Hey! Since I made this video, I've more than doubled the number of tips and ideas for solving these issues - these and more can be found in my ever expanding book, available to the good people who make this channel possible on Patreon - www.patreon.com/loopop
One of the Best Ideas of Sound Absorbing is "SoundProof Curtains" That Stops Outside Noise by 80% (25 Db) Tested. Check Here: livesoundproof.com/best-soundproof-curtains/
hey, i have a terrible random "coil whine" in my speakers, can the isolator showed at 1:30 solve this ??? this high pitched whistling makes me crazy and could kill a dog's ears lol
I first watched this video about a year ago, which definitely helped me identify the source of some of my frustrations. I finally just replaced all the outlets in my studio, re-grounded all outlets on the circuit that feeds my studio, and installed GFCI outlets on the most upstream point. I've also run insulated conduit to act as both cable management and power/data/audio cable isolation. I've added ferrite cores to all my USB cables and run voltage tests on all my audio and power cabling. This has allowed me to completely remove ground loop isolators and post-recording phase reversal filtering from my process. Short of a master power conditioner and UPS hard wired into my space, I've cleaned my entire electrical path as much as possibleand it sounds fantastic.
Great tips! I got one more. If one of your rack equipment produces hum when connected, check if it's not touching other pieces of gear in the same rack and is properly isolated from a rack rails (properly painted for example). Just take it out of the rack while connected to see if the hum disappears. Most of the gear's earth is connected to the enclosures and if enclosures touch each other in some cases, ground loop may appear.
One of the Best Ideas of Sound Absorbing is "SoundProof Curtains" That Stops Outside Noise by 80% (25 Db) Tested. Check Here: livesoundproof.com/best-soundproof-curtains/
If all videos about tech are that quality I’ll watch them all day long like a football match without getting bored.. It’s valuable interesting well documented and very well filmed and done ... 1000000000 thumbs up! Thanks for that knowledgeable fun moment.
loopop once again being a lifesaver. this popped up thanks to the algorithm and my usb2 connection hum was driving me wild. Well, ferrite choke here I come.
@@loopop you're definitely right! it was a mix of using the same plug and the ferret strangler I mean the ferrite choke. I owe you so much. thank you for being awesome!
Great video! Been a fan of your videos but never knew you had this one. I solved a grounding problem today with an RCA audio switcher that has a turntable, a CD changer and a digital mixer all connected to it. I had ground issues with each, and narrowed it down to the switcher. Got myself a ground loop isolator on the cheap, and it's working as advertised. Good to know of other solutions too, so this video will be a keeper. Thanks again.
Thank you so much for showing the actual soundwaves. So often on videos like this you just watch somebody listening to a difference and giving a subjective opinion.
Timeline on video description doesn't work on mobile 0:20 Use one outlet 0:50 Balanced gear 1:30 Isolators 2:30 Ferrite chokes 3:10 Using filters 3:35 Advanced tools
So im back here on this video I watched like 1 hour ago. And I just want to say: THANK YOU SO MUCH! I had everything I needed already. I just set this up wrong. After I watched this video i started from scratch. And ta-da: Ground Noise is gone! Thank you so much!
BTW: I had 2 "misstakes". 1. I had it on 2 different outputbanks (Thats the first solution in the video). Helped a lot. But i still had a bit ground noise left. I figured it out, that this came from my Arturia MicroFreak. I found a solution where someone mentioned to use only the usb for the power. Not the DC-Connector that is included. And now i had complete silence when i had every gear powered up and connected. Silence :D. Thank you!
Thanks for the tip about the shared power. I have my audio setup plugged into a different power source since it's far away from my computer. I couldn't figure out what was causing the hum on my setup and it was slowly driving me crazy. I even bought some of those grounding devices and it didn't help. Who knew something as simple as plugging everything to the same power source can solve this issue!
Good tips. My ground noise usually is my sampling input cable not connected to a sampling source. Sometimes it's too much Sustain and i panic, turning everything down but then realise it's Sustain.
Indeed, NO. You should absolutely NOT disconnect the ground pin. For all those who do not know, that thing is there *to save lives* !! In case of a short inside a grounded device with the live wire touching the metal _casing_ , it is the ground connector that takes care of your fuse box and immediately causes a cut of power on the affected circuit. Whatever you do, DO NOT REMOVE THE GROUNDING PIN on your plugs!
Thank you for this, it got me thinking in the right direction. I have a computer speaker that is USB powered, when it was plugged into my desktop computer's USB port it made an annoying sound. To fix that I plugged it into a USB to AC adapter for charging a cell phone (5V 3A). And now the speaker works as it should.
For me, making a part of the connection wireless may dispose of the hum without trading off too much delay. YMMV. :-) Example: going wireless from my guitar into my old Zoom 505 pedal was an impressive improvement.
If your here for Car Audtio, make sure you used the same gauged wire for power lead and ground (ALWAYS) this is usually the simple fix, not sure if he said that, but yea.. its a must.
I get a low frequency humming sound from my headphones when I touch my motorized desk while it's plugged in. However if I simultaneously touch the metal part of a synthesizer or the computer case, it goes away. My solution has been to use a big, thick mouse pad on the desk so I avoid touching it directly. Not sure if I'm having a ground loop issue or some other problem, the noise doesn't sound like in this video, it's much lower in frequency. The audio interface and desk use 2-pronged plugs that are not grounded, while the computer and many other pieces of gear on the desk use proper grounded plugs so I suppose "ground" isn't universal across devices...
