SBLive improvement

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Hy!

I have a Creative SBLive soundcard with emu10k1 sound processor.
having my amplifier connected to soundcard output, I can hear a noise, but when I activate the mute command, the noise dissapears.

Do you know how can I improve my souncard?
changing caps, or other components....
 
Are the inputs muted?

Hi p2mine

When you test this, are the inputs to the card muted?
The mic preamp is noisy if it's turned up loud, that might be your problem.

Btw, if your not already using it, i heartily recommend the KX driver. It's an open source Asio driver that's just great. The only downside is that it's sometime a little too complex to setup, but once you get the hang of it, it really blows Creative drivers away.

edit: don't think it's really open source, but it's free anyhow.

/Andreas
 
For best sound you have to unselect the Digital output only and Mic. boost (20 dB) options (while using the SBlive drivers). Mute all inputs you don't use, and also put the volume sliders down (seems to sound better, maybe lowers jitter due to reduced volume of unused inputs).

The KX driver gives better sound, though I had some install problems with it the second time I installed it (hanging computer after boot).

Fedde
 
still, I cannot get rif of that noise.

I've installed KX drivers. they are cool.
You can do lots of things with SBLive!.....

I cannot define that noise....
is somehow like a higher frequency is amplitude modulated with 50Hz.
Is not because of the amp, because when I select digital output only, the noise dissapears.
all the other controls were down to minimum.
the mic boost is checkbox is not checked.

I've tried some other things.
I've disconnected all the links that were not in use from the KXDSP.
the noise is still present.

A great impact upon the noise seems to have the 3DSE settings. when it's put to off, the noise is minimum. when it's on high, the noise is maximum.

the problem appears to be in the signal path before the 3DSE block..

If you would to improve youre soundcard, How would you proceed??

Thanks and regards.
Reloo
 
p2mine said:
If you would to improve youre soundcard, How would you proceed??

Thanks and regards.
Reloo

I have an old Live Value.
Some years ago I changed the TL072 op-amps for OPA2604, correctly bypassed.
On the analog in and outs.
Too much noise with the PC PSU, so I made a +/- 15v psu with a small trafo, just for the op-amps.
That PSU is inside the PC, no wires come out, even mains is connected inside.

PC's switching PSUs are really crap, some more than others.
You may have a really nasty one.

Oh, BTW the result is very good.:cool:
Incredible recordings from vinyl.:)
 
The SBlive outputs on my card are loud too, ie give off hiss aplenty but this is only when you have them connected directly to a poweramp so the output is not attenuated whatsoever. Into a preamp first shouldnt give too much hiss. The best upgrade for a SBlive is to add an external DAC with a good power supply and quiet output stage.
 
OPA2134 (@vitacom in Romania) is a better replacement for the opamps than the OPA2604 as the PS for the TL072s is most likely +-12. Also shunt output coupling caps (crap electrolytics) if you go this way, but only if you get less than 10mV of DC offset on outputs.

5th element: Some older Live! models had ~5V pp on SPDIF instead of the standard value, so make sure you don't fry the receiver chip on the DAC.
 
lucpes said:
OPA2134 (@vitacom in Romania) is a better replacement for the opamps than the OPA2604...

Yes, I also prefer the OPA2132 (same thing but more expensive...) to the OPA2604.
But at the time I only had OPA2604s in SMD and I used those.
Not easy to change, as you can imagine.:D

lucpes said:
...as the PS for the TL072s is most likely +-12.

If I remember (this must have been some 3 or 4 years ago), it's much worse than that.
From the +/- 12v it regulates to +/-5v on the SB, and it's this voltage that is present on the op-amps' pins.:bawling:
The OPA2604s didn't like this at all (they work much better at higher voltages), and this was one of the reasons I made the PSU.
But before making the PSU I tested to feed the op-amps with +/-12v from the PC's PSU.
Miserable.:bawling:
I heard the heads of the HDD moving back and forth on my speakers.:cool: :bawling:
Interference everywhere.:bawling:

Inside a PC is the worst place to have a soundcard.:clown: :D
 
lucpes said:
Agreed :) Anyway, to change SMD IC's take it leg by leg: for desoldering just heat & gently lift one foot at a time using a needle/pin.

Yes, that's what I do.
But I don't feel the need to tweak this soundcard anymore, it's fine for me.:cool:
If I was to bother and loose some more time with this, the next step would be getting I2S from the original dac's pins to the outside of the PC and make an external dac.;)
 
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