Horrible noise through my speakers when I power down my PC...

Hopefully I'm not annoying you guys yet but when I shut down tonight I was reminded of a nasty noise my speakers make when I shut down. I am attributing this to my Echo Layla 3G as it does not happen when my speakers are plugged in anywhere else and it used to do it on my old system as well with the Layla. Just wondering if it may be a symptom of damage to the i/o box or something else being screwed up. Here's the situation. I currently have some powered computer speakers hooked up to the headphone jack on the Layla until I get my monitors delivered this week. This happens even if the output knob of the headphone jack is turned all the way down and it used to happen on my old system when I had analog outs going to a mixer (I just got into the habit of turning down the output volume on the mixer and I'll obviously just have to remember to turn down the volume on the speakers from now on).

The sound is kind of like a record needle scratching a record in a descending tone. To put it in a text based way it sounds like this...

TZZZZZZEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeoooooooooooooop!

It actually scared the crap out of me earlier because it did it when I was doing other stuff and the computer when to sleep. I had the speakers cranked so it was LOUD.

Anyone know what that is? I will obviously go back to turning everything down before shutting down my system like I used to but I'm curious if this is normal and if not whether I can fix it. Thanks.

It could be a capacitor loosing its charge as you turn off the computer on the Layla. It is not a normal situation though. I would turn off the speakers before powering down to prevent the tweeter getting burned out.

On the other hand I may be totally wrong.  This is just a guess.

Certain soundblaster Live card did things similar to me, explotions,zeeeps, litle blast when shoot down, I just ignore it, or... turn off the speakers before powering down ..as John advices.

Power disruption and fluctuation when you turn off the computer. Really bad for your speakers when that happens. Turn off your speakers before the computer.

@John... Yes it is definitely something powering down. Just not sure if that's normal for the Layla and had completely forgotten about it until tonight. I'm glad it happened though and that I posted this. It's not a big deal for it to mess with my cruddy little computer speakers but now that I am aware of the noise again I can take precautions when my monitors get here. For a second I thought to myself "Oh crap!! I won't have a mixer in between the card and the box! I don't want to have to turn down the monitor volume every time!" But then I realized they'll each have a power switch. My brain ain't workin' straight tonight.

I think this Layla is turning into a huge problem for such a modern setup. I may have to refigure my purchasing priority here a bit and snag a little 2-4 channel i/o in the meantime. It's not like I'll be recording any full bands soon anyway and even if that did happen I could just go old school and do it like I used to. Through my old Mackie 16 channel mixer into the Echo. Also without breaking out the huge mixer again I can only use the two multi ins on the Echo anyway so what the hell, right? Might make my engine stop problem go away too and it's less desk clutter. I was however hoping to start eating properly again. Ha ha (but seriously all this crap is KILLING me financially... whatever). I also have to remember to turn off all the power management crap in Windows like you said in that other thread. I certainly don't want this happening if I go out for a smoke or something.

@carlosgm... well that's a little comforting. When I first noticed it years ago I freaked out like I am now and then just worked my procedures around it. I'm just spazzing out now that I'm starting from scratch again.

@WhisperBlade... Yup, definitely have to get into my old robot like studio habits again.

Anyway, guys, thanks again. Another massively educational day. I just hope I can record a bloody song soon. lol

And now I want to learn more about this power disruption/fluctuation you speak... but I really should sleep.

yep... probably an issue with the driver or the sound card but remember the rule.....

On a Power on: Turn on speakers last

On a Power off: Turn off speakers first

this rule applies to PA systems and it also applies to studio gear. 

My system powers up and down quietly..... but if it didn't, I would certainly start following that rule. 

+1 Herb

I take no chances.  Speakers are always last on, and first off.

Never can tell when a computer will poop.

In my main office computer the vid card died last month, made lots of noise before the computer quit.

So, I am in the habit of making the main volume down when not listening much, when auditioning samples,...

