As of right now, full input-output latency of Dwarf (and all other MOD units) is around 8ms.
We have ways to reduce this latency, I mentioned somewhere else about the results of some tests, IIRC about 5ms will be feasible.
I just tested out powering my MOD Dwarf today with a Cioks DC7, using the 8800 parallel cable and the red Type 2 center positive cable.
The Dwarf boots up, I can hear my guitar through the board coming out my amp and best of all:
The noise is 100% gone.
Each of the outputs on the Cioks provides 500ma @ 12v. In theory this isnāt enough for the Dwarf.
Iām running a board that idles around 80% cpuā¦
Perhaps some of the MOD folks can chime in. Would this setup be stable? What would the downsides be? How can I tell if there are any problems happening?
One of the things that you may face is to run out of power if you start connecting a lot of peripherals (MIDI Controllers, Control Chain devices, etc).
Another potential issue is if a feature update pushes the minimum requirements up since we consider that users use a power supply that outputs 12V, 2A that can happen.
Any updates on a fix for the gain plugins causing clicks/pops?
Iām wondering if that is what I was experiencing today.
I have the correct power supply/cable stuff coming tomorrow that should isolate if the dwarf is causing the issue in my set up.
I have terrible noise in my set up that I need to tame before I jump on this train
For all things hum related, a DI-box with a ground lift switch was the solution on my end. But Iām still getting seemingly random clicking. Itās negligible during live performance, but AGGRAVATING when recording
Still under investigation, current suspicion is on DMA handling.
We found a workaround that is forcing audio interface to use 16bit instead of 32bit, but that makes it more noisy (and well it is not really a good workaround).
So quick update: for connecting to my Mac, I have the Dwarf going into an Audient Evo 4 and was experiencing a lot of hum, particularly when playing my active bass. (I wanted an audio interface rather than the USB connection from the Dwarf given the other comments here about the USB interface potentially being responsible for pops and the fact that the USB direct connection from the Dwarf is technically still not finalized ā¦ plus I like the Evoās auto-gain staging.) The solution was to add a iFi iDefender+ between the Evo and the Mac, which killed almost all the noise. Roughly $50 well spent.
New problem: I brought the Dwarf to two rehearsals in two totally different buildings, looking forward to using my tricked out pedalboards, snapshots, etc. only to have a ton of hum come through the amps. I know the electrical wiring in both buildings is excellent, with one being a premier rehearsal studio, so itās not a ground issue.
I purchased a Palmer Purifier to see if that can help, but that device says that 1A is max input. Does anyone know if I should even try to put the Dwarf power supply into the Palmer, as I thought the Dwarf supply was 2A?
Otherwise, I guess Iām looking at at Cioks or a DI-with-ground-lift, which just feels like more money down the holeā¦ Help / suggestions always appreciated.
It should be fine. Currently, the Dwarf uses about 600mA, the rest is used for CC and USB peripherals.
This doesnāt mean that future OS updates canāt change that, but for now, nothing like thatās is planned-(as far as Iām aware).
This can not be so linear as it seems. A building can have āexcellent groundā, but devices on that ground can still create ground loops. So it may still be a ground loop issue. Have you tried the ground loop compensation feature on those locations?
Edit: for any noise related issues is also worth taking a look here on our wiki.
Thanks JoĆ£o. Tried the Palmer Purifier, it did nothing, waste of money for this purpose anyway. The ground loop compensation feature also does nothing. Iām still getting a ton of āsnowā.
So whatās next? Spend money on a DI box with a ground lift? Could something else be the explanation?
Have you tried all options from the wiki link that I sent you on my previous post?
All of them, yes
Except the passive DI, which I still need to buy
Please pay special attention for your gain staging settings (not only on the MOD Dwarf, but also other devices on the setup).
If I got it well you solve the issues in one location, but it appeared again on other locations.
Canāt you experiment with a borrowed passive DI before buying one?
I played a gig tonight in a club with great equipment, brought the Dwarf. I had set the input gains to zero, output gains to about 70%, and at home there was some noise, but not a ton. At the club, the noise was unbearable. The techs had me unplug the Dwarf completely as it was generating not just hum but some kind of weird overtone on the hum itself. We tried a DI with a ground lift, and it didnāt help at all. Is there anything at all that Iām missing? Otherwise Iām done.
Let the record show that I updated the driver for my Focusrite Clarett 4pre USB and it solved my clicking and popping issues!
Wasnāt even the dwarf. I feel foolish
Keep your drivers up to date, all!
I didnāt get if you manage to have it working nice at home or somewhere or not.
Were you? Are you using the same approach in other locations?
EDIT: can you also share with us your setup and where on that you are placing the DI?
After looking at multiple other threads, including @bassyben and his great unpacking of the possible solutions here Iām increasingly disheartened, having spent a ton of time and frankly about 30%+ of the price of the Dwarf looking for solutions that kind of work but not perfectly. The sound issues are, for me, too much compared to the frankly excellent vision of this product.
I love the interface, love the configurability, love the support in this community and the support team via separate emails. However, I donāt see a clear path to a relatively noise-free product I can use in both recording and live contexts. The iDefender+ helped me with the recording scenario, but unless Iām missing a definite solve to playing live into an amp, I need to move on and get something else.
Please let me know if Iām missing something. Thank you, as always.
Hey there,
Iām still working on this issue on my end in my setup. One thing that helped with the noise was replacing the power supply.
This is the one I have been using with better success.
I donāt live play, but I can easily get my hands on an electric and/or acoustic guitar amp, if necessary to test.
I found out about the power supply from another user on the forum, then I ran some tests with my mixer and was able to hear a strange warbling sound coming from the dwarf channels. The new power supply eliminated that noise and it brought the overall noise level down.
I may pull my actual pedal power supply out and test with that as well.
Thank you @Elk_wrath (great name, by the way).
Do you have any concerns with this power supply not being grounded?
For $12, maybe Iāll give it one more try. If you do get a chance to experiment with a real amp, please let me know. Thanks again.