Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 keeps flashing red-yellow-green (think disco-light speed of change)

[Diana Chahine]

I've had this same setup for the past year and have never had any problems with it until today:

Audio Interface: Focusrite Scarlett (3rd gen) 2i2

Cakewalk

Rode USB Mic - connected to AI with XLR

Yamaha Keyboard - connected to AI with XLR

Usually I plug in the XLR to the keyboard, the AI into the laptop, and I can start recording right away, however tonight the light kept flashing red-yellow-green, there was no audio output on Cakewalk, and there was a LOT of static. I updated Focusrite, restarted my computer, unplugged and plugged everything in, and the same thing happened. I tested out the Mic, and everything operated perfectly fine on that.

Does that mean the issue is solely with the keyboard's XLR cord or is there some setting I need to change?

[mettelus]

Flashing lights on hardware are typically codes for a fault. From this link on Focusrite's website this may be it:

"However, if you find the gain or USB LEDs flash on and off constantly when your interface is connected, it usually means it is not able to draw enough power from your computer. Windows may also continue to attempt to connect the device, often denoted by a chime sound."

When operating that interface, be sure you always have the laptop plugged in. Many laptops have inherent power saving mechanisms to conserve the battery if unplugged (like shutting off USB ports). Is the laptop plugged in and your power settings set to always on? The advanced power options in Windows are where you can surgically disable Windows from shutting off things, but some laptops also have their own proprietary software for power management... if yours has that, often there is a "disable when plugged in" option of some sort.

 

Edited November 10, 2023 by mettelus

[John Vere]

Good find on that link, And that's first thing I would have done was google the question.  Focusrite has excellent support and documentation.  

It might be if phantom power is on and needed for the mike.  A powered hub might be needed. Laptops USB systems are not always very powerful.   

[Diana Chahine]

11 hours ago, mettelus said:

Flashing lights on hardware are typically codes for a fault. From this link on Focusrite's website this may be it:

"However, if you find the gain or USB LEDs flash on and off constantly when your interface is connected, it usually means it is not able to draw enough power from your computer. Windows may also continue to attempt to connect the device, often denoted by a chime sound."

When operating that interface, be sure you always have the laptop plugged in. Many laptops have inherent power saving mechanisms to conserve the battery if unplugged (like shutting off USB ports). Is the laptop plugged in and your power settings set to always on? The advanced power options in Windows are where you can surgically disable Windows from shutting off things, but some laptops also have their own proprietary software for power management... if yours has that, often there is a "disable when plugged in" option of some sort.

 

Thank you for that! I did that (and also uninstalled some Windows updates), and I don't have those flashing lights anymore, so that problem is solved. HOWEVER, I now have this static sound when my Keyboard XLR is plugged in. I don't even have to be using it for there to be that static, however that only happens with the Direct Monitor is on. In contrast, when I plug in my mic's XLR to the same channel, with the exact same levels of gain, and basically every setting the exact same, there's no static whatsoever, it's crystal clear... so is the the keyboard XLR the culprit? It's weird because just a week ago everything was completely fine, so I'm not sure what would have changed.

[mettelus]

1 hour ago, Diana Chahine said:

however that only happens with the Direct Monitor is on

This part is a little odd to me. It seems sort of like a ground loop (you can try plugging everything into the same outlet for a common ground), but could also be something like the mic putting out mic levels, and the keyboard putting out line level voltage (which is higher). I do not have the 2i2, but there should be a setting for mic/line inputs on it. If that is set to "line" when using the keyboard does the problem persist?

A word of caution with phantom power (especially with condenser mics) is never make/break an XLR connection with the phantom power on. If you ever did that with the keyboard, it could also be an issue, but if it runs fine without Direct Monitor on, that seems very unlikely.

[Diana Chahine]

55 minutes ago, mettelus said:

This part is a little odd to me. It seems sort of like a ground loop (you can try plugging everything into the same outlet for a common ground), but could also be something like the mic putting out mic levels, and the keyboard putting out line level voltage (which is higher). I do not have the 2i2, but there should be a setting for mic/line inputs on it. If that is set to "line" when using the keyboard does the problem persist?

A word of caution with phantom power (especially with condenser mics) is never make/break an XLR connection with the phantom power on. If you ever did that with the keyboard, it could also be an issue, but if it runs fine without Direct Monitor on, that seems very unlikely.

Yea, it doesn't make a difference whether it's set to line or inst, the static is still there.

Oh, I'm sure I have plugged/unplugged while the phantom power is on before... does that create irreversible damage??

[mettelus]

1 hour ago, Diana Chahine said:

Oh, I'm sure I have plugged/unplugged while the phantom power is on before... does that create irreversible damage??

That can for sure, but devices requiring phantom power are more susceptible to it. It doesn't make sense with the Direct Monitor only on though. If you record the keyboard with the direct monitor off, is that static baked into the recorded track?

