Advice on background hiss on a new interface

[zidane]

Hi

I just bought a Wharfedale Connect 802 USB from Citymusic, and i'm now using it as my audio interface. My previous audio interface was the Line6 PodXT.

After switching to the Wharfedale Connect 802, I realized that there is a background noise/hiss whenever i record. Its definitely not due to the background noise in the room which I am in because i'm recording (stereo) from the keyboard.

Previously when i was using my PodXT, there was no background hiss. (Actually there is a very slight background hiss but i have to amplify it by about 50db for it to be barely audible)

Can anybody enlighten me regarding this problem? Does the problem lie with the AD/DA converter which is in the mixer? Or is it something else?

 

[zidane]

Oops sorry, just realised that i could have posted it in the wrong section

 

[squarehero]

Can you let us know how your audio interface is connected? The "hiss" could be due to a number of factors. One possibility is that your cables picking up electrical interference from the surrounding cables.

And how are you recording?

 

[zidane]

Hi Squarehero!

Thanks for your reply

The hiss happens even when I have nothing plugged into the mixer and when every knob is turned to 0. And when I turn off the power to my labtop (which is placed just beside the mixer), the hiss still remains.

This is my setup:
Mixer > usb cable > Labtop
Mixer > stereo out > Monitors
Keyboard > stereo line in > mixer (there is still noise when i plugged it out and turned everything to 0)

I didnt bother pluging in the guitar, and I'm back to using the PodXT as my interface

What could be the cause of the hiss? Could it be a faulty unit? Or could it be that this usb mixer is just poorly made?

Thanks for your help (in advance) haha!

 

[squarehero]

It could be that the mixer has very bad signal to noise ratio (SNR) at the output gain stage. Plug in the mixer and turn it up to the point where you hear the hiss. Take out the usb cable. Do you still hear the hiss? If yes, then the unit has a problem. Check the manufacturer specs for Signal to noise ratio for the output stage. Is it comparable to the PodXT SNR?

Laptop power supplies are also notorious for injecting noise into the chain. Unplug the power supply when you hear the hiss. Is the hiss gone?

What kind of cables are you using going from the mixer to the monitors?

 

[blueprintstudios]

well, citymusic is a good shop I love that place, but wharfedale , I must say it's kinda in the "low end" range like behringer etc. it's for wallet friendly purposes.if pod XT was clean (line6 isn't high end, but it's definitely better than wharfedale) then it's best to stick to that.

noises / interferences will happen if your cables cross together with electrical/power cables or even near your computer.

the other troubleshooting options has been covered by squarehero