USB to Optical Adapter
May 26, 2007 at 8:35 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 27
funkychowda

funkychowda

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Where can I purchase a good USB to Optical Adapter online?

My current setup is laptop -> E-MU 0404 -> LD2++ -> Headphones.

When my laptop has the power cord plugged in, the LD2++ is too noisy and makes beeping noises. If I go through the optical ports on the E-MU 0404 will it make the noises and beeps go away?
 
May 26, 2007 at 8:56 AM Post #2 of 27
Jun 4, 2008 at 7:15 AM Post #3 of 27
i need the same thing. im new and cant make thread yet, so i resurrected old thread. i got the Zero24, but my laptop doesnt have optical out. are there any good very low priced adapters $~20ish? prices in link provided is ridonkulous
 
Jun 4, 2008 at 6:36 PM Post #8 of 27
There's also the Blue Circle Audio USB Thingee in the same price range as the HagUSB. I've been meaning to try the Thingee at some point.
 
Jun 4, 2008 at 9:48 PM Post #10 of 27
Quote:

Originally Posted by funkychowda /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Where can I purchase a good USB to Optical Adapter online?

My current setup is laptop -> E-MU 0404 -> LD2++ -> Headphones.

When my laptop has the power cord plugged in, the LD2++ is too noisy and makes beeping noises. If I go through the optical ports on the E-MU 0404 will it make the noises and beeps go away?


This is obviously a grounding issue. Does the 0404USB have a screw where you can attach a wire to ground it? Then you just need to connect it with a wire to the same ground as your amp (ground to the amp or to the ground at the wall plug, same thing, take care for safety obviously).
 
Jun 4, 2008 at 10:08 PM Post #11 of 27
Quote:

Originally Posted by CSMR /img/forum/go_quote.gif
This is obviously a grounding issue. Does the 0404USB have a screw where you can attach a wire to ground it? Then you just need to connect it with a wire to the same ground as your amp (ground to the amp or to the ground at the wall plug, same thing, take care for safety obviously).


A grounding issue would cause hum, not beeping noises. That sounds like the amp is just picking up the internal noises from the laptop, like the hard drive spinning and such.

Using a digital connection through USB would eliminate that, yes.
 
Jun 4, 2008 at 11:15 PM Post #12 of 27
Quote:

Originally Posted by monolith /img/forum/go_quote.gif
A grounding issue would cause hum, not beeping noises. That sounds like the amp is just picking up the internal noises from the laptop, like the hard drive spinning and such.

Using a digital connection through USB would eliminate that, yes.


A ground loop will give 50/60hz hum but that is only one specific type of grounding problem. This grounding problem here results from the ground in the laptop given to the sound card being different from the mains ground. (Not two different stable mains grounds as in a ground loop.) It is a very common problem and produces beeping and other noises from computer activity often more or less independently of amp volume.
 
Jun 4, 2008 at 11:25 PM Post #13 of 27
(It is possible for power instability in the computer, without ground differences, to cause activity-related noise too; in older bad integrated audio this was very obvious. However good sound cards e.g. E-MU cards have filters that eliminate this; that is why they can measure so well.)
 
Jun 7, 2008 at 10:52 PM Post #15 of 27
Definitely ground loop. Just lift the ground on your amp with two prong adapter and it'll go away. The simplest and the most effective way to fix that.
 
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