Sound distortion

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popcorndrink · #1 Post by **popcorndrink** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 10:54 am

Hello,

I have been having some problems with my audio jack. There is a constant distortion regardless if using headphones or speakers.

I have a SoundMAX Integrated Digital Audio device with the newest driver.

The distortion actually appears the moment I turn on my computer and till I turn it off. Maybe it is a hardware problem?

I will appreciate any help.

Thanks.

pae77 · #2 Post by **pae77** » Tue Jan 17, 2006 12:09 pm

Well, it MAY be a hardware problem, but first you should make sure it is not a software problem by uninstalling and reinstalling the audio driver.

If reinstalling the audio driver does not solve the problem, then it is most likely a hardware problem and you will need to call IBM support to arrange for service.

smugiri · #3 Post by **smugiri** » Tue Jan 17, 2006 1:26 pm

Try checking to see if your microphone is turned on.

popcorndrink · #4 Post by **popcorndrink** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 10:58 am

smugiri wrote:Try checking to see if your microphone is turned on.

It's on. Should I turn it off?

popcorndrink · #5 Post by **popcorndrink** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 11:11 am

pae77 wrote:Well, it MAY be a hardware problem, but first you should make sure it is not a software problem by uninstalling and reinstalling the audio driver.

If reinstalling the audio driver does not solve the problem, then it is most likely a hardware problem and you will need to call IBM support to arrange for service.

Reinstalling the audio driver did not solve problem unfortunately. Are you SURE that it is a hardware problem?

#6 Post by **GomJabbar** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 11:24 am

You mention distortion, but you don't describe it in much detail. Is it a constant crackling noise or a constant hum? Is the sound just poor when you play an audio file? What about system sounds, such as what you hear when you boot up windows? Is the sound bad from the laptop built-in speakers as well as through a pair of headphones?

popcorndrink · #7 Post by **popcorndrink** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 1:54 pm

GomJabbar wrote:You mention distortion, but you don't describe it in much detail. Is it a constant crackling noise or a constant hum? Is the sound just poor when you play an audio file? What about system sounds, such as what you hear when you boot up windows? Is the sound bad from the laptop built-in speakers as well as through a pair of headphones?

Sorry. It's a constant crackling noise. The audio isn't poor at all though but even though I play an audio file the noise is there but it's really hard to hear. In fact you almost can't hear it.

pae77 · #8 Post by **pae77** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 2:31 pm

popcorndrink wrote:Reinstalling the audio driver did not solve problem unfortunately. Are you SURE that it is a hardware problem?

No, not sure but I recall reading some other threads discussing similar problems where the ultimate resolution was system board replacement.

I experienced a similar problem with a T21 that eventually went away by itself.

popcorndrink · #9 Post by **popcorndrink** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 2:36 pm

pae77 wrote:
popcorndrink wrote:Reinstalling the audio driver did not solve problem unfortunately. Are you SURE that it is a hardware problem?
No, not sure but I recall reading some other threads discussing similar problems where the ultimate resolution was system board replacement.

I experienced a similar problem with a T21 that eventually went away by itself.

I don't hope you're right

Anyway, I'll wait for some more replies before calling IBM.

#10 Post by **GomJabbar** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 3:25 pm

Have you tried listening through a pair of headphones? Also make sure that some external source of radio interference is not causing the problem. Try your laptop at a different location (building).

popcorndrink · #11 Post by **popcorndrink** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 3:45 pm

GomJabbar wrote:Have you tried listening through a pair of headphones? Also make sure that some external source of radio interference is not causing the problem. Try your laptop at a different location (building).

Through headphones there isn't a constant crackling noise. Maybe it's the speakers?

#12 Post by **GomJabbar** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 3:55 pm

It could be the speakers, or the headphone jack may not be making a good contact when the headphones are removed. When you remove the headphones there is a spring contact that comes together to send the sound to the speakers. You may be able to remove the keyboard and clean the contact points on the jack. I have not removed the keyboard on my T42 to see how accessible the headphone jack is.

popcorndrink · #13 Post by **popcorndrink** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 3:57 pm

GomJabbar wrote:It could be the speakers, or the headphone jack may not be making a good contact when the headphones are removed. When you remove the headphones there is a spring contact that comes together to send the sound to the speakers. You may be able to remove the keyboard and clean the contact points on the jack. I have not removed the keyboard on my T42 to see how accessible the headphone jack is.

I've tried to remove the keyboard and the contact points are impossible to access because they are melted into some sort of box that can't be opened.

smugiri · #14 Post by **smugiri** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 4:26 pm

If the microphone is on, it causes distortion through feedback into the inputs. This will be especially bad if the speakers are used rather than the headphones.

As an experiment, try turning off the mic ( using the check rather than the sliders ) as see if the sound clears up. The problem might be as simple as this.

popcorndrink · #15 Post by **popcorndrink** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 4:48 pm

smugiri wrote:If the microphone is on, it causes distortion through feedback into the inputs. This will be especially bad if the speakers are used rather than the headphones.