@PJ82 Division Thank you for your response. yes all my gear is connected to the one socket, that was one of the first things i did. i will not be able to take my PC out of my bed room for testing on other sockets, as the thing ways a ton and its not worth the hassle. the HUM is driving me nuts i do have a pair of harman kardon soundsticks iii and when they are connected to my pc with its own dedicated sub there i no hum at all.
Use a good USB hub guys! Instead of connecting your interface directly to your PCs, route the USB connection through a proper USB hub! I used my monitor (LG) and it works beautifully. The issue manifest when your interface draws power directly from the PC. Note that it is recommended that you connect your hub to the same power bar (and outlet) as your monitors.
Thanks to this one. It worked perfectly when I separated the power source of the usb while charging and using my audio speaker thru 3.5mm at the same time. No more noise/static sounds. Just simple solution.
And what would you advise if your interface is a PCIe-based RayDat, and your convertors are already isolated from your machine as they connect via ADAT lightpipes, and are mains-powered?
WHEW.... Im glad you clarified that #4 suggestion... I was so close to taking out my audio frustrations on those pesky ferrets! (jokes jokes, i own no ferrets 😅)
I had a terrible ground loop within my pedal board and mixer in my home studio ! Just couldn't get rid of it so I had to use a gate but it was not a great idea ! Then I remember a friend had told me ages ago to cut the earth at one end of the audio cable so there was only the signal without the ground connected at one end of the cables ! The hum completely vanished ! Cheapest and easiest method by far ! PS I didnt cut the mains ground cable ! I did it on the audio cables input ! The output audio is still grounded ! DS
This is great info. My scarlet has been giving me grief and I don't think it's the Scarlett. I have my PC plugged into a surge protector instead of straight into the wall. Also, I think I'll definitely try the ground isolator. I use RX8 for declicking, and use Audition CC to do a noise floor clean up, but I feel I should be clearing -72 db for all the room treatment before I clean up noise floor. ugh.
Thanks for pointing me to right direction. Had some really annoying cracks and beeps when recording my amp line-out. Bought a $0.20 separation transformer from Ali and sticked it into a plastic casing, making quite a beefy jack plug. No need for fancy boxes or magical cables.
when I turn on phantom with my condenser mic connected, it makes a sharp white noise at 6-11khertz frequency area, even when the gain is completely zero, the noise still persists. and the nosie changes (doesn't stop) when I wiggle the usb connected to my pc io from the Audio interface. How do I fix this?
Another thing which you didn't mention is to lift the ground (pin 1 on an XLR) on one end of a balanced cable. Don't do this on a mic cable though. Mic cables need all 3 connections.
The polarity inversion you observed is a flaw in the wiring of the particular ground isolator you tested. Let the manufacturer know and insist on a replacement, or buy elsewhere. That’s an inexcusable flaw that can result in out of phase sound between two related signals.
RCA to 3.5mm jack on the amp. buzzes as the jack enters, so i swapped out the cables. Had to solder one, despite having 100ft of Canon/TS cables just lying around not doing anything. Life is hell.
Over time I accumulated multiple and various power supplies (6 PowerOne Analog 4 to 8 amp, 9 Tiptop Bricks feeding Zeus distributors and 2 DIY) which accumulated multiple and various electrical noise and odd intermittent behavior. After noticing surprising voltage differences between ground on the MOTM cabs vs Eurorack cabs I read up on it and solved my issues by running a very thick copper ground to all said power supplies grounds. This was many years ago, but it made a huge difference. Another issue that's snuck up on me are modules that are starved for power. Modules will still function but if there's not enough surplus amps to draw on it can leave you wondering wtf. I have ammeters installed .. there cheap and provide a quick reassuring check.
great video layout and presentation with simple, clear, easy to digest and expertly laid out explanation of possible problems and fixes!!! your calm, clear voice and confident explanation is perfect for this venue of helping everyday people find answers to everyday problems and the confidence to fix them... great job!
A ground loop isolator is simply a transformer. It should not reverse phase (within the rated frequency range) unless cables were soldered backward (confused polarity).
Hi Loopop I don’t know if you will be able to resolve this issue for me but I will give you a full break down of the ground loop I am facing. This is the equipment I own Audioengine A5+ speakers SVS SB1000 pro (subwoofer) 3.5 jack cable and RCA cable (bought from KabelDireckt) When the Audioengine A5+ speakers are attached to my PC with a 3.5 jack there is no hum. When I join my speakers to the SVS subwoofer via RCA, I get a loud humming sound. When these two pieces of equipment are paired up and when I attach the 3.5 jack to my mobile phone there is zero hum. Can you please instruct me will this device nullify the HUM because it is driving me crazy and I have paid a lot of money for my setup. In simple terms 1) Speaker with no subwoofer when attached to PC = Zero HUM 2) Speaker with subwoofer when attached to PC = HUM 3) Speaker with subwoofer when attached to Mobile phone = Zero HUM i have used the AV:Link RCA Groundloop and Ferrits on all cable but nothing I would like to thank you for taking the time in reading my message
Sorry it's hard to troubleshoot these things remotely. Other than the solutions in this video I've added quite a few more in my book on Patreon - if the solutions there don't work for you hit me up for a refund on Patreon, no worries.
Hi, I have hum problem in my portable broadcast system when I get external XLR (Canon) cable from different team. Using cable equalizer circuit such as VDA (video distribution amplifier) can solve my problem?
I have same issues connecting two or more Pro-keyboards via USB (Nord Electro, Korg, Yamaha CP4). I managed using those RCA ground filters. The problem is my Mackie mixer. I think it collects all ground spare loops. I wonder it a good powered USB HUB can solve the problem at the base.
