What did you do today?

[EdZ]

If you're trying to install Windows 7 on new hardware you're going to repeatedly run into issues with missing drivers. Win 7 is 8 years old, and never had native support for things like UEFI boot and GPT disc partitioning that are standard now, and many manufacturers don't even bother writing drivers for it for their new components.

The USB issue, for example, is because Windows 7 has no native USB 3 support or xHCI support, so if the motherboard USB controller is in xHCI mode rather than EHCI (legacy) mode Windows cannot detect even USB 2.0 ports.

Windows 7 can usually be installed (depending on if the motherboard has compatibility mode available), but it's an exercise in frustration, and it usually makes more sense just to run 10 and put 7 in a VM for any older applications that vendors have failed to update for 10.

 

[VegetableStu]

53 new chrome tabs. Cause: google spiral.

Topic: Condenser mics; Phantom power; Plug-in power; Unbalanced Condenser Mics; Unbalanced to Balanced converter; EMI Cable Shielding; 9V Mic Plug-in power; TRS to XLR balanced cable; Phantom Blocker...

... should I really be posting my browser history? o_o

 

[Signols]

@EdZ thanks for the info, if I can't fix it with simply changing optical drives I'm just going to install windows 10.

 

[ignsvn]

The USB issue, for example, is because Windows 7 has no native USB 3 support or xHCI support, so if the motherboard USB controller is in xHCI mode rather than EHCI (legacy) mode Windows cannot detect even USB 2.0 ports.

Windows 7 can usually be installed (depending on if the motherboard has compatibility mode available), but it's an exercise in frustration, and it usually makes more sense just to run 10 and put 7 in a VM for any older applications that vendors have failed to update for 10.

Is this why I keep having problem with my front USB 3.0 ports?

I use Win 7, and when I attach, say an external hard drive, Windows detects and then disconnects after a while. Thumb drives sometimes work, and sometimes not (it detects a USB device, but unable to determine the type / name of the device - keep saying unknown device is attached). However, they all work OK in safe mode.

My rear USB 3.0 ports are OK.

(This has been happening since day 1 I built my PC)

 

[EdZ]

Is this why I keep having problem with my front USB 3.0 ports?

I use Win 7, and when I attach, say an external hard drive, Windows detects and then disconnects after a while. Thumb drives sometimes work, and sometimes not (it detects a USB device, but unable to determine the type / name of the device - keep saying unknown device is attached). However, they all work OK in safe mode.

My rear USB 3.0 ports are OK.

(This has been happening since day 1 I built my PC)

If it's intermittent, that's probably not the issue. Check the USB power settings in power options in control panel, it may be set to sleep after a certain amount of time. If it works in safe mode, then it may just be the notoriously crappy drivers for third party USB controllers. You could try installing the third party drivers (usually ASMedia, Renesas or Etron) to allow Windows to use its internal drivers.

 

[ignsvn]

If it's intermittent, that's probably not the issue. Check the USB power settings in power options in control panel, it may be set to sleep after a certain amount of time. If it works in safe mode, then it may just be the notoriously crappy drivers for third party USB controllers. You could try installing the third party drivers (usually ASMedia, Renesas or Etron) to allow Windows to use its internal drivers.

Nop, I can confirm it's not because of the USB power / sleep settings.

I tried Asmedia, but never Renesas or Etron. Will try later, thanks.

FYI my motherboard is Asus H87i-Plus. It gave me hard time with its USB 3.0 header location (I never thought USB 3.0 header cable is so stiff).

 

[jtd871]

It would be much easier (and probably would take up much less room) if they would just put a "standard" USB port on the motherboard and you could run a (much more flexible than a header cable) "standard" USB cable to an internal 1) single port or 2) multi-port/device hub.

BTW, I briefly looked through the official USB3 documentation and couldn't find a single reference to the physical spec for the motherboard header. Cables, yep. Header interface, nope. What utter bull.

 

[EdZ]

my motherboard is Asus H87i-Plus

Checking the spec sheet it looks like all the USB 3 ports are from the chipset, but the Asus website also lists drivers for an ASMedia USB 3 controller. Asus' spec sheets are often a bit of a clusterf**k in terms of being even vaguely correct, so who knows what's actually on the board.
The manual p2-30 shows the xHCI and EHCI configuration options. For Windows 7, you probably want Legacy on, xHCI disabled, and EHCI enabled; but make sure to note the current settings before changing anything as Windows 7 is not as tolerant of BIOS/UEFI changes made after install as more modern versions of Windows are.