It is the voice of many billion bits dying in an instant. It sends a great disturbance through the Force. A Jedi master must always power the speakers off before powering down all else. After all, who wants to hear that @#^%! :D

I keep hearing about this - it seems to be a huge issue at the moment. I haven't been working enough to notice it myself or perhaps I don't use said features...but can somebody please tell me what I should avoid doing until this is fixed? Thanks!

This really isn't a big problem, unless you keep doing it. 

When you power on and off your computer, it discharges retained power in the PSU of your computer. The discharged energy creates energy fluctuations in the powergrid to which your speakers are connected. This sudden discharge often increase the power received by your speakers and cause electro-mechanical action, creating the sound. 

So, theory aside - Turn off your speakers first before you turn off your computers so that it stops receiving a large power surge. Doing this repeatedly will damage your speaker as well as other connected magnetic or sensitive peripherals. Don't stress too much about it. 

Thanks guys. I will definitely remember to power down my speakers first. I knew that but it's been a few years since I've done any DAW stuff so I have to get my head back into those basic procedures again.
@js516... LMFAO. It actually sounds kind of like a light sabre in desperate need of a tune up. Heheheh.

@WhisperBlade... Thanks for taking the extra time to go into detail. Interesting stuff.

Does the same thing apply to the audio interface? Should that be On after the PC is booted, or should it be On before the PC boots?

@syntheticpop... in my case the Layla 3G doesn't even have a power switch. It takes its power through a dedicated data cable (it's a PCI interface) and just powers up on boot up (and powers down on shut down) so personally I don't know. Hopefully someone has an answer. I'm curious as well as the i/o boxes I'm looking at all seem to have a separate power source and (I think) on/off switches (well the m-audio ones do anyway. I'd say look at the manual for your specific i/o interface. I would still think shutting off the speakers before shutting down the i/o would be the safest bet. Perhaps...
Turn off speakers > Power down mixer (if you have one) > Power down i/o > shut down PC

Don't take my word though. I'm still learning.

    "TZZZZZZEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeoooooooooooooop! "  

 I know the exact sound you mean.
If you have cans on while powering down it catches you out and totally rips at your soul!
I used to get it on a M audio 24/96 but it only started happening after transferring that card to a brand new 2011 system.
It was fine for years before that. 
I started using a new audio interface too soon afterwards to ever establish the problem.
Johns capacitor discharge theory could be the answer - it's something discharging for sure, but whether it's something discharging ON the audio interface rather than THROUGH the interface, and whether that discharge indicates a faulty component or not is obviously a case by case matter.

Sorry I couldn't help, but yeah, that sound is nasty.

It's definitely the Layla making the sound as that is the only component in the new setup that was in the old setup. I kind of wish I had the foresight to sell it back when they were still selling $400 a few years ago used on ebay. Oh well. Live and learn.

Yeah, I know that feeling - As a young man I spent all my savings purchasing my first sampling keyboard at a time when people were offering analog keyboards for firewood!!

Ha ha. And now most of those keyboards are probably worth a mint. But I guess 20-30 years worth of storing a Rhodes set up would probably negate any profit made today. Gear hounds are such fickle creatures.

syntheticpop


Does the same thing apply to the audio interface? Should that be On after the PC is booted, or should it be On before the PC boots?

I can't speak for other interfaces, but mine needs to be powered on before I boot the computer.

I use a MOTU PCI-based set up. The interfaces (a 24io and a 2408mk3) must be powered on first, then the PC, then the speakers. I shutdown in reverse order.

TZZZZZZEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeoooooooooooooop!

Beepster

TZZZZZZEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeoooooooooooooop!

That is the sound of a cap discharging ... and the unit may live on for many years to come!
I wouldn't toss the Layla based on that, as long as it still runs fine and sounds good (ie: no noises under normal use).
 
Just remember to turn off the speakers first, which is always best practise anyway.