I guess i'm havind a ground loop, I use 2 pc's connected each other with p2 cables, and when the cables are connected, I hear similar noise that you have showed here. The noise become a little louder the more energy the machine need to operate, like when i'm playing a game or something. I've buyed 2 isolators for me, waiting for the arrival for testing, I hope it fix :)
Is there a difference between the 3.5mm ground loop isolator you used and a ground lift on a DI box? My Novation Circuit is outputting noise almost identical to your example, and a DI with lift wouldn't fix it.
A ground loop isolator is very different from ground lift. Ground loops are voltage inequalities between the two circuits that are in contact with one another. A ground loop isolator tries to fix that inequality using transformers.
What if the monitor were plugged into a separate outlet that the laptop I’m using to record? And can a monitor broadcast RF into my mic’s TRRS line? PS I installed Ferrite beads on the power cable to my laptop, the mic cable, AND the headphones. But it didn’t seem to help. I can use a noise filter but it introduces a slight latency into the audio when live streaming.
In my case: active speakers connected to PC via DAC (toslink) and hiss. First way solved it - speakers were connected to other power boards - plugin into same solved my problem. Simple. Thanks
old outdated circuits themselves can cause issues especially if old wired are starting to corrode…. I live in a 100+ year farm house and while a lot of the outlets and fuse box are updated, most conduit is not. Also, our roof is all metal and so it not only cancels emf coming in, i.e. cell signal, it naturally induces some emf from static induction as well as environmental shifts like temp and humidity. so far not much has actually helped. My house is also very physically close to the power poles and so I believe I am getting some backfeed or loopback current somewhere. House is grounded. only plugging one thing at a time will remain quiet for me…. sucks because the room closest to the roof is the only one available for my recording studio
What about a GLI that functions with a TRRS cable? I use a TRRS to carry a mic signal from a gaming headset to my USB PD docking station which has a 3.5mm combo port. I can’t find a solution! The headset’s power comes from the ps4 usb port. Should I run an extension cable so the DS’s power source is the same outlet as the PS4?
Hi. I have another kind of noise issue that you didn’t include in this video. It’s made solely when the Yamaha hs7 monitor is plugged in and turned on in any outlet or wall plug in my house. It happens even with unplugging everything and happens every plug I turn on the monitors. Also, it just started a few months ago. Was noiseless for a year in the same place. It sounds more like white noise than the examples you shown above. Also, out of the two, one monitor produce more noise than the other. I’m completely confused. Any thoughts?
thanks, i solved my issue , i was using two power bars because i needed extra sockets, and the computer monitor was on the second power bar, and i moved all to one power bar and the noise went away. also i want to know can i connect my electric guitar to the focusrite interface using a TRS cable?
@@loopop oh, I thought I can simply connect the guitar to the interface with trs. I wanted to try trs as it cancels the noise. Although there is no noise now, very little when I use bias fx
@@vikrantsingh47 i doubt a trs connector/cable will help you: the focusrite might be able to accept it, but your guitar almost certainly only provides an unbalanced signal to a normal, ts type socket. the cable will "work", but you won't get a signal on the "ring" connector, so there's no point (it might even be quieter and noisier than using a standard ts cable)
@@vikrantsingh47 to reiterate what loopop said… there's really not much point in balancing the signal from your guitar to the audio interface: the focusrite will accept the signal either way, and if you use a DI you have to run an unbalanced lead (from the guitar to the DI), anyway
I'm getting a particular frequency spike in my DAW when I switched on my AC but when it is off there is no spike and working completely good. Can U pls get me a solution to rectify the problem! Thanks in advance.
I'm no electrician but there's no way an AC should affect what's going on inside the DAW or computer, otherwise the whole thing wouldn't work. It may be interfering with speakers or sound sources connected though so I would look there... (use balanced cables and equipment, move to a different outlet). Please let us know if you solve this!
I've tried some ground loop isolators and noticed a loss in the lows and highs. Low frequency sounds like bass and drums tended to get muddy and less punchy. When I see that a single good audio transformer from lehle or neutric costs 40+, I don't thing a 10 buck stereo one can have nearly the same quality.
I have what sounds like a loop it goes very quiet and then it goes very loud I checked Transformers and everything and still getting it my mixer won't stop the buzzing sound that repeats every few seconds
Great Advice. I've used some of these already, ended up using power conditioners which fixed the problem greatly. What are your thoughts about such devices?
I have a new problem on a previously quiet setup. It now makes a low hiss / crackle / whine from only my right monitor and only when connected to the internet (basically non stop) and it gets worse when actively downloading. Similar to a dial up sound, I seem to be able to hear the downloading process happening, which is rather annoying. I can't find any info because it's all about ground loops. I already run balanced cables through a ground lift and it worked perfectly for years. Anyone ever deal with a similar problem?
I have a small but distracting crackle in my HS7s coming through a Scarlett 2i2. A couple of these suggestions seem like good possible solutions. Cheers.
I had a crackle (repeating pattern, short "buzz" every second or half) in my Scarlett 2i2 too and it turned out to be the USB cable coming from a USB hub. Once I plugged the Scarlett directly into my Mac, the noise was gone! I might try some ferrit cores around some USB cables now.
Ive been having an issue when plugging my phone into my PA setup. Everytime I do there is a loud distinct pop an I am affraid of damging my speakers. Would a ground loop isolator help resolve this issue? Thanks!
I bought a usb condenser microphone called maono pm422 yesterday, and now that hum noise is very annoying, i tried izotope RX11 de-hum plugin and it works good but not perfect , So do think buying isolator can fix the problem?
