Outboard audio: Roland Studio Capture

[Al Murray]

I have a pair of Roland Studio captures, I've had a them a long time, maybe a decade, and am familiar with how they work and what they can do etc, however of late (the last month or so), they have become increasingly noisy, electrical interference on recordings is what it sounds like.  I've tried *everything* (ground lifts, new usb cables, new PSUs, those pesky USB filters, different slots, the lot, A-Bing with different PCs etc, but when I tested the set up  with a different outboard audio device - a Roland Rubix 44 - the noise was absent, gone, no longer there. 

 

So two questions follow (or maybe three):

1.  Are these modules something that can be serviced or am I best off simply buying new ones (ouch, but worth it) on a knowing how they work be happy with what you've got basis, bearing in mind when Sonar vanished it was akin to having a breakdown, relieved only by cakewalk's miraculous rebirth;

2. What if the above isn't an option or they're hard to come by, would be the next best replacement. I love the Studio captures because I have a big drumset, fair bit of outboard and like to leave it all plugged in ready to go.  With two SC's you get 24 XLRs in and 8 lines in, the thing is a monster.  What could do that and not cause a nervous breakdwon to set up and get stable with Cakewalk?

3. I was wrong it's only two questions. 

 

Thanks in advance. 

 

 

[Sidney Earl Goodroe]

I also use a pair of Studio-Captures!!! I have not had any noise issues to speak of but the phantom power section started causing them to not boot up. A repair tech in Atlanta found that disconnecting the ribbon cable would fix the problem but I have to use outboard phantom power supplies!! A minor nuisance at best.

Anyway, the repair person said they were still serviceable but you probably have to ship the unit thru a roland licensed repair shop. Everyone has to make their money.

I have intended to contact Roland to see if I could just ship straight to them but I was advised that Roland does not do its own repair work. You could give it a shot!!!!!

As far as noise I would try turning down all channels and disable compression and check each channel before anything else. Maybe you can track down a specific channel problem.

[twelvetone]

You got me really worried - I have 2 Studio and 2 OctaCaptures.

Did both become noisy at once? And equally noisy?

Are some channels more noisy than others? Or is the entire device noisy?

You are aware that the instrument inputs on the entire range are microphonic and generate hum if on hi-impedance? (but if you turn the level down its inaudible)

Please, some more info on the nature of this noise phenomenon... !!!

 

[Al Murray]

You got me really worried - I have 2 Studio and 2 OctaCaptures.

>these are at least a decade old though

 

Did both become noisy at once? And equally noisy?

 

> yes it seems to be the case, though the noise increases when you plug in the coax from B to A: I noticed on the fifth channel (which had kick drum being recorded on it on the A machine in the pair) that there was an electronic whine on the recordings (I had a gate set up on the channel so didn't hear it initially). 

Are some channels more noisy than others? Or is the entire device noisy?

>it seems to be the latter

 

You are aware that the instrument inputs on the entire range are microphonic and generate hum if on hi-impedance? (but if you turn the level down its inaudible)

>I certainly am

Please, some more info on the nature of this noise phenomenon... !!!

[twelvetone]

Sorry, me again, if you don't mind...

1. If nothing is connected and all input levels are down - do you still get noise?

2. Was the kick mic a condenser or dynamic? (drawing current might be a cause...)

3. You say a whine - could it be a ground loop?
I have this happen if, say, other devices (keys, guitar multifx... Laptop itself) with their own grounded power supplies are connected.

I originally intended the two OctaCaptures for permanent mounting in my rack with outboard gear.
I had endless whine and hum problems, disconnecting one device may stop another unrelated source - it drove me crazy.

I eventually got a whole bunch of Behringer HD400 hum destroyers (really just audio isolation transformers)
and it worked but was ridiculous with all these things hanging between connections.
Much later I got a Tascam US-20x20 and that has given me no issues.

I got the StudioCaptures to record an entire band (if that ever happens again) but I take a whole lot of HD400's to a recording gig just in case.

What I'm saying is, they are temperamental, but I'm still hoping they don't have a limited life.

Edited December 8, 2020 by twelvetone

[Sidney Earl Goodroe]

As I said before, I have never had any noise issues at all with my 2 Studio-Captures. I will be watching this thread very closely.

[Al Murray]

15 hours ago, twelvetone said:

Sorry, me again, if you don't mind...

1. If nothing is connected and all input levels are down - do you still get noise?

yes whatever happens this is the noise

 

Quote

2. Was the kick mic a condenser or dynamic? (drawing current might be a cause...)

3. You say a whine - could it be a ground loop?
I have this happen if, say, other devices (keys, guitar multifx... Laptop itself) with their own grounded power supplies are connected.

I originally intended the two OctaCaptures for permanent mounting in my rack with outboard gear.
I had endless whine and hum problems, disconnecting one device may stop another unrelated source - it drove me crazy.

I eventually got a whole bunch of Behringer HD400 hum destroyers (really just audio isolation transformers)
and it worked but was ridiculous with all these things hanging between connections.
Much later I got a Tascam US-20x20 and that has given me no issues.

I got the StudioCaptures to record an entire band (if that ever happens again) but I take a whole lot of HD400's to a recording gig just in case.

What I'm saying is, they are temperamental, but I'm still hoping they don't have a limited life.

 

test bed mp3.mp3

[twelvetone]

OK, so I checked my two StudioCaptures out. Here's what I did:

All 32 channels on record, all channels turned down to 0.0dB. except Ch1 where I connect a BeyerDynamic which is known for the high out-of-spec current it draws from the 48v phantom power.

Record: Ch1 shows my voice, There is a visible low fluctuation in the other tracks, probaly normal.

Listen back with all channels on the Master bus - I hear nothing other than some hiss when cranked full, plus hum which disappears when I turn off 48v - so in other words, it did not get recorded.

Export Ch2 44.1/16, no dithering. Open in Audacity, normalize: I see what must be single bits going positive and negative, but listening to them it is a sort of crackling, no systematic whine of fizzing like in your test bed.

Next, set Ch2 to record only, crank up input to full 58.0dB and record:

Listen back with headphone full: I hear some additional hiss compared to Ch3 which still has the signal recorded with input sens at 0dB, acceptabe I would say.

Your test bed has two parts. The first sounds to me like ground loop whine I have experienced in the past. But the second part, the fizzing, really does sound like component failure.

As a comment, it has worried me that these interfaces get fairly warm. I am glad I never mounted them in a rack. I can imagine heat buildup slowly baking the electrolytic capacitors - a common source of age-related failure.

Anyway, the fact that BOTH of your devices are showing the same issue is a coincidence. But you really have left no stone unturned, so I don't know what else to suggest.

Doesn't help you, I know. But I will keep an ear open for this phenomenon on my StudioCaptures in future.

[Al Murray]

Thanks Twelvetone, I thought I was going nuts: mine are old and rack mounted. Seems that could be it. I've had them so long I think I'll be buying another pair (I can justify it workwise) 

[Al Murray]

the saga continues: I ordered a new SC , hooked it up, noise was still there.. so I tear the whole system down and it seems the thing that is causing the noise (or at least now it's removed from my set up it's gone) was the surge protecting power 6 way. which came into the system in an attempt to clean up the power in the home studio(!!!!!!!). god help me.

[Sidney Earl Goodroe]

Sorry for your trouble but many thanks to you for keeping us informed. Glad you found the problem!!!

[Al Murray]

thanks Sidney

[twelvetone]

And you have me relieved, too. Thanks for keeping us posted.