Does anyone have a workaround for the design flaw on 2005 PowerMac G5 which causes Sound Interference on outputs? (Audiophile, Sound Engineer)
Ok here's my problem - I have a Protools Digi 002 audio interface set up via Firewire 400 on a PowerMac G5 i was fortunate enough to be given last year. I've finally managed to hook up my home recording studio system, wire it in to the mixing desk etc, but when I listen to music coming back from the outputs of the Digi 002 there is a terrific cacophony of audio interference, so much so, that when i crank up the system i can move my mouse pointer between the dual monitors and it plays a different frequency of buzz. Every time i open a window, app etc there is more electronic noise.
It took me a while to narrow it down, but after reading this excerpt from wikipedia, it appears this was a common fault in that particular model until Apple released the revised B version of the G5(?);
'Early versions of dual processor G5 computers have noise problems. The first one is ground loop-based interference,[5] which sometimes causes noise leaks into the analog audio outputs. This bug was fixed in Rev. B G5.'
and
'Although the noise problems did not prevent the affected computers from working, they were problematic for audio professional and enthusiasts alike, especially for the liquid-cooled models, which had been expressly designed as mechanically quiet for discerning listeners.'
Well, that's no understatement - in fact it renders the mac completely useless for my requirements, as i need the outputs clean of digital noise for sending to outboard effects/EQ/etc
As this was a common fault, I was hoping someone might be able to shed some light on a work-around, as I can't imagine recording studios just ground to a halt until this was fixed by releasing a newer G5?
The only idea I have come up with so far is to purchase an Isolation Transformer, but i'm not entirely convinced that will solve the issue?
Any help on this matter would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks in advance
PowerMac, Mac OS X (10.5.8), Model no: A1047 (EMC 2061)
