Tech: Do Sound Cards Go Bad?

Subject: RE: Tech: Do Sound Cards Go Bad?
From: oggie
Date: 01 Oct 06 - 04:35 PM

As an aside, my son and I use laptops and we both use Indigo Ion external soundcards through the PCMIA (I think that's right)slot. The effect is great, better sound and, when we record, minimal latency, especially valuable as I play acoustic and he uses keyboards. If you use a laptop it's worth considering.

Oggie

Subject: RE: Tech: Do Sound Cards Go Bad?
From: Gurney
Date: 30 Sep 06 - 10:43 PM

A source of earth hum is having the signal and speakers powered from different wall sockets. I once had everything linked, stereo, computer, TV, radio, and had the problem until I asked the right questions.

Subject: RE: Tech: Do Sound Cards Go Bad?
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 30 Sep 06 - 01:28 AM

A speaker needs 2 wires - if one of these is 'earthed' hums are likely.

Such hum is oftem caused by an "earth loop" - that means that there are 2 seperate paths to "earth" in parallel and that one is of higher resistance, thus presents a higher voltage than the other - the difference of the inspired AC voltage then gets passed thru as hum.

Now "If the vol is turned up the hum isn't noticeable" seems to imply that the hum is not being amplified thru the amp that your volume control is affecting, and that it might be being picked up AFTER that amps input and volume control stage.

The hum may be caused by something "rectifying" - acting like a detector diode in a radio - a high frequency ('radio frequency', not 'audio frequency') AC signal - which can be anything - mobile phone, taxi, etc, which has imposed on it the mains hum, and thusly detecting the audio frequency hum - this can be a faulty component, or even be a 'dry joint' solder join!

To combat this, you can try leading the speaker signals thru 'choke' toroids - several windings thru such a gadget may help reduce the RF signal being fed BACK into the amp - so place these gadgets near to the amp end of the speaker cables. A dry joint (very unlikely) at the speaker may also do this too...

You mention "sub woofer" - if it is a powered amp & speaker, the "earth loop" hassle may be somewhere in there - if it just a speaker, it could be that this sub woofer is extremely sensitive to the hum frequency - there are some tricks you can do there - but that is more than I will mention now.

Subject: RE: Tech: Do Sound Cards Go Bad?
From: Shiplap Structure3
Date: 29 Sep 06 - 12:31 PM

I've problems with an earth type hum as soon as the speakers are turned on, If the vol is turned up the hum isnt noticeable but the vol is too loud to use the speakers late at night. I've tried all the obvious making/breaking connections and re routing, I know that shielding is usualy the answer but the cable to the sub woofer is captive Any thoughts

Subject: RE: Tech: Do Sound Cards Go Bad?
From: Tim theTwangler
Date: 29 Sep 06 - 06:07 AM

I ahve found that every application and game that you ever load has the potential to alter or mute sound settings is a bloomin nuiscence

Subject: RE: Tech: Do Sound Cards Go Bad?
From: Ebbie
Date: 29 Sep 06 - 12:49 AM

Well, whoop de doo. I went to System Restore- set it for yesterday and lo and behold! I'm continually surprised what that will do. Never thought it would work with hardware/device managers, etc. But yee haw!

The sound came on loud and clear- had to turn it down immediately. Obviously my brain was doing the equivalent of telling someone to speak LOUDER when s/he is speaking in a foreign tongue.

Anyway, I thank you all very much. Would I learn anything at all if I didn't have problems??

Subject: RE: Tech: Do Sound Cards Go Bad?
From: Gurney
Date: 28 Sep 06 - 11:36 PM

I've had two soundcards fail in 10 years. The current one is on-board the motherboard, which does not inspire confidence.....


Having said that, I do have a lot of hardware issues, for reasons I do not understand. If I paid someone to fix them, I wouldnt OWN a computer. I go to the local 'computer fair' and buy second-hand parts until I fix the problem. Then I know what to do next time.