Quick Edit: There seems to be a few posts with similar issues. A few were hardware related, but one guy in the middle of this thread posted:

"So, I had this problem, it was bugging me bad, but with some troubleshooting, the solution at least in my case was simple. I had to turn down the inputs I wasn't using. I was using it as a USB audio interface to play tracks from my computer in live performances. But it was hissing bad. But once I turned off direct monitoring switch and turned the levels all the way down on the knobs on the front for the two mic inputs, the hissing went completely away."

Edited November 11, 2023 by mettelus

[Diana Chahine]

3 hours ago, mettelus said:

That can for sure, but devices requiring phantom power are more susceptible to it. It doesn't make sense with the Direct Monitor only on though. If you record the keyboard with the direct monitor off, is that static baked into the recorded track?

Quick Edit: There seems to be a few posts with similar issues. A few were hardware related, but one guy in the middle of this thread posted:

"So, I had this problem, it was bugging me bad, but with some troubleshooting, the solution at least in my case was simple. I had to turn down the inputs I wasn't using. I was using it as a USB audio interface to play tracks from my computer in live performances. But it was hissing bad. But once I turned off direct monitoring switch and turned the levels all the way down on the knobs on the front for the two mic inputs, the hissing went completely away."

I just checked, and the input level is all the way down on the 2nd input. Ughh I wish that was the solution!

[Promidi]

Are you using balanced cables?

[mettelus]

They are XLR, so they should be, but they can get damaged over time. If you have a different cable available, that is worth trying as well for sure. Depending on environment, a broken XLR cable (or unbalanced in general) can act like a radio antenna.

As this is very specific to the hardware involved, it would also be worth contacting Focusrite and Yamaha directly. It seems that the keyboard is the real culprit. If phantom power is off does that persist? I read a couple posts saying that phantom power alone can cause static (seems limited to their mixers), but also found this thread which is concerning. The OP there was basically asking if keyboards have protection circuitry on the XLR outputs against phantom power surges, and the answers were a mixed bag. I would focus on contacting Yamaha customer service for sure with your make and model. Be sure to ask them specifically if connecting the XLR with phantom power can damage the keyboard connectors?

Does the keyboard also provide audio output jacks other than the XLR? That would be another path to try. The phantom power only gets passed through the XLR connections on the AI, so if you can connect it via 1/4" TRS cables (balanced) that would be another way to see if it is truly the XLR connector on the keyboard. A single 1/4" TRS can also be used to pass stereo from the headphone output, but would be unbalanced in that case (not necessarily bad, and definitely worth trying).

If it works fine with Direct Monitoring off, that is also an option. A bit of a nuisance, but an option for you.

Whenever powering equipment on or making/breaking connections, it is good practice to always have phantom power off, gain knobs all to zero, and even the equipment off in some cases for making connections.

[John Vere]

What is the model of the Yamaha keyboard? 
When you say you have the input turned way down this implies an impedance miss match. 
The direct monitoring is only making it obvious what the signal sounds like. So it’s a simple matter of sorting out the best configuration to connect the Yamaha. Example is it a model that send Audio via USB. 

[Diana Chahine]

On 11/11/2023 at 12:59 AM, Promidi said:

Are you using balanced cables?

Yes. I'm only using a 1/4 to XLR cable from the keyboard to the AI. 

On 11/11/2023 at 1:30 AM, mettelus said:

They are XLR, so they should be, but they can get damaged over time. If you have a different cable available, that is worth trying as well for sure. Depending on environment, a broken XLR cable (or unbalanced in general) can act like a radio antenna.

As this is very specific to the hardware involved, it would also be worth contacting Focusrite and Yamaha directly. It seems that the keyboard is the real culprit. If phantom power is off does that persist? I read a couple posts saying that phantom power alone can cause static (seems limited to their mixers), but also found this thread which is concerning. The OP there was basically asking if keyboards have protection circuitry on the XLR outputs against phantom power surges, and the answers were a mixed bag. I would focus on contacting Yamaha customer service for sure with your make and model. Be sure to ask them specifically if connecting the XLR with phantom power can damage the keyboard connectors?

Does the keyboard also provide audio output jacks other than the XLR? That would be another path to try. The phantom power only gets passed through the XLR connections on the AI, so if you can connect it via 1/4" TRS cables (balanced) that would be another way to see if it is truly the XLR connector on the keyboard. A single 1/4" TRS can also be used to pass stereo from the headphone output, but would be unbalanced in that case (not necessarily bad, and definitely worth trying).

If it works fine with Direct Monitoring off, that is also an option. A bit of a nuisance, but an option for you.

Whenever powering equipment on or making/breaking connections, it is good practice to always have phantom power off, gain knobs all to zero, and even the equipment off in some cases for making connections.

I did try with a different 1/4 to XLXR cable and had to same trouble. I also connected my 1/4 cable to headphones to hear what it sounds likes directly and the static comes through there as well. So that definitely seems now like its a keyboard thing... ?