As an experiment, try turning off the mic ( using the check rather than the sliders ) as see if the sound clears up. The problem might be as simple as this.

I can't uncheck the microphone to turn it off. Other ways to turn it off?

popcorndrink · #16 Post by **popcorndrink** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 4:57 pm

Woot. If I use the sliders to turn down the sound there's almost no noise at all. Just a little bit. But you said that I should use the checkbox rather than the sliders but I can't uncheck it. I'm sure that would fix it.

smugiri · #17 Post by **smugiri** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 6:23 pm

You need to turn off the mic twice, once for recording and once for playback.
If there is some noise but just a little, not only do you have the microphone on but you also have the microphone boost on. The volume applet has two modes, playback mode and recoding mode and you need to turn off the mic in both these modes for the noise to go away.

Try this:
Control Panel -> Sound & Audio Devices -> Hit the "Advanced" button just below the volume slider then the Volume Control applet will pop up ( I know that is seems easier to pull it up by right clicking on the icon in the Task Bar but that sometimes weirdly brings it up in "Read" mode. )

Then from the menu, pick "Options" -> "Properties" . Make sure the Microphone option is checked off. Then hit OK. You will go back to the Volume applet for playback where you can turn off the Playback microphone by unchecking the check box. Now do the same thing for the recodring mic. To do this, from the menu, pick "Options" -> "Properties"
and hit the recording check box. Make sure the Microphone check box in checked in the lower half of the Windows and hit OK. Before turning off the microphone, go back into the "Options Menu" and pick the "Advanced Controls" option. You will now have a button under the microphone volume that says "Advanced" Click on this and you will see the option to turn "Mic Boost" on and off. Choose the option you like ( Leave the boost on as it greatly enhances mic performance when you need it ) then go back into the Volume applet to turn off the mic.

popcorndrink · #18 Post by **popcorndrink** » Sun Jan 22, 2006 4:24 am

smugiri wrote:You need to turn off the mic twice, once for recording and once for playback.
If there is some noise but just a little, not only do you have the microphone on but you also have the microphone boost on. The volume applet has two modes, playback mode and recoding mode and you need to turn off the mic in both these modes for the noise to go away.

Try this:
Control Panel -> Sound & Audio Devices -> Hit the "Advanced" button just below the volume slider then the Volume Control applet will pop up ( I know that is seems easier to pull it up by right clicking on the icon in the Task Bar but that sometimes weirdly brings it up in "Read" mode. )

Then from the menu, pick "Options" -> "Properties" . Make sure the Microphone option is checked off. Then hit OK. You will go back to the Volume applet for playback where you can turn off the Playback microphone by unchecking the check box. Now do the same thing for the recodring mic. To do this, from the menu, pick "Options" -> "Properties"
and hit the recording check box. Make sure the Microphone check box in checked in the lower half of the Windows and hit OK. Before turning off the microphone, go back into the "Options Menu" and pick the "Advanced Controls" option. You will now have a button under the microphone volume that says "Advanced" Click on this and you will see the option to turn "Mic Boost" on and off. Choose the option you like ( Leave the boost on as it greatly enhances mic performance when you need it ) then go back into the Volume applet to turn off the mic.

The last part where I have to uncheck the checkbox in the volume applet to turn off the microphone for recording it's IMPOSSIBLE to turn it off. It just wont uncheck itself. It's checked and as I click on it to uncheck it nothing happens. The sliders are all the way down though.

smugiri · #19 Post by **smugiri** » Sun Jan 22, 2006 2:54 pm

Check my post again and you will see that you are missing something. You do not turn it off once, you need to turn it off TWICE in the same place BUT in 2 different modes.

First, you turn it off in Recording mode, nothing will happen and microphone check mark will remain checked. It will look exactly as it did before you tried to un-checked it.

Second, you turn off in Playback mode, when you turn it off the second time in Playback mode, it will go off.

Alternatively, if you have the SoundMAX control applet installed, you can turn the microphone off there. ( Control Panel -> SoundMax )

Try this and let us know how it goes.

popcorndrink · #20 Post by **popcorndrink** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 9:13 am

I've tried it. The checkbox still doesn't go off.

The constant crackling noise already appears in a low mode when the computer is off but escalates when I turn my computer on. I am afraid that it is my speakers that are fscked.

Where in the SoundMax control panel can I turn it off? I can't see such option.

By the way listen to this (the noise):
http://www.mortenbo.net/buzzing.wav

smugiri · #21 Post by **smugiri** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 1:26 pm

I have run out of ideas ...

Anyone else know how we can turn this off?

popcorndrink · #22 Post by **popcorndrink** » Sat Jan 28, 2006 4:25 pm

smugiri wrote:I have run out of ideas ...

Anyone else know how we can turn this off?

Fixed. Kind of an ironic solution. My friend was visiting me with his T42 and we tried switching AC adapters and then the crackling noise was gone!!!

Finally. Now I need to write to the ones I purchased the laptop of

Thanks for all of your help. I appreciate it!

Sound distortion

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