No, and you should return the mic - it's unacceptable the a USB mic has noise - you should never be in a situation where you have to fix hum noise in mic recordings on a permanent basis
@@loopop thank you so much for your answer , actually today i connected it directly to my phone , to make sure that it's not because of the fans or other electric devices , and i tried 8 different usb type B cables and the Hum-Noise stayed with exactly the same volume and tone for each cable , and it sounds exactly similar to the noise i recorded with my PC , so if i'm not mistaken it's 100% the mic it self , right ?
I’m using a surge protector that also cleans up interface but I still get this hiss in my speakers. It’s not too noticeable watching a movie and there’s loud scenes but in the quiet scenes I can hear it and it drives me insane.
This article explains everything. www.soundonsound.com/sound-advice/q-what-ground-earth-loop Using balanced cables (TRS or XLR) will reduce hum picked up from the environment by a long cable run, but will not prevent a ground loop. The ground lift switch on a DI box disconnects the cable shield/ground leaving both appliances earthed. I think a major problem nowadays is the growing use of external power supplies for everything. Most of these are double insulated and do not have an earth connection(the earth pin is usually plastic). If you have a keyboard with one of these PSUs and connect it to an amplifier with a proper mains earth, all will be well. If your amplifier also has an external PSU you won't get a ground loop hum, but you may get environmental hum pickup because your cable screen is not grounded at either end. You could block that by using two PASSIVE DI boxes. These use a centre-tapped transformer to provide the balanced signal, so use one in the normal way to convert unbalanced to balanced, run an XLR cable to the amplifier, then connect it using the second DI box in reverse. This will not work with active battery powered DI boxes because they will not work in reverse mode.
@@BukanIbuMu What exactly are you connecting together? It could be that one piece of equipment has a noisy power supply; if so there is nothing you can do except change the power supply. Sometimes plugging everything into the same mains socket via a socket strip removes noise
I've had some trouble understanding the kinds of cables to use for either stereo or mono, and some weird problems surface when I just guess. For instance, on my 0-Coast synth, it has a 1/8 inch audio out so I need to use a 1/4 inch adapter on one end so I can plug it into my mixer. When I use a TS adapter, the signal comes through loud and clear, but for some reason when I use a TRS adapter, it's very weak and can barely be heard even when I crank the volume and gain way up. My mixer does accept either balanced or unbalanced cables on its inputs, so I'm not sure what to make of this...
All my devices are on the same outlet. Get lots of hum sending audio to and from 2 pc's and through a mixer. If i connect all chassis of items i am using will this eliminate the ground loop?
I have power filters and noise generated by my computer on boot up is sending signals into my speaker/amplifier. My power bar blocks out EMI and RFI signals. My computer is also plugged into a power filter. They are plugged into power filters from two seperate outlets but used to be plugged into the same filter from the same outlets with the same problem. I heard disabling some power setting in the bios may resolve this which I am still trying to figure out. If any of you have any suggestions let me know. The noise is coming out of my guitar amplifier speaker without the guitar plugged in. Its a waving high pitch frequency that only occurs with my PC booted up. In the bios or turned off I have no issues. Thanks for reading.
What is meant by loop the cable once when referring to the ferrite choke? I thought maybe this was to determine the distance down the cable where you should fit the choke, but the cable in the video shows the choke fitted close to the end of cable, so now I’m not sure!!
I streamed a concert last weekend, and I had this horrible robot noise start up as soon as I started speaking and playing. I turned my mixer off and on again, and it was better immediately. Do you think I need the ferret bead? I don't know if the cable I'm using to connect my mixer to my laptop is good, the mixer didn't come with one, so I just took the one from my interface. Usually it's fine, but of course during the concert it wasn't. Bad luck...wondering if there's anything I can do to prevent it, other than monitor my sound while I'm playing....which would be a little confusing to me I think, as I have to focus on playing. Anyway, thank you for your video, which is informative, gentle for people who don't know a lot, and appropriately humorous. I subscribed so maybe I'll learn enough that I'll try this streaming thing again some day.
Hey! Since I made this video, I've more than doubled the number of tips and ideas for solving these issues - these and more can be found in my ever expanding book, available to the good people who make this channel possible on Patreon - www.patreon.com/loopop
One of the Best Ideas of Sound Absorbing is "SoundProof Curtains" That Stops Outside Noise by 80% (25 Db) Tested. Check Here: livesoundproof.com/best-soundproof-curtains/
hey, i have a terrible random "coil whine" in my speakers, can the isolator showed at 1:30 solve this ??? this high pitched whistling makes me crazy and could kill a dog's ears lol
I first watched this video about a year ago, which definitely helped me identify the source of some of my frustrations.
I finally just replaced all the outlets in my studio, re-grounded all outlets on the circuit that feeds my studio, and installed GFCI outlets on the most upstream point. I've also run insulated conduit to act as both cable management and power/data/audio cable isolation. I've added ferrite cores to all my USB cables and run voltage tests on all my audio and power cabling. This has allowed me to completely remove ground loop isolators and post-recording phase reversal filtering from my process.
Short of a master power conditioner and UPS hard wired into my space, I've cleaned my entire electrical path as much as possibleand it sounds fantastic.
Great tips! I got one more.
If one of your rack equipment produces hum when connected, check if it's not touching other pieces of gear in the same rack and is properly isolated from a rack rails (properly painted for example). Just take it out of the rack while connected to see if the hum disappears. Most of the gear's earth is connected to the enclosures and if enclosures touch each other in some cases, ground loop may appear.
It took me precisely one video to realise that this guy is absolute no-bullshit legit!
So i choked all of my ferrets and i’m still having ground loop issues. Help.
Look at these brands for legal solutions:
Kaytee Fiesta and ZuPreem
Did you use the beads while choking?
