Interference from cassette player
in [UK Mac]
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From: T i m on 17 May 2010 09:45 On Mon, 17 May 2010 14:37:08 +0100, peter(a)cara.demon.co.uk (Peter Ceresole) wrote: >T i m <news(a)spaced.me.uk> wrote: > >> You may >> have been in a better position for setting such things (volumes, >> because of your background) than many. > >Of course I'd like to think that it was sheer skill, but I know it was >really luck. I think the skill came through subconsciously and appeared as luck. ;-) (And I believe there is more than a grain of truth in that thought). Cheers, T i m
From: Martin S Taylor on 17 May 2010 11:37 Woody wrote >> I'm not sure it's a motor fault, anyhow, since the problem is reduced when I >> move the cassette player further from the computer. Would you expect this >> from a motor fault? > > This noise, exactly how is it? You said it was like a phone noise, but a > phone noise is a series of short buzzes in a pattern, followed by a long > one, and is unique to phones (that noise isn't generated by anything > else). If it is a motor noise it would be like a high pitched constant > noise. if it is a mains loop, which I think is less likely on a mac, it > will be a constant mains frequency buzz. > > I think the type of noise will tell you where it is coming from. From what you say, it must be a mobile phone, though there isn't one anywhere near the set-up. It sounds identical to the noise when my phone is docked near the speaker - in fact, I thought that's what it was until I established a) it appears when the phone is on the other side of the room, and b) the noise is on the recording. I'll have another play around, and report back. MST
From: Martin S Taylor on 17 May 2010 11:40 T i m wrote > Yes, what is the construction of the cable you are using for the audio > from the player to the Mac? I'm presuming it's a 3.5mm stereo jack at > the cassette player end and possibly the same at the Mac end. However, > there are screened and unscreened types and they might look the same > from the outside. It's one of these: <http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=1170> Moulded (so there's no way in) and circular in cross section. MST
From: Jaimie Vandenbergh on 17 May 2010 11:44 On Mon, 17 May 2010 16:37:45 +0100, Martin S Taylor <mst(a)hRyEpMnOoVtEiTsHm.cIo.uSk> wrote: >Woody wrote >>> I'm not sure it's a motor fault, anyhow, since the problem is reduced when I >>> move the cassette player further from the computer. Would you expect this >>> from a motor fault? >> >> This noise, exactly how is it? You said it was like a phone noise, but a >> phone noise is a series of short buzzes in a pattern, followed by a long >> one, and is unique to phones (that noise isn't generated by anything >> else). If it is a motor noise it would be like a high pitched constant >> noise. if it is a mains loop, which I think is less likely on a mac, it >> will be a constant mains frequency buzz. >> >> I think the type of noise will tell you where it is coming from. > >From what you say, it must be a mobile phone, though there isn't one anywhere >near the set-up. It sounds identical to the noise when my phone is docked >near the speaker - in fact, I thought that's what it was until I established >a) it appears when the phone is on the other side of the room, and b) the >noise is on the recording. That it's on the recording is not too surprising - it just means that the wires on the source side (ie anywhere from the tape head to the A-D converter in the Mac) are being affected. Probably easiest to turn off your mobile, plus any 3G data devices you might have lurking around (GPS, iPads, 3G data USB things, whatever). Cheers - Jaimie -- panic("Foooooooood fight!"); -- /usr/src/linux/drivers/scsi/aha1542.c
From: Woody on 17 May 2010 11:51
Jaimie Vandenbergh <jaimie(a)sometimes.sessile.org> wrote: > On Mon, 17 May 2010 16:37:45 +0100, Martin S Taylor > <mst(a)hRyEpMnOoVtEiTsHm.cIo.uSk> wrote: > > >Woody wrote > >>> I'm not sure it's a motor fault, anyhow, since the problem is reduced > >>> when I move the cassette player further from the computer. Would you > >>> expect this from a motor fault? > >> > >> This noise, exactly how is it? You said it was like a phone noise, but a > >> phone noise is a series of short buzzes in a pattern, followed by a long > >> one, and is unique to phones (that noise isn't generated by anything > >> else). If it is a motor noise it would be like a high pitched constant > >> noise. if it is a mains loop, which I think is less likely on a mac, it > >> will be a constant mains frequency buzz. > >> > >> I think the type of noise will tell you where it is coming from. > > > >From what you say, it must be a mobile phone, though there isn't one anywhere > >near the set-up. It sounds identical to the noise when my phone is docked > >near the speaker - in fact, I thought that's what it was until I established > >a) it appears when the phone is on the other side of the room, and b) the > >noise is on the recording. This is what I thought. It is hard to mistake a noise for a mobile phone signal, as it really is unique to a phone. > > That it's on the recording is not too surprising - it just means that > the wires on the source side (ie anywhere from the tape head to the > A-D converter in the Mac) are being affected. > > Probably easiest to turn off your mobile, plus any 3G data devices you > might have lurking around (GPS, iPads, 3G data USB things, whatever). And remember that the head of a cassette player is a coil of wired designed for picking up tiny magnetic variations. A mobile phone signal is massive to it. -- Woody |