What would Jesus (or you) do in this situation!

[-Gavin-]

As per my UX2 thread, i am having massive ground loop problems involving a hum (-54b loudest) on the DI tracks i record... Now when i run through gearbox for monitoring or revalver for test distortions, the hum is about -20 and is extremely noticible.

Now i can solve this by unplugging all plug units and tracking on battery but the tossup of 40mins recording, 60mins charge, 40mins recording, 60mins charge is EXTREMELY unpractical.

Marcus suggested plug isolators, now these are also no good as i'd have to choose between eating or a humless UX2...


Would you (Listed in my order of preference and take account of the fact i am tracking a 9 song album):


1) Track with the hum on the DI and edit it out in soundforge or use a noisegate... it's not noticible on playing, just in stops... not ideal but best i can think of.

2) Track on Battery, increase album rhythm guitar recording times by 300% and end up way behind schedule (Not that good as i need all guits done by 21st) but have totally clean DIs?

OR

3) Idea i haven't thought of but you want to suggest to me and is cheap/free to impliment and will give me clean DI but ability to run on power.

 

[Keiffer]

do you have signal path connected equipment using power outlets that are on different circuit breakers?

 

[-Gavin-]

do you have signal path connected equipment using power outlets that are on different circuit breakers?

if i connect EVERY PIECE OF ELECTRICAL GEAR involved inthe chain to one multi plug ad stick it in the same socket = same situation...

 

[Keiffer]

then, start all over. unplug everything. start with the very simplest and build up again. checking every piece as you go.

have you checked all cabling?

in Finland are the Power plugs three or two prongs.

 

[-Gavin-]

then, start all over. unplug everything. start with the very simplest and build up again. checking every piece as you go.

have you checked all cabling?

in Finland are the Power plugs three or two prongs.

2 prong and as i said, the only way to get ZERO hum is to unplug ext HD, USB hub AND laptop... if i introduce any of these back in, hum kicks in...

 

[Keiffer]

have you flipped a power cable... one-by-one

hum, if you plug the guitar in directly? don't worry about level.

 

[-Gavin-]

have you flipped a power cable... one-by-one

hum, if you plug the guitar in directly? don't worry about level.

Flipped the power cable?

 

[LSD-Studio]

Flipped the power cable?

yup, you've got the "phase" on one and the "zero" on the other side.

flipping may reduce the hum, but I doubt that it'd help in your case, it's just too loud for that being the reason

 

[-Gavin-]

yup, you've got the "phase" on one and the "zero" on the other side.

flipping may reduce the hum, but I doubt that it'd help in your case, it's just too loud for that being the reason

Note one thing, laptop is a UK plug into a euro converter.

 

[-Gavin-]

yup, you've got the "phase" on one and the "zero" on the other side.

flipping may reduce the hum, but I doubt that it'd help in your case, it's just too loud for that being the reason

And whaddya mean by flipping?


Fuck, I may just have to do this on battery.

 

[Metaltastic]

Well there are cheaper isolation transformers out there, such as the ART Clean Box II (or DTI if you want more i/o options for a measly $5 more, at least in the US). From my experience and all the horror stories I've heard, trying all that power socket cycling nonsense is generally futile with ground loops; they're insufferably frustrating bastards to banish. Even if you don't end up keeping the UX2 because of this issue, an isolation transformer is always a good gizmo to have!

 

[-Gavin-]

The problem with all these isolators is simply...

My laptop's powercable is responsible for the hum... UX2 connects via USB... unless i can get a filter for the power cable or the USB cable, any commercially cheap options are worthless...


Gonna just record on battery! haha!

Who said life had to be simple! And i am sure as fuck not comprimising my new band's album for the sake of simplicity!

 

[Metaltastic]

I'm not sure if the laptop power cable is the issue, though - rather, I think it's just one more grounding source that's causing the loop, cuz when I had my ground loop issue while reamping, it went away when I unplugged my laptop too - however, getting a Hum Eliminator still solved the problem!

 

[slashvanyoung]

Is there no one you could borrow an interface off for a few days? As far as short-term solutions go?

 

[spioraid]

Who said life had to be simple! And i am sure as fuck not comprimising my new band's album for the sake of simplicity!

Props dude. It takes a pair to say something like that and stick with it.

 

[Soundlurker]

1.) Get a di with ground switch, even if it's the cheapest behringer ultradi 400 crap.
2.) Try something like this:

 

[VH100R]

get a spare battery. recharge that one while tracking. problem solved.

 

[Metaltastic]

Hmm, but then you'd have to shut down your computer each time you switched batteries, ugghh...

 

[if6was9]

buy a large battery that won't only go for 40 minutes? my bro's last about 8 hours, could probably squeeze a bit more if you use a powered usb hub and have the screen on the dimmest

 

[JeffTD]

Hmm, but then you'd have to shut down your computer each time you switched batteries, ugghh...

Not at all - plug the laptop in, switch batteries, unplug.