 

[VegetableStu]

bought a whiteboard to place my thoughts without needing to open paint or photoshop, and now I need a crash course in dBv and dBu and figuring out impedance and finding what's the maximum line voltage can a recorder take and how to get the right parts and oh my god I might need another whiteboard

 

[jØrd]

oh my god I might need another whiteboard

Sounds like what you need is whiteboard paint

 

[craigbru]

I had a busy weekend. I hit some trails Sunday with the Grand Cherokee, but on Saturday I managed to make some more progress with the Jeep's new dash bezel install. Everything fits in place as it should. I've got to get the wiring updated and finished, and I do have just a little more printing to do. There is an ORT logo on the lower right of the bezel that will receive an inlay. Other than that, I'm very happy with how it's turned out.

 

[Phuncz]

Looks great ! You make it seem so easy

 

[VegetableStu]

Sounds like what you need is whiteboard paint

I... I might... When I own a house, the walls of one of the rooms will be panted with that O_O

 

[craigbru]

Looks great ! You make it seem so easy

Thanks! It only looks that way because you don't see all the hours spent in design, or measuring, or test printing, haha.

 

[Soul_Est]

bought a whiteboard to place my thoughts without needing to open paint or photoshop, and now I need a crash course in dBv and dBu and figuring out impedance and finding what's the maximum line voltage can a recorder take and how to get the right parts and oh my god I might need another whiteboard

I think I can help with that. I'll see what materials I still have from school and what I can find online.


Working on my resume for another job application. Planning a new hardware project.

 

[VegetableStu]

@Soul_Est thanks! I'm outside now but I'll post what I got so far when I get back

EDIT:

Thoughts so far (where I last left the googlework):

• What's the maximum peak voltage must a line-in be before it fries the recorder? and also how high can it go to be loud enough?
• On one of the diagrams I read for the RANE Balance Buddy I see -10 dBv and +4 dBu. what are those units and how do I get them?
• What is Inductance? How do I get Inductance?
• Deciding between increasing gain on the recorder's side, or making an amp for that (leaning towards the former).
• Is DIY plug-in power just as simple as a battery, a resistor and a capacitor? Also what's the capacitor rating I should be getting? (the number I pulled from an example)
• how do I get the Impedance rating of a microphone if it's not specified in the spec sheet?

 

[Soul_Est]

Alright. I will admit that I have not gotten that deep into electronics (Computer Engineering FTW or FTL?) and all of my notes here are for digital and not analog. (RIP me as my next project is largely audio as well.)

As for the -10dBV and +4dBu, they are for RCA and XLR respectively and have deeper meanings.

• The fun explanation
• The dry explanation

Not sure how you would get them though, sorry.

Inductance (L) is the measure of a magnetic field created by an inductor (just a coil of wire usually) when current flows through it. The unit for it is Henry (H). Inductance can be calculated in a number of ways.

• https://www.electronics-tutorials.com/basics/inductance.htm
• https://physics.info/inductance/
  
• http://www.rfcafe.com/references/electrical/inductance.htm

Good question about the gain. I have no answer for that. Beware the noise floor.

Power input is never as simple as that. For a battery, there are protections that are needed for the circuit and the battery. For DC power input, you would need a DC-DC supply. For AC input, you would need to rectify, filter, and handle the DC.


Today, I negotiated a gig (no reply yet) and applied for a contractor job. Now I am going to go play with microcontrollers (ATMega 328 and 32u4).

 

[EdZ]

If you have an externally powered mic, it's probably going to be easier (and likely cheaper) to grab a Phantom Power injector (or use a recorder that already injects Phantom Power) than to build an injector yourself.

 

[VegetableStu]

Yeah the one I'm using is a plug-in power rated unbalanced condenser, so it's either I make a separate 5V powerbox, or (going off a post where someone put resistors in an XLR adapter) use 48V phantom power from the recorder and also figure out how to get the mic to balance

this kid asks the darnest requests ,_,

EDIT:

• The dry explanation

Not sure how you would get them though, sorry.

The only reason to use a -10dBV input is if your gear only works at -10dBV standard levels. In all cases connecting a -10dBv output to the input of +4dBU gear will increase the noise floor... if you do so and need to gain up to +4dBu nominal levels it is often cleaner to do it in the pro side of the connection.

Well that's the gain thing settled actually ._. I'll rely on the recorder's gain.
(I'm still reading through everything you wrote ,_, thanks by the way!)

 

[EdZ]

You rarely need to have a balanced connection unless you're doing long runs in an electrically noise environment (e.g. doing runs to front-of-house speakers bundled together and dressed alongside power cabling). If the mic is unbalanced, then trying to 'convert' it to a balanced connection is likely just going to add an unnecessary headache for no practical benefit.