One of the Best Ideas of Sound Absorbing is "SoundProof Curtains" That Stops Outside Noise by 80% (25 Db) Tested. Check Here: livesoundproof.com/best-soundproof-curtains/
No no no -- your ferrets are supposed to do the choking.
better than ground hog issues
If all videos about tech are that quality I’ll watch them all day long like a football match without getting bored..
It’s valuable interesting well documented and very well filmed and done ... 1000000000 thumbs up!
Thanks for that knowledgeable fun moment.
Thanks!
😂😂😂
You are an absolute legend! One and a half minutes in and our sound issues are now solved! Thank you for your very comprehensive video :)
loopop once again being a lifesaver. this popped up thanks to the algorithm and my usb2 connection hum was driving me wild. Well, ferrite choke here I come.
thanks and note ferrite choke solve data noise not hum! use the other solution I mentioned for audible noise
@@loopop you're definitely right! it was a mix of using the same plug and the ferret strangler I mean the ferrite choke. I owe you so much. thank you for being awesome!
Great video! Been a fan of your videos but never knew you had this one. I solved a grounding problem today with an RCA audio switcher that has a turntable, a CD changer and a digital mixer all connected to it. I had ground issues with each, and narrowed it down to the switcher. Got myself a ground loop isolator on the cheap, and it's working as advertised. Good to know of other solutions too, so this video will be a keeper. Thanks again.
Thank you so much for showing the actual soundwaves. So often on videos like this you just watch somebody listening to a difference and giving a subjective opinion.
Timeline on video description doesn't work on mobile
0:20 Use one outlet
0:50 Balanced gear
1:30 Isolators
2:30 Ferrite chokes
3:10 Using filters
3:35 Advanced tools
So im back here on this video I watched like 1 hour ago. And I just want to say: THANK YOU SO MUCH! I had everything I needed already. I just set this up wrong. After I watched this video i started from scratch. And ta-da: Ground Noise is gone! Thank you so much!
BTW: I had 2 "misstakes". 1. I had it on 2 different outputbanks (Thats the first solution in the video). Helped a lot. But i still had a bit ground noise left. I figured it out, that this came from my Arturia MicroFreak. I found a solution where someone mentioned to use only the usb for the power. Not the DC-Connector that is included. And now i had complete silence when i had every gear powered up and connected. Silence :D. Thank you!
That notch filter trick really did some magic for me.
How do you use that plugin? Which settings?
Holy shit! I finally got rid of most of the damn hum! In my case, it helped to plug my monitor into the same power strip as my speakers.
Thanks for the tip about the shared power. I have my audio setup plugged into a different power source since it's far away from my computer. I couldn't figure out what was causing the hum on my setup and it was slowly driving me crazy. I even bought some of those grounding devices and it didn't help. Who knew something as simple as plugging everything to the same power source can solve this issue!
Loved the info and random wordplay humor. Thank you.
ground loop iso worked "magically" just as you said my friend. thanks a ton!
Good tips. My ground noise usually is my sampling input cable not connected to a sampling source. Sometimes it's too much Sustain and i panic, turning everything down but then realise it's Sustain.
Indeed, NO. You should absolutely NOT disconnect the ground pin. For all those who do not know, that thing is there *to save lives* !! In case of a short inside a grounded device with the live wire touching the metal _casing_ , it is the ground connector that takes care of your fuse box and immediately causes a cut of power on the affected circuit.
Whatever you do, DO NOT REMOVE THE GROUNDING PIN on your plugs!
Thank you for this, it got me thinking in the right direction. I have a computer speaker that is USB powered, when it was plugged into my desktop computer's USB port it made an annoying sound. To fix that I plugged it into a USB to AC adapter for charging a cell phone (5V 3A). And now the speaker works as it should.
Thanks for the tip man. Just curious, how were you able to connect the speaker to your computer if the USB connection is lost via the adapter?
@@LukeSly91 USB *powered*.
As always, the best tutorials on the web !
For me, making a part of the connection wireless may dispose of the hum without trading off too much delay. YMMV. :-)
Example: going wireless from my guitar into my old Zoom 505 pedal was an impressive improvement.
Thank you. This helped to fix a ground loop I was hearing at uni.
If your here for Car Audtio, make sure you used the same gauged wire for power lead and ground (ALWAYS) this is usually the simple fix, not sure if he said that, but yea.. its a must.
Thanks for your informative video. If you’ve got loads of gear (but are still an amateur) should you daisy chain extension leads into one socket then?
I found the humming coming from my JBL Eon612 was due to the nuclear blast as shown on 0:16. Thanks for the tip.
I get a low frequency humming sound from my headphones when I touch my motorized desk while it's plugged in. However if I simultaneously touch the metal part of a synthesizer or the computer case, it goes away.
My solution has been to use a big, thick mouse pad on the desk so I avoid touching it directly. Not sure if I'm having a ground loop issue or some other problem, the noise doesn't sound like in this video, it's much lower in frequency. The audio interface and desk use 2-pronged plugs that are not grounded, while the computer and many other pieces of gear on the desk use proper grounded plugs so I suppose "ground" isn't universal across devices...
thank you!! a ground loop isolator solved it for me!
@PJ82 Division
Thank you for your response. yes all my gear is connected to the one socket, that was one of the first things i did. i will not be able to take my PC out of my bed room for testing on other sockets, as the thing ways a ton and its not worth the hassle. the HUM is driving me nuts i do have a pair of harman kardon soundsticks iii and when they are connected to my pc with its own dedicated sub there i no hum at all.
Use a good USB hub guys! Instead of connecting your interface directly to your PCs, route the USB connection through a proper USB hub! I used my monitor (LG) and it works beautifully. The issue manifest when your interface draws power directly from the PC. Note that it is recommended that you connect your hub to the same power bar (and outlet) as your monitors.
