OT: S/N-Ratio measurment - help

[Fraser, Colin J]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Tim Ressel [mailto:Tim_R1 at verifone.com]
> Sent: 07 February 2000 22:58
> To: 'Martin Czech'; x_ray at hanfi.com
> Cc: synth-diy at mailhost.bpa.nl
> Subject: RE: OT: S/N-Ratio measurment - help
> 
> 
> I am not at all surprised to hear it. Think about the setup: 
> here you have an
> A/D converter with the bottom bit at around 25 uV. Then you 
> put into a PC case,
> one that is metal and sealed up to keep those nasty emissions 
> from exiting the
> case. So you have this sound card sticking up in the noise 
> breeze like a
> high-tech sail. And oh by the way, no shielding what so ever 
> on the card, except
> for whatever carefull layout they may have done. Noisy? Of 
> course it is.

Soundcards do seem to be getting better these days.
My new soundcard gives an average noise floor of -95db, and peak noise of
about -83db, measured in Wavelab.
When the noise gate in the Drawmer compressor patched between my desk and
the PC opens, the noise level jumps to at least -70 or -60db.
I could work on reducing the noise levels from my gear for a long time
before the soundcard became the weak link in the chain.

Colin f