Loud "Machine gun like noises" from speakers

Ray Montee · Post by **Ray Montee** » 25 Nov 2001 11:03 pm

After playing several of my CD's in the car, I brought them in and shoved them seperately into my Dell Dimension CD Player. All started okay then I got this sound, thro' the speakers that sounded like a HEAVY MILITARY type machine gun. Then normal play sounds...and at various points, total silence
and then various spots of silence and noise.
I initially tho't it to be CD. Then the CD Player. But later, when I downloaded that beautiful steel work in C6th Sounds from the Forum, I got more of the same.
Can you help me? Is this my hard-drive;
the sound card? or WHAT?????
Please email your response. THanks.

Dave Boothroyd · Post by **Dave Boothroyd** » 26 Nov 2001 2:00 am

Well when you play an audio CD in your PC, the data does not go through the Hard Drive, so that should be OK.
There is a chance that the noise is digital distortion- that can be a speaker-wrecking phenomenon. AFAIK that can only be created from a CD with good data on it by an error in the digital side of the soundcard, ad the fact that downloaded data gives the same effect suggests that the fault is common with data from two sources- the only link is the card.
Most likely explanation is a memory fault in a buffer somewhere in the D to A converter. It stores numbers and recalls them , but it's remembering them wrong and the speaker is tying itself in knots trying to reproduce the random numbers that it is coming up with.
So there are two possibilities- either your soundcard has Alzheimers, or you are listening to music with machine gun solo breaks on it!
Have you been playing Gangsta Rap?

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 26 Nov 2001 4:47 am

It's inherent in some sound cards. If I turn the volume all the way up with my SoundBlaster live I just faintly hear the "motorboating". But with the original ESS Audio built into the motherboard and with an old SoundBlaster AWE64 is was more apparent.

Turn your speaker volume up with nothing playing and you will probably hear it.

I suspect it has something to do with the internal PC operations - interrupts, etc.

There's been other threads on this same subject so you are not alone with the "popping"

winston · Post by **winston** » 26 Nov 2001 8:30 am

Ray, You are not alone with the motorboat sound. It is very likely coming from the sound card. Jack, I have a Sound Blaster Live card and STILL HAVE NOT gotten rid of that sound. Creative says it is an IRQ conflict. So far I do not have the nerve to go in the BIOS and try to assign a different setting.

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 26 Nov 2001 11:01 am

Any problem with a SoundBlaster is everything but a SoundBlaster problem.

They are the biggest finger pointers in the industry.

Ray Montee · Post by **Ray Montee** » 26 Nov 2001 11:02 am

Thanks for the insite! I still don't know what to do about it. The unit hasn't been moved or banged prior to after it started.
Is this a "terminal" factor and it's going to die on me? Or, is this something an Emergency Room might be able to handle? (That is computer ER!)

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 26 Nov 2001 2:19 pm

Check the "CD" playback level in the "Volume Control" panel. Click on the speaker icon in the task bar at the lower right (on most computers) and it will open up the Volume Control. Move the slider for CD all the way to the top (max volume) and see if that helps CD playback. If it was set low you would have to jack the master volume way up to hear them (and the motorboating).

Michael Garnett · Post by **Michael Garnett** » 29 Nov 2001 3:29 am

On a different note, my speakers go absolutely APE when my cellular phone is operating near them. It's this incredibly loud buzzing sound, regardless of the setting on the volume dial for the speakers. We haven't been able to figure out WHY it does it, best we can figure is that the radio waves coming from the phone are hopping off onto the amplifier for the speakers. It sure does get your attention when you're getting a call though, I think I've got the world's record for "Most annoying ring tone" for a cell phone!

Same thing happens in my truck when I'm talking on my CB... I key that Mic to go talk, and it hops right over onto that stereo amplifier, and I get the most hellacious feedback noise I've ever HEARD! Anybody have similar trouble in either situation? If you want, I'll try to get a recording... it puts this "Heavy Metal" stuff to shame!

Garnett

winston · Post by **winston** » 30 Nov 2001 3:15 pm

Check this out, some interesting stuff. http://alive.singnet.com.sg/tech/click.htm