Subject: RE: Tech: Do Sound Cards Go Bad?
From: Gene
Date: 28 Sep 06 - 11:21 PM

you betchum, Red Ryder, and modems cards, Hard Drives,
keyboards, meese [plural for mice] and just about
anything else...

just recently i worked on my 'puter for 2 months trying to
solve an intermitent problem...out of a clear blue sky my
'puter would shut down....it might stay on for a day
or a week or an hour and Kablooie...shut down in the middle
of whatever i was doing...

i changed hard drives, installed a new fan & removed
unnecessary software, replaced the CD-RW and the DVD
writer and reinstalled SW, etc...to no avail

and out of frustration unplugged the modem card...

it ain't shut down since...with other equipment re-installed

i seldom got online with that puter anyway...
just used it for storing and playing songs and burning cds/dvds...

i'm mystified...

Subject: RE: Tech: Do Sound Cards Go Bad?
From: ClaireBear
Date: 28 Sep 06 - 07:45 PM

Assuming Win XP...

Go to "advanced volume controls" and make sure that all is well there, too (there are more settings). Then there's speaker volume ("change the speaker settings"). I have a feeling there are other hidden volume controls as well, but I can't remember what or where they all are. I seem to recall one that let me set my speakers to sound as though they were in a "small room," "cave," "cavernous concert hall," stuff like that. Can't find that setting right now.

The "Sounds and audio devices properties button" has a tab called "hardware" that appears to be able to tell you what's working and what ain't.

And you might try the sound troubleshooting guide; it helped me once with a particularly gnarly problem.

I am sure there are many others here who will give better advice...

Good luck!

C

Subject: RE: Tech: Do Sound Cards Go Bad?
From: Snuffy
Date: 28 Sep 06 - 07:43 PM

At the top of my keyboard there are some buttons like tape deck controls - Play/pause, Stop, FF, Rewind, and + and -. When my sound disappears, I have learned that pressing the + button usually restores things.

But I still haven't worked out how it got switched off in the first place!

Subject: RE: Tech: Do Sound Cards Go Bad?
From: Ebbie
Date: 28 Sep 06 - 07:14 PM

Thanks, lox. No, the 'mute' box is not ticked. (You and I are equals in expertise!)

Subject: RE: Tech: Do Sound Cards Go Bad?
From: GUEST,lox
Date: 28 Sep 06 - 07:05 PM

bring up your volume control and make sure you don't have a tick in the little "mute" box on the bottom left.

If you do, click it and it will go away.

If that's not it then it's beyond me :-p

Subject: RE: Tech: Do Sound Cards Go Bad?
From: Ebbie
Date: 28 Sep 06 - 05:43 PM

I spent much of the day yesterday burning - and playing - CDs. When I shut down last night I didn't do anything unusual.

Where do I start looking?

Thanks, y'all.

Subject: RE: Tech: Do Sound Cards Go Bad?
From: ClaireBear
Date: 28 Sep 06 - 05:10 PM

There are many, many ways to mute a PC's audio, and it isn't readily apparent that the more arcane of these are in use (i.e., it doesn't show up on the main audio settings screen).

My son, at age four, had a habit of muting the system in ways that it would take me a half hour to locate and reverse. I think he liked to watch me tear my hair...

Subject: RE: Tech: Do Sound Cards Go Bad?
From: Sorcha
Date: 28 Sep 06 - 04:56 PM

Or there is a possibility that your sound got Muted sometime. Check that too.

Subject: RE: Tech: Do Sound Cards Go Bad?
From: GUEST,lox
Date: 28 Sep 06 - 04:46 PM

sounds like an episode of "COPS"

Subject: RE: Tech: Do Sound Cards Go Bad?
From: Sorcha
Date: 28 Sep 06 - 04:42 PM

Yes, sound cards go bad. Call the Geek.

Subject: Tech: Do Sound Cards Go Bad?
From: Ebbie
Date: 28 Sep 06 - 04:32 PM

I will probably find that I am speaking too soon but so it goes...

This morning when I turned on the computer I noticed thatit didn't make its usual sound. Later I discovered that various programs that normally beep or sound or whump are not audible either. Now I find that the CD Rom doesn't play audibly either (It says it is playing but it is silent).

I've checked the Volume level and the Speaker levels and I've checked whether it's plugged in. All normal.

So what is the problem?