Line-in tinny at startup on SB audigy

I have a SB audigy I use for games, mp3s, etc. For recording I use an M-Audio so this problem is negligable, just annoying.

As my computer is central to the home studio everything routes through a patch bay. This allows me to do things like route the tv sound in to monitor a baseball game while actually playing a baseball game on the computer. Listen to CDs and mute the music in a game, etc. Really a nice setup. Only problem is the sound from the input line in sounds really tinny after windows boots.

The odd thing is, if I go to the audio control panel and mute the line in, then unmute it, it returns to normal.

The effect is kind of like listening to audio through a seashell or small tube. (take an empty toilet paper roll and hold it up to your ear and listen through it: that effect).

Or, kinda like a "telephone filter".

Can't explain it, and frankly, I don't know when this really began or how.

Actually, there's some more info: it seems to be most pronounced coming (and really only noticable) from the vcr output. There might be something about the vcr signal that has a different impedence thus it doesn't auto correct on startup, but upon reset toggling the mute it fixes it. The vcr output into the m-audio input does not exhibit any like behavior.

hi medialint. from your second post i think you got the problem. something i have noticed in engineering (home-only, professional soon!) is that if a signal is sent to a sound input as the PC is booted up somehow it can cause echoes, or alteration in the sound - sometimes buzz. I think maybe it's the voltage of the PC going on, and being affected by the incoming sound or something.

since you can get rid of it easily I dunno if you mean it as a problem. If you unplug the line-in before boot up, and then you boot up does it do it upon plugging back in BEFORE the mute/unmute?

maybe it's an IRQ - I know I have had issues with using my outboard sound card when the onboard is enabled in bios.

PS: I record at home too, soon to enter an engineering prog and move on to producing. WHat kinds of things do you record? I use a tascam us-122 with an SM57 mic for guitar...and do a lot of synthing now since it's so cheap.

hopefully once i get this business ona role i can dedicate one year (before going to engineering program) to record..i reall yhaven't gotten to use this equipment a lot.

Well, that would be right. Phase cancelation would explain the effect. And it would be getting some signal on startup. It must remain connected. It terminates in the patch bay. I will experiment tomorrow and see whether the "sound at startup" actually has bearing in not providing a signal by unpatching it would do that. I mean, it's the 1/8" microplug split out to two 1/4" males into the patchbay and everything is 1/4" from there. I noticed it happens with CDs too, it's not just the VCR. But still don't know what actually causes the phase cancelation effect ... ?

It might be a case of it internally looping thus causing the Phase Cancel. If there's some sort of effect bus, even if not in use, that the driver automatically assigns which feeds back into line in, and then it corrects itself on mute/unmute ...

What you explained sounds definitely like a phasing problem, but Muting and Un-muting? That means that something in the software domain is what is causing the problem. I had trouble with my audigy soundcard drivers not even being accepted by the computer, and with no help worth mentioning from creative, I found a new driver for the soundcard from an independant maker: KX Audio Project-- Look them up -- It is basically a "professional-based" driver that lets you have complete control over your hardware -- patching, etc... if you have a good understanding of patching and audio and stuff, its worth checking out. Otherwise, sounds to me like something crappy in the driver. As for the hum someone mentioned, that is a ground loop -- Since all home audio equipment uses the house wiring neutral as a shield and pro equipment (and computers) use the ground wire as a shield, it usually creates a ground loop, which makes a buzz in the audio. Theres 3 ways to remedy this.. 1) get a pro sound card that has balanced connections. This will give you the opportunity to lift the ground without effecting the audio. 2) Go to radioshack and buy an audio ground loop isolator (12-16 bux) in the car stereo department. This isolates the shields through a transformer. You might notice a slight gain and/or equalization change if you a/b the sound, but for the most part its an un-noticeable change. 3) lift the ground wire on the computer with a ground-lifter plug or cut the 3rd pin completely off the wire. You may need to do this for any (or all) of the peripherals connected to the computer (or at the front of the power strip) since the ground can leak in through different cables. I dont really recommend #3 for safety reasons, although I never heard of someone having a problem doing it that way, but #2 is really the most economical and works 98% of the time! Good luck! -- Audioguy78

Hi there!

I've got EXACTLY the same problem. Connected to the line-in of my SB audigy is a satellite DVB-S receiver card. I definitively think that this is only a software problem. Indeed, I got this problem only after installing the new creative drivers.
I'm still searching for a solution since i don't want to rollback old drivers.
Have you come any further to this?

Greetings