it seems like there is some interference with the soundcard.

Has anyone experienced anything like this? Grateful for all suggestions...

[Naturally Digital]

Hi,

Which converter is it? Is this an AES/EBU digital connection?

Maybe check the monitoring options in the LynxOne mixer. Check the clock source too.

[Gubbo]

It's a home-built DA converter using the same processors as Mark Levinson, so I'm told... Anyway it sounds great.

I'm using SPDIF - all settings are exactly copied from the old system, that's why I'm so puzzled. But new PCs - new problems, eh? ;)

/Per

[Cary B. Cornett]

Going for a reach here...

Is the Lynx card also your Windows "system" sound device? If so, is there a possibility that there is something messed up with the Windows sound card control settings? (I keep thinking that there is some kind of "mixer" thingy in the OS that could be causing feedback...)

[mako]

Do you have a HP printer hooked up with USB?
If so, remove the USB cable.
I don't know about other printers but I've had this problem with 3 HP's.
VERY annoying until I discovered what was causing it.

cheers

mako

[Gubbo]

Thanks Cary and Mako - I think you both may be right!

After being away from the studio for a month I have not yet been able to reproduce the error, but:

- I do have a HP printer hooked up using USB
- I do have Windows default audio connected to the LynxOne

But this was the case also on the old PC.

I'll try to get the time soon to really test your theories...

/Per

[Bill Park]

Playing music from SAW or Windows Media Player is OK, but 15 seconds or so after I stop playback a very high pitched tone is coming from the loudspeakers. The tone disappears as soon as I start playing again. Extremely annoying.
...

could there be a compressor that kicks in...some sort of maximizer? Reads low signal level, and boosts existing signal until the low level machine whine is now audible?