Thanks to this one. It worked perfectly when I separated the power source of the usb while charging and using my audio speaker thru 3.5mm at the same time. No more noise/static sounds. Just simple solution.
And what would you advise if your interface is a PCIe-based RayDat, and your convertors are already isolated from your machine as they connect via ADAT lightpipes, and are mains-powered?
Very interesting indeed...
I love what he stated, "Still cheaper than a Time Machine" :-)
WHEW.... Im glad you clarified that #4 suggestion... I was so close to taking out my audio frustrations on those pesky ferrets!
(jokes jokes, i own no ferrets 😅)
I had a terrible ground loop within my pedal board and mixer in my home studio !
Just couldn't get rid of it so I had to use a gate but it was not a great idea !
Then I remember a friend had told me ages ago to cut the earth at one end of the audio cable so there was only the signal without the ground connected at one end of the cables !
The hum completely vanished !
Cheapest and easiest method by far !
PS
I didnt cut the mains ground cable !
I did it on the audio cables input !
The output audio is still grounded !
DS
Excellent advise no matter the size of your system
Informative like always!
This is great info. My scarlet has been giving me grief and I don't think it's the Scarlett. I have my PC plugged into a surge protector instead of straight into the wall. Also, I think I'll definitely try the ground isolator. I use RX8 for declicking, and use Audition CC to do a noise floor clean up, but I feel I should be clearing -72 db for all the room treatment before I clean up noise floor. ugh.
Thanks for pointing me to right direction. Had some really annoying cracks and beeps when recording my amp line-out. Bought a $0.20 separation transformer from Ali and sticked it into a plastic casing, making quite a beefy jack plug. No need for fancy boxes or magical cables.
Thanks for the informative video. Isolators sound good to my case.
Thanks you a lot professor Loopop!
Yay, +1 for vcv-rack fundamental scope. great content too!
Am gonna try the ground loop isolator.
and then..?
when I turn on phantom with my condenser mic connected, it makes a sharp white noise at 6-11khertz frequency area, even when the gain is completely zero, the noise still persists. and the nosie changes (doesn't stop) when I wiggle the usb connected to my pc io from the Audio interface.
How do I fix this?
your hands are purple
Ron Jeremy throttled the potter, Twins
Da light....
thanks!! plugging in my krk rokit5 and rokit sub woofer into the same power bar as my pc fixed the ground hissing noise...
Another thing which you didn't mention is to lift the ground (pin 1 on an XLR) on one end of a balanced cable. Don't do this on a mic cable though. Mic cables need all 3 connections.
The polarity inversion you observed is a flaw in the wiring of the particular ground isolator you tested. Let the manufacturer know and insist on a replacement, or buy elsewhere. That’s an inexcusable flaw that can result in out of phase sound between two related signals.
RCA to 3.5mm jack on the amp. buzzes as the jack enters, so i swapped out the cables. Had to solder one, despite having 100ft of Canon/TS cables just lying around not doing anything. Life is hell.
I am working on a western electric phono 1 tube amp, I was told to change the rectifier to a diode, i get a buzz, should i griound the diode.
What about hum on live presentations? In the guitar setup what could we Do?
Question about loop isolator - where in the chain does it go? Thx!!!!
Over time I accumulated multiple and various power supplies (6 PowerOne Analog 4 to 8 amp, 9 Tiptop Bricks feeding Zeus distributors and 2 DIY) which accumulated multiple and various electrical noise and odd intermittent behavior. After noticing surprising voltage differences between ground on the MOTM cabs vs Eurorack cabs I read up on it and solved my issues by running a very thick copper ground to all said power supplies grounds. This was many years ago, but it made a huge difference. Another issue that's snuck up on me are modules that are starved for power. Modules will still function but if there's not enough surplus amps to draw on it can leave you wondering wtf. I have ammeters installed .. there cheap and provide a quick reassuring check.
Can using a bus powered audio interface solve/reduce the ground loop problem?
In the case of the ground loop isolator, where in the signal chain is this placed?
As close as possible to what's generating the noise
Loopop, you are a very cool guy. Love your videos and technical explanations man. Thank you.
great video layout and presentation with simple, clear, easy to digest and expertly laid out explanation of possible problems and fixes!!!
your calm, clear voice and confident explanation is perfect for this venue of helping everyday people find answers to everyday problems and the confidence to fix them... great job!
YOU said it perrrfectly
A ground loop isolator is simply a transformer. It should not reverse phase (within the rated frequency range) unless cables were soldered backward (confused polarity).
Hi Loopop
I don’t know if you will be able to resolve this issue for me but I will give you a full break down of the ground loop I am facing. This is the equipment I own
Audioengine A5+ speakers
SVS SB1000 pro (subwoofer)
3.5 jack cable and RCA cable (bought from KabelDireckt)
When the Audioengine A5+ speakers are attached to my PC with a 3.5 jack there is no hum. When I join my speakers to the SVS subwoofer via RCA, I get a loud humming sound.
When these two pieces of equipment are paired up and when I attach the 3.5 jack to my mobile phone there is zero hum. Can you please instruct me will this device nullify the HUM because it is driving me crazy and I have paid a lot of money for my setup.
In simple terms
1) Speaker with no subwoofer when attached to PC = Zero HUM
2) Speaker with subwoofer when attached to PC = HUM
3) Speaker with subwoofer when attached to Mobile phone = Zero HUM
i have used the AV:Link RCA Groundloop and Ferrits on all cable but nothing
I would like to thank you for taking the time in reading my message
Sorry it's hard to troubleshoot these things remotely. Other than the solutions in this video I've added quite a few more in my book on Patreon - if the solutions there don't work for you hit me up for a refund on Patreon, no worries.