 

 

23 hours ago, John Vere said:

What is the model of the Yamaha keyboard? 
When you say you have the input turned way down this implies an impedance miss match. 
The direct monitoring is only making it obvious what the signal sounds like. So it’s a simple matter of sorting out the best configuration to connect the Yamaha. Example is it a model that send Audio via USB. 

I'm using the Yamaha DG650. Currently I am connecting directly from the keyboard to the AI with a 1/4 TRS to XLR, but I just figured that the 1/4 headphone cable also produces that same static. There's no static when the keyboard has nothing plugged in though, so I'm very confused.

[John Vere]

I have a DGX 620 which is pretty much identical. 
You are using the wrong cable. 
The only output is a stereo Headphone jack. Therefore a TRS 1/4” plugged into the keyboard the other end of that cable should be a Y split to two 1/4” TS standard jacks.  Not XLR. 
That is why it’s humming. 

Then you also have the wrong Audio interface for that set up if what you’re trying to do is sing and play piano at the same time. 
You only have 2 inputs and you would need 3 for the piano to sound right. My Yamaha definitely puts low notes on the left and higher notes right. 
The best option is to use the keyboard as a midi controller to record it when singing or at any time. 
Install the Yamaha universal midi driver which is updated for Windows 10 and 11. The driver on the CD is way out of date so don’t use it.  
The following my instructions in my videos get it to record and use any piano VST. Addictive Keys demo might work unless you need those lowest and higher octaves. But lots of choices for pianos in VST land. Then you can learn to edit as well. 
If you want to use the sound from the piano then purchase the correct Y cable on Amazon and use both inputs of your interfaces to record a stereo audio track buy playing the project and selecting the Yamaha as the output from the midi or instrument track.  
This is the preferred method because it’s easy to fix minor mistakes in the piano performance.  You can focus on singing. And once captured as midi you could also re sing with out playing at the same time. 
Im pretty confident that the correct cable will be the solution. 
I have no issues with mine this way and I have even connected to a PA system a few times. 

[Glenn Stanton]

2 minutes ago, John Vere said:

...
The best option is to use the keyboard as a midi controller to record it when singing or at any time. 
...

this ^^^ always record the MIDI along with the audio (on any MIDI source really), then as John suggests you can replace the piano (with another piano, organ, or guitar, etc) if you're not happy with the keyboard audio, or simply want to do another parts in the arrangement with something else. Hammersmith free is decent, EZ Keys2 has a nice grand, most times i'm using Hammersmith Pro. or oddly enough, a very old Steinway D soundfont (sf2), or an old 1890 Bösendorfer piano soundfont, and they both sit in a mix nicely... played via the free sforzando VST.

[John Vere]

Here's the Cable I bought.  this is Amazon Canada so search in your proper country..  They are often called Insert cables because historically they are used with patching hardware into the signal path of a mixing console.  I bought the 9' one as all my old Insert cables were short. You can make them longer using a standard 1/4" TRS extension cable.   https://www.amazon.ca/Gold-Plated-Audiowave-6-35mm-Adapter-Splitter/dp/B07JQLTZ6K/ref=sr_1_4_sspa?crid=1GWT49ALB5LJA&keywords=1%2F4%2Binch%2Btrs%2Bstereo%2By-splitter%2Binsert%2Bcable&qid=1699813123&sprefix=TRS%2BY%2Bcable%2Caps%2C126&sr=8-4-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&th=1

Here is Yamahas up to date Midi driver https://usa.yamaha.com/search/index.html?search=midi+driver

This is actually not made clear on Yamahas site because if you go to your Keyboards support page they say there is no driver. I got this tip on another music forum when trying to sort this out. I thought mine was so old that using it as a controller was no longer an option. Nope. Works 100%. So nice to have the piano like action but it's sort of too big for my space so I only drag it out when needed now. I haven't used the sounds yet because I'm too lazy to go to the bother when I have pretty good VST instruments on hand. I use True Pianos which I think was from Sonar 8.5 and no long available. 

Here's my instruction videos

 connecting a device.    https://youtu.be/YJlI6U8Rqa0

 Midi set up general info- https://youtu.be/8xYGKsLHAh0

using Instruments  https://youtu.be/rVWeMsPZ-hc

 

Using The PRV editor  https://youtu.be/cyJUN2OdmBY

 

Here's a site where you'll find dozens of free pianos. Some are actually good but best if piano is your main sound to spend some money and get a real good one. But most of these are as good as the sounds in the Yamaha. 

The one called Grand Piano 1 is exceptional better as it uses proper samples.    https://plugins4free.com/search?term=piano

 

 

 

Edited November 12, 2023 by John Vere

[Promidi]

3 hours ago, Diana Chahine said:

Yes. I'm only using a 1/4 to XLR cable from the keyboard to the AI.

What about from the AI to your Mixer (or monitors).