Solving USB audio interface noise

[ef37a]

That's the paper Hugh! Thanks, I had it in the AES journal but it has got lost.

I should have said as well that the high end audio gear will have better front ends than the budget kit.

Dave.

[bkrivers]

After years of living with the “usb whine” problem, I finally solved it for $9.99 with clip-on ferrite coils! I bought a sampler to figure out what size it needed (mainly 5mm…). I put them on each end of an usb cords (I have a 6ft extension and a hub on my pedal board, I am a guitar player…) and the system is now dead quiet!

Here is the description: Ceedmon 20 Pieces Clip-on Ferrite Ring Core RFI EMI Noise Suppressor Cable Clip for 3mm/5mm/7mm/9mm/13mm Diameter Cable, Black

Here is a link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CWCSNW9

The reason I tried this is I remembered one of my interfaces from long ago shipped with a usb cable that had these built in. I researched that type of usb cable and saw there was an after market clip-on ferrite ring which meant I wasn’t limited to cables with built-in ferrite shields - I could use my current high quality usb cables. Sometime taking a chance pays off!

I hope this helps someone…

[ajay_m]

I hadn't tried that option which, given I have a bunch of clipon ferrite suppressors, was stupid of me. (They were purchased to sort out an interference issue on a cable run on one of my 3d printers. And although it's on a different thread about buying a second hand reel to reel tape deck, trust me, 3d printing is an equally brilliant way of spending all your time tinkering).
Since the original post, I note that usb2 isolators are getting cheaper and the Topping unit looks promising. But the Roland duocapture has been replaced with a ka6 MK2 after an unbeatable deal from PMT during a sale and noise isn't an issue with that unit. I must try your trick with the Roland just to see if it fixes the issue. If so this tends to favour my theory that common mode RF interference is a possible cause

[Martin Walker]

After years of living with the “usb whine” problem, I finally solved it for $9.99 with clip-on ferrite coils! I bought a sampler to figure out what size it needed (mainly 5mm…). I put them on each end of an usb cords (I have a 6ft extension and a hub on my pedal board, I am a guitar player…) and the system is now dead quiet!

Here is the description: Ceedmon 20 Pieces Clip-on Ferrite Ring Core RFI EMI Noise Suppressor Cable Clip for 3mm/5mm/7mm/9mm/13mm Diameter Cable, Black

Here is a link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CWCSNW9

About a year ago I bought an almost identical pack of assorted clip-on ferrite rings, but installed them one by one on selected mains leads, SMPS outputs & digital cables, to reduce RFI, listening out for any audio changes/improvements at each stage.

Apart from no more occasional click/crackling interference from kitchen refrigerator/freezers/microwave oven being audible on my studio audio, I also noticed significantly more tonal, room acoustic and reverb differences between various studio audio demo tracks, and any harshness in mixes showed up more clearly.

[sonics]

Apart from no more occasional click/crackling interference from kitchen refrigerator/freezers/microwave oven being audible on my studio audio, I also noticed significantly more tonal, room acoustic and reverb differences between various studio audio demo tracks, and any harshness in mixes showed up more clearly.

Do you recall which equipment it was most effective on?

[tea for two]

After years of living with the “usb whine” problem, I finally solved it for $9.99 with clip-on ferrite coils! I bought a sampler to figure out what size it needed (mainly 5mm…). I put them on each end of an usb cords (I have a 6ft extension and a hub on my pedal board, I am a guitar player…) and the system is now dead quiet!

Here is the description: Ceedmon 20 Pieces Clip-on Ferrite Ring Core RFI EMI Noise Suppressor Cable Clip for 3mm/5mm/7mm/9mm/13mm Diameter Cable, Black

Here is a link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CWCSNW9

I hope this helps someone…

Appreciated BK. I shall get these.

I wonder if I place them on my ears whether they will work lol.

[Martin Walker]

Apart from no more occasional click/crackling interference from kitchen refrigerator/freezers/microwave oven being audible on my studio audio, I also noticed significantly more tonal, room acoustic and reverb differences between various studio audio demo tracks, and any harshness in mixes showed up more clearly.

Do you recall which equipment it was most effective on?

I didn't test after each ferrite was fitted, as I expected the differences to be tiny but accumulative, but I did spend some time deciding on the best positions before I fitted them all.

1. I placed four of the largest ferrites round the mains cables immediately before various distribution boards, to hopefully remove any interference already picked up on mains or from ethernet cables alongside.

2. I placed one large one on PC mains cable Immediately beyond PC (to prevent any RFI from PC getting into dis boards).

3. I placed four of the smaller ones on each of four Ethernet cables just before entry into router.

4. The remainder were placed on various external switched mode power supplies, as close as possible to their outputs, to once again hopefully prevent any RFI getting any further - I did this on keyboards/synths, an audio interface, and a few FX units.

I also have very detailed ATC loudspeakers and an excellent Lavry DA10 converter - you may not be able to discern audio improvements I could hear on a more modest system.

Hope this helps!

Martin

[sonics]

Thanks Martin.

I've being buying and using these things for over four decades; just wanted some input from a fellow "chokeaholic"!