Hi, I have hum problem in my portable broadcast system when I get external XLR (Canon) cable from different team. Using cable equalizer circuit such as VDA (video distribution amplifier) can solve my problem?
I have same issues connecting two or more Pro-keyboards via USB (Nord Electro, Korg, Yamaha CP4). I managed using those RCA ground filters. The problem is my Mackie mixer. I think it collects all ground spare loops. I wonder it a good powered USB HUB can solve the problem at the base.
Anyone notice his tables woodgrain looks like the output from an oscillator?
I guess i'm havind a ground loop, I use 2 pc's connected each other with p2 cables, and when the cables are connected, I hear similar noise that you have showed here.
The noise become a little louder the more energy the machine need to operate, like when i'm playing a game or something.
I've buyed 2 isolators for me, waiting for the arrival for testing, I hope it fix :)
how did it go
what if use 2 filters to invert back?
that would work. it's easy to invert a signal in software too though
Is there a difference between the 3.5mm ground loop isolator you used and a ground lift on a DI box? My Novation Circuit is outputting noise almost identical to your example, and a DI with lift wouldn't fix it.
A ground loop isolator is very different from ground lift. Ground loops are voltage inequalities between the two circuits that are in contact with one another. A ground loop isolator tries to fix that inequality using transformers.
What if the monitor were plugged into a separate outlet that the laptop I’m using to record?
And can a monitor broadcast RF into my mic’s TRRS line?
PS I installed Ferrite beads on the power cable to my laptop, the mic cable, AND the headphones. But it didn’t seem to help. I can use a noise filter but it introduces a slight latency into the audio when live streaming.
"a little hiss is ok" - Devonwho
In my case: active speakers connected to PC via DAC (toslink) and hiss. First way solved it - speakers were connected to other power boards - plugin into same solved my problem. Simple. Thanks
old outdated circuits themselves can cause issues especially if old wired are starting to corrode…. I live in a 100+ year farm house and while a lot of the outlets and fuse box are updated, most conduit is not. Also, our roof is all metal and so it not only cancels emf coming in, i.e. cell signal, it naturally induces some emf from static induction as well as environmental shifts like temp and humidity. so far not much has actually helped. My house is also very physically close to the power poles and so I believe I am getting some backfeed or loopback current somewhere. House is grounded. only plugging one thing at a time will remain quiet for me…. sucks because the room closest to the roof is the only one available for my recording studio
The tutorial I was looking for Thanks! YES.
Other options are di box with ground lift for your instrument inputs and usb isolator idefender
Indeed!
What about a GLI that functions with a TRRS cable? I use a TRRS to carry a mic signal from a gaming headset to my USB PD docking station which has a 3.5mm combo port. I can’t find a solution! The headset’s power comes from the ps4 usb port. Should I run an extension cable so the DS’s power source is the same outlet as the PS4?
hi bro, i have many amps connected together. is there any machine i can use to produce higher KVA apart from generator ????
Hi. I have another kind of noise issue that you didn’t include in this video. It’s made solely when the Yamaha hs7 monitor is plugged in and turned on in any outlet or wall plug in my house. It happens even with unplugging everything and happens every plug I turn on the monitors. Also, it just started a few months ago. Was noiseless for a year in the same place. It sounds more like white noise than the examples you shown above. Also, out of the two, one monitor produce more noise than the other. I’m completely confused. Any thoughts?
Stephen Orion I have this same problem with a pair of hs8 monitors but it’s only with one specific outlet in the house...it’s quiet everywhere else...
thanks, i solved my issue , i was using two power bars because i needed extra sockets, and the computer monitor was on the second power bar, and i moved all to one power bar and the noise went away. also i want to know can i connect my electric guitar to the focusrite interface using a TRS cable?
Awesome! You can the question is why would you want to? If you want it balanced you need a DI box
@@loopop oh, I thought I can simply connect the guitar to the interface with trs. I wanted to try trs as it cancels the noise. Although there is no noise now, very little when I use bias fx
@@vikrantsingh47 i doubt a trs connector/cable will help you: the focusrite might be able to accept it, but your guitar almost certainly only provides an unbalanced signal to a normal, ts type socket. the cable will "work", but you won't get a signal on the "ring" connector, so there's no point (it might even be quieter and noisier than using a standard ts cable)
@@vikrantsingh47 to reiterate what loopop said… there's really not much point in balancing the signal from your guitar to the audio interface: the focusrite will accept the signal either way, and if you use a DI you have to run an unbalanced lead (from the guitar to the DI), anyway
Thanks. So clear explanation and helpful. I like the way you talk and describe
what can i do when im using USB? i do not have ANY active outputs on my interface
Thank you Sir for this very informative video. The ground isolator saved the day for me.
I'm getting a particular frequency spike in my DAW when I switched on my AC but when it is off there is no spike and working completely good. Can U pls get me a solution to rectify the problem! Thanks in advance.
I'm no electrician but there's no way an AC should affect what's going on inside the DAW or computer, otherwise the whole thing wouldn't work. It may be interfering with speakers or sound sources connected though so I would look there... (use balanced cables and equipment, move to a different outlet). Please let us know if you solve this!
Oh sorry I meant the Air Conditioner that is switched on parallel to the computer
@@WAVSAudioStudio yes that’s what I understood you to say
Sure will try it out and let u know! Thanka alot for your time and response.
Any one tried TOSLINK connection to isolate grounds?, I order several ground isolators like the ones in the video, waiting for them.
