One monitor louder than the other

Wallengard

Wallengard

Manipulator of energy
So I just noticed, that if I slowly slowly raise the volume on my audio interface, the sound starts to creep in from the right side and when the volume gets a bit louder, it settles somewhat in the middle but I can still sense that the stereo image is shifted slightly to the right, and the only way for me to correct this is by setting the left monitor considerably louder than the right. But if I do that, then at higher volumes the sound starts to shift over to the other side instead as I raise the ouput on the interface.

Interestingly, the problem shifts to the left side when I switch the cables on the back of the interface, and also does it when I switch them in the monitors.

This is hardly normal.. so what could cause this?

I'm using Yamaha HS8's and a Scarlett 2i4.


Any help would be much appreciated,
Cheers,
Daniel
 
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Wallengard said:
So I just noticed, that if I slowly slowly raise the volume on my audio interface, the sound starts to creep in from the right side and when the volume gets a bit louder, it settles somewhat in the middle but I can still sense that the stereo image is shifted slightly to the right, and the only way for me to correct this is by setting the left monitor considerably louder than the right. But if I do that, then at higher volumes the sound starts to shift over to the other side instead as I raise the ouput on the interface.

Interestingly, the problem shifts to the left side when I switch the cables on the back of the interface, and also does it when I switch them in the monitors.

This is hardly normal.. so what could cause this?

I'm using Yamaha HS8's and a Scarlett 2i4.


Any help would be much appreciated,
Cheers,
Daniel
Click to expand...

If you high-pass the audio coming out of the speaker (say @ 1K), does it still exhibit this issue?

-Ki
Salem Beats (+Reviews)
gpWmqu
 
Salem Beats said:
If you high-pass the audio coming out of the speaker (say @ 1K), does it still exhibit this issue?

-Ki
Salem Beats (+Reviews)
gpWmqu
Click to expand...

You mean on the monitors themselves? These only have high and low trim switches at 5khz and 500hz.

Now I found out that it does this in my headphones as well, both the dt880's and hd598's, except from the headphone output the sound starts on the left and then behaves exactly like I explained for the monitors.
 
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sounds like there might be an imbalance somewhere back in your processing chain: could be the interface, could be the daw

try using the internal sound card to drive the monitors and see if the problem still exists
 
bandcoach said:
sounds like there might be an imbalance somewhere back in your processing chain: could be the interface, could be the daw

try using the internal sound card to drive the monitors and see if the problem still exists
Click to expand...

I don't have the right cables to be able to use the monitors in my internal soundcard, would this work using the headphones too, seeing as I'm experiencing the same issue with those?

Also it does this from any source, not just the DAW. I probably should've mentioned that.

Yumid said:
Just high pass it in your DAW it'll affect the output the same way. If I understood what salem meant right.
Click to expand...

Alright ill give that a try, I'm not at home now and won't be for another 6—7 or so hours but I will be back with the results once I can.
 
Wallengard said:
I don't have the right cables to be able to use the monitors in my internal soundcard, would this work using the headphones too, seeing as I'm experiencing the same issue with those?

Also it does this from any source, not just the DAW. I probably should've mentioned that.

Alright ill give that a try, I'm not at home now and won't be for another 6—7 or so hours but I will be back with the results once I can.
Click to expand...

Could be your ears, too!



-Ki
Salem Beats (+Reviews)
gpWmqu
 
except that he states quite categorically that the phenomenon is reversed top the opposite speaker when cables are switch at only one end

swapping the headphones (i.e. left earpiece on right ear and vice versa) should exhibit a similar phenomenon to the above scenario
 
Salem Beats said:
If you high-pass the audio coming out of the speaker (say @ 1K), does it still exhibit this issue?

-Ki
Salem Beats (+Reviews)
gpWmqu
Click to expand...

This did nothing, the problem remains.

bandcoach said:
sounds like there might be an imbalance somewhere back in your processing chain: could be the interface, could be the daw

try using the internal sound card to drive the monitors and see if the problem still exists
Click to expand...

So I just had a go at using the internal soundcard with my headphones, and this way everything sounds alright.

Salem Beats said:
Could be your ears, too!



-Ki
Salem Beats (+Reviews)
gpWmqu
Click to expand...

This is way too noticable to be my ears, I mean at very very low volumes I can only hear the right speaker/headphone and vice versa when I switch things around.







So.. with all this said.. I guess there's something wrong with the interface?

I found something else weird..

When the headphone output control is set all the way down I can still hear the left earpiece, but if I push that knob in with a tiny bit of force the sound disappears from the left, and doesn't appear until I raise the volume a bit (this time in full balanced stereo)..

It won't do that if I try the same thing with the big volume knob for the monitors though..

What on earth is going on here..
 
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Wallengard said:
This did nothing, the problem remains.



So I just had a go at using the internal soundcard with my headphones, and this way everything sounds alright.



This is way too noticable to be my ears, I mean at very very low volumes I can only hear the right speaker/headphone and vice versa when I switch things around.







So.. with all this said.. I guess there's something wrong with the interface?

I found something else weird..

When the headphone output control is set all the way down I can still hear the left earpiece, but if I push that knob in with a tiny bit of force the sound disappears from the left, and doesn't appear until I raise the volume a bit (this time in full balanced stereo)..

It won't do that if I try the same thing with the big volume knob for the monitors though..

What on earth is going on here..
Click to expand...

What's your interface, again?

Does it have driver settings for volume/pan?
My RME does.


-Ki
Salem Beats (+Reviews)
gpWmqu
 
I've got a Focusrite Scarlett 2i4.

But I don't think it's a balance problem with the drivers though (I can't find that function anyway) since if I put some force in it and push the knob for the headphone output inwards it actually balances the sound again..

So I'm starting to think there's something wrong with the actual interface..
 
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Wallengard said:
I've got a Focusrite Scarlett 2i4.

But I don't think it's a balance problem with the drivers though (I can't find that function anyway) since if I put some force in it and push the knob for the headphone output inwards it actually balances the sound again..

So I'm starting to think there's something wrong with the actual interface..
Click to expand...

That's what it's starting to sound like...



-Ki
Salem Beats (+Reviews)
gpWmqu
 
personally I wouldn't go back to the same brand especially as given in the thread referenced above it was happening with both the 2i2 and the 4i2: i.e. it is a problem in quality control across the board for their low end interfaces
 
bandcoach said:
personally I wouldn't go back to the same brand especially as given in the thread referenced above it was happening with both the 2i2 and the 4i2: i.e. it is a problem in quality control across the board for their low end interfaces
Click to expand...

You've got a good point there and it's what I felt too. I'm not planning to purchase a new one. But if I can have it replaced by Focusrite, that's what I'll do until I can afford to find a proper replacement for it.
 
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