Computer as MOH source

[Mountainbear]

I have a customer who is using a desk top PC as their source for Music on hold. They claim it worked fine until their IT guy changed the message. Now it sounds horrible, it doesn't matter what computer I use. I can get great quality from the cheap radio and even an ipod. I was told coputers are the worst source for music but I should still get a useable signal. Has any one had problems using a PC for Music on Hold?

 

[Westi]

no problem so far with any PC, plug a set of headphones in and see if the audio card has gone bad on the PC. Check the properties of the audio file too it might be a bad one with a very low sampling rate. They also have sometimes jacks in the front and the back try the other one if one is bad. The butt set on monitoring will also tell you direct on the system what goes into the phone system and if that is good then your system has gone nuts.

Joe W.

FHandw., ACS

I don't suffer from insanity
I enjoy every moment of it

 

[PERRYPJ]

He most likely recorded with a different format

OLD ROLMEN WORKING ON NORTELS AND AVAYA

 

[europe]

grounding?

Please let me know if the information that was provided is helpfull.
Edwin Plat
A.K.A. Europe

 

[Westi]

grounding should have been there before and after or also missing before and after without making a difference what file is played. I thought of that too but only changing the file causing the problem didn't make much sense to me.
like your handle "europe"

Joe W.

FHandw., ACS

I don't suffer from insanity
I enjoy every moment of it

 

[Mountainbear]

I am going there tomorrow, they want me to run a new cat5 line to the PC since it is now fed with a 25 pair, I have tried different pairs on the 25 pair. I can get clear sound from a cheap radio. I was all set to tell them it is the computer but I tried a second one and it is no better, (no volume, static). I may try grounding one side of the music source, also someone said it may need a pre-amp.

 

[SYQUEST]

Is the volume setting in Windoz misadjusted? Just a guess...

....JIM....

 

[donb01]

As SYQUEST suggested, the guy who recorded the new message may have been right on the mic or recorded the message with the gain turned up too high and now the PC volume is overwhelming the input on the PBX.

That would be my first guess....

 

[Mountainbear]

This thing has me stumped. Today I unplugged the cord from the PC and plugged it directly into a laptop, then a radio, both sounded fine. I can plug the speakers in and they are fine, I have tried both front and back plugs, tried a pre amp. When I listen to the PC with my but set or thru the phone system (MOH)I get what I would describe as a ground or hum. I have tried 3 different desk top PC's with the same results. For now they are going to burn a CD and play it, but they like being able to download changes from head office.
For some reason ANY audio on a Desk top PC causes serious static/hum, every other device works fine.

 

[TouchToneTommy]

Try an isolation transformer -

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062214

This one uses RCA plugs, but you should be able to adapt it to the mini plug input from the IPO, and then to the feed pairs.

 

[macphoneguy]

if you are getting clear audio out of the line out port on the PC, I would nessarily think, audio cable bad from PC to phone system, possibly replace the cable, otherwise look at the audio level the phone system is getting if you are driving too much from the PC, lowering the level on the PC should help, otherwise if you have access to a oscilloscope that might be useful, it is possible that the MOH port is "blown"

 

[Mountainbear]

MOH port is fine. I tried it with a laptop, using the same cord. For now they are using a CD player (with the same cord). I have told them that I can use any source except their desk top PC's. I want to try a isolation transformer but am finding it difficult to source. Also with the 45 minute drive I have spent over 6 hours and can't bill any so I may be walking away.

 

[IPGuru]

Everything said so far points to a garbage recording
have you tried the customers file on your laptop?
also can you put the old file back onto the customers PC?

 

[lakehouse]

We had multiple Nortel Norstar KSUs in an office building and they wanted MOH not that default beep. We had a good source but there was ground hum when the two systems were connected. I tried the obvious, use an isolation transformer with a 1:1 winding. PERFECT!! Althogh we had to go to several Radio Shacks to purchase the quantities we needed. For $4 this tiny beauty works like a champ. Because its so small and to find a convienent method to attach the feed lines and the MOH line we simply used the base of a RJ-11 surface jack that had screw terminals. I highly recommend this method.

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103994

 

[donb01]

Your MOH source should not be connected directly to the PBX port from the PC because it needs to be balanced. Atlas Soundelier (sp?) makes a product that we use to interface our MOH source to all our systems. It will allow you to connect to it with either an RCA cord or direct wire and adjust the volume level a bit from there.....