# Does the 1124DSP introduce some white noise?



## jlird808 (Nov 2, 2010)

Just got my first BFD 1124DSP. However, I will be using mine for a slightly different reason than most people here. I operate a home project studio and have taken a keen interest in tuning/measuring/treating my room. I know most shacksters are here for home theater and I totally respect all of u. 

The difference lies in that I will be using my BFD before my main monitors, not just before a sub which is how I think you guys would use one I think. 

Anyways, right off the bat, after plugging in my BFD I hear, not a hum, but just general white fuzzy noise.

I dont hear a 50-60hz hum. I even tried the cheater plug trick temporarily and its still there. I bought this second hand, perhaps its the previous owners settings making the noise (how to reset?). Is this normal and to be expected running it thru studio monitors with tweeters? I feel like most people here use these to tame their subs and maybe don't hear it?

Also, out of haste, I'm using two unbalanced cables going from the BFD to my speakers. I didnt expect it to come in the mail today and realized I should have two short balanced cables going to the speakers, not unbalanced.

Anyhow, for mixing I could never use this if this is normal. My monitors are near DEAD SILENT when there's no sound being pushed thru. The added white noise would make this useless for me which makes me pretty sad cuz I was looking forward to using it to tame my low end.

THANKS!!!


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## jlird808 (Nov 2, 2010)

Hmmm...my buttons on the rear for +4/-10 were both in the OUT position, I just pressed them both to the IN position...problem solved?? I think so for now, even though the +4 says for "Studio" and -10 is for "Home"...what if I'm in a "Home Studio"??!:rofl:

Does this seem the obvious fix for other people?


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## Wayne A. Pflughaupt (Apr 13, 2006)

Hey jlird,

Yes, the BFD is notorious for being noisy. And yes, since most home theater enthusiasts use it for subwoofers, the noise isn’t heard. If you want or need an equalizer for full range use, I’d suggest getting a better equalizer.

Regards,
Wayne


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## jlird808 (Nov 2, 2010)

Wow really, I wish I knew that b4 I bought one lol. Luckily I got one used for like $50.

Could u make a suggestion on one with a low SNR ratio or something adequate for full-range? 

What's funny and kinda cool is that I spent a couple hours with this BFD last nite and it's got that 1.4 firmware. I was able to make filter changes via REW and figured this was the start of a great experience. Now I just feel kinda bummed :crying::crying:

The noise did come down A LOT at -10db but I can still hear some hiss, actually I hear more of a "digital noise" which I thought was cuz of the unbalanced cables (was about to replace them today). I can hear the computer processing thru the right speaker...some slight funny sounds when I move the mouse, click on things, etc.


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## jlird808 (Nov 2, 2010)

What about the FBQ then? I heard that it's key feature over the 1124DSP is that it has better audio quality...

Thanks!!


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## Wayne A. Pflughaupt (Apr 13, 2006)

Never used it myself, but I wouldn’t expect miracles from any cheap equalizer. For other options, you might review the BFD Alternatives Thread.

Regards,
Wayne


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## jlird808 (Nov 2, 2010)

Hey Wayne,

I replaced an unbalanced to a TRS balanced cable and it made a HUGE difference. I was only hearing the "digital noise" (from my pc, not the EQ- I could tell bcz it would occur when I clicked on things, moved my mouse, etc).

That being said, I hear a very SLIGHT hiss...nothing too bad. Im only gonna use the BFD to tame below 300hz anyways. Does this "noise" that ur talking about the BFD having come from when u BOOST freq's or is just always prevalent? I used REW to send some filters too it ( nothing above 300-400) and it sounds pretty good.

I ran some REWs today...and while I know time domain is very important too...today was the first day I had a REALLY flat FR.

Where can I learn more about BFD's noise and if I should take it out of my signal chain. Again, I am full range and maybe my ears aren't the BEST for determining too much/acceptable amounts of noise

Thanks for ur help!!!


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## Wayne A. Pflughaupt (Apr 13, 2006)

jlird808 said:


> That being said, I hear a very SLIGHT hiss...nothing too bad. Im only gonna use the BFD to tame below 300hz anyways. Does this "noise" that ur talking about the BFD having come from when u BOOST freq's or is just always prevalent?


The BFD’s noise is always there; it’s basically background noise, inherent to a poor signal-to-noise ratio (its noise spec of <95 dB is bogus). Using boost filters will increase noise with any equalizer, so it’s preferable to use one with an exceptionally low noise floor. Noise from boost filters will be more prevalent with the upper frequencies than the lower, which explains why you didn’t hear much difference down in the 300-400 Hz range.

Regards,
Wayne


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## jlird808 (Nov 2, 2010)

Interesting...

This is my cal file with the BFD in my signal chain. Wouldn't I see some anomalies from the noise here? Am I missing something lol?


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## Wayne A. Pflughaupt (Apr 13, 2006)

jlird808 said:


> Interesting...
> 
> This is my cal file with the BFD in my signal chain. Wouldn't I see some anomalies from the noise here?


Switch it to +4 and you might... 

Regards,
Wayne


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## JohnM (Apr 11, 2006)

You won't see any noise floor limitations in a frequency response plot, but you will be able to see them with REW's RTA.


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## jlird808 (Nov 2, 2010)

JohnM said:


> You won't see any noise floor limitations in a frequency response plot, but you will be able to see them with REW's RTA.


It was kinda funny actually. I boosted a couple freqs on the BFD and would then recalibrate and match the calibration plot to the filters I set up. 

Why wouldn't a noise floor show up in a calibration? I figured, if it was making some constant inherent noise, that it would show up as a small peak somewhere at some particular freq. Also, running the calibration with bypass on and no filters setup showed the same results, minus perhaps a slightly different slope down below 20hz. I'll try it with bypass on/off in RTA too then later.

Thanks!!


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## JohnM (Apr 11, 2006)

Noise is spread across the frequency range and is much too low to be seen on a normal response plot, you need to look at what the RTA is showing with no signal playing. This thread on the RTA, although from an earlier version of REW, has some useful info on using the RTA to spot noise.


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