I've tried some ground loop isolators and noticed a loss in the lows and highs. Low frequency sounds like bass and drums tended to get muddy and less punchy. When I see that a single good audio transformer from lehle or neutric costs 40+, I don't thing a 10 buck stereo one can have nearly the same quality.
I have what sounds like a loop it goes very quiet and then it goes very loud I checked Transformers and everything and still getting it my mixer won't stop the buzzing sound that repeats every few seconds
Great Advice. I've used some of these already, ended up using power conditioners which fixed the problem greatly. What are your thoughts about such devices?
Thanks and great! I don’t think power conditioners help with ground loops but ground loops aren’t the only kind of noise out there...
I have a new problem on a previously quiet setup. It now makes a low hiss / crackle / whine from only my right monitor and only when connected to the internet (basically non stop) and it gets worse when actively downloading. Similar to a dial up sound, I seem to be able to hear the downloading process happening, which is rather annoying. I can't find any info because it's all about ground loops.
I already run balanced cables through a ground lift and it worked perfectly for years. Anyone ever deal with a similar problem?
cool edit pro has an amazing noise reduction that profiles and removes hiss and hum.
Can you use a ferrite choke on a guitar cable? Meaning the ones that attach around the cable.
It won’t help
I have a small but distracting crackle in my HS7s coming through a Scarlett 2i2. A couple of these suggestions seem like good possible solutions. Cheers.
I had a crackle (repeating pattern, short "buzz" every second or half) in my Scarlett 2i2 too and it turned out to be the USB cable coming from a USB hub. Once I plugged the Scarlett directly into my Mac, the noise was gone! I might try some ferrit cores around some USB cables now.
I think mine is a problem with the adaptor because when I disconnect it, the noise is gone. So shall I change the adaptor?
Ive been having an issue when plugging my phone into my PA setup. Everytime I do there is a loud distinct pop an I am affraid of damging my speakers. Would a ground loop isolator help resolve this issue? Thanks!
no
I bought a usb condenser microphone called maono pm422 yesterday, and now that hum noise is very annoying, i tried izotope RX11 de-hum plugin and it works good but not perfect , So do think buying isolator can fix the problem?
No, and you should return the mic - it's unacceptable the a USB mic has noise - you should never be in a situation where you have to fix hum noise in mic recordings on a permanent basis
@@loopop thank you so much for your answer , actually today i connected it directly to my phone , to make sure that it's not because of the fans or other electric devices , and i tried 8 different usb type B cables and the Hum-Noise stayed with exactly the same volume and tone for each cable , and it sounds exactly similar to the noise i recorded with my PC , so if i'm not mistaken it's 100% the mic it self , right ?
@@trancephile2412 sounds like it
I’m using a surge protector that also cleans up interface but I still get this hiss in my speakers. It’s not too noticeable watching a movie and there’s loud scenes but in the quiet scenes I can hear it and it drives me insane.
the loop is from your computer via the usb connection
great vid!
This article explains everything. www.soundonsound.com/sound-advice/q-what-ground-earth-loop
Using balanced cables (TRS or XLR) will reduce hum picked up from the environment by a long cable run, but will not prevent a ground loop. The ground lift switch on a DI box disconnects the cable shield/ground leaving both appliances earthed. I think a major problem nowadays is the growing use of external power supplies for everything. Most of these are double insulated and do not have an earth connection(the earth pin is usually plastic). If you have a keyboard with one of these PSUs and connect it to an amplifier with a proper mains earth, all will be well. If your amplifier also has an external PSU you won't get a ground loop hum, but you may get environmental hum pickup because your cable screen is not grounded at either end. You could block that by using two PASSIVE DI boxes. These use a centre-tapped transformer to provide the balanced signal, so use one in the normal way to convert unbalanced to balanced, run an XLR cable to the amplifier, then connect it using the second DI box in reverse. This will not work with active battery powered DI boxes because they will not work in reverse mode.
Ground lift in my DI box doesn't remove the noise. It's weird.
@@BukanIbuMu What exactly are you connecting together? It could be that one piece of equipment has a noisy power supply; if so there is nothing you can do except change the power supply. Sometimes plugging everything into the same mains socket via a socket strip removes noise
@@MrFlint51 well my house is old and has no grounding. I guess there will be no way to solve the problem.
@@BukanIbuMu Have you thought about finding a water pipe and attaching an earthing strip to that? Even just for your music gear
@@MrFlint51 My house is far from water pipe. Do you think a Ground Loop Isolator with 3.5mm Audio Cable would work?
So I bought a ground loop isolator and it actually fixed the noise but now the bass sounds weird/muffled? Would appreciate the help
I've had some trouble understanding the kinds of cables to use for either stereo or mono, and some weird problems surface when I just guess. For instance, on my 0-Coast synth, it has a 1/8 inch audio out so I need to use a 1/4 inch adapter on one end so I can plug it into my mixer. When I use a TS adapter, the signal comes through loud and clear, but for some reason when I use a TRS adapter, it's very weak and can barely be heard even when I crank the volume and gain way up. My mixer does accept either balanced or unbalanced cables on its inputs, so I'm not sure what to make of this...
All my devices are on the same outlet. Get lots of hum sending audio to and from 2 pc's and through a mixer. If i connect all chassis of items i am using will this eliminate the ground loop?
I have power filters and noise generated by my computer on boot up is sending signals into my speaker/amplifier. My power bar blocks out EMI and RFI signals. My computer is also plugged into a power filter. They are plugged into power filters from two seperate outlets but used to be plugged into the same filter from the same outlets with the same problem. I heard disabling some power setting in the bios may resolve this which I am still trying to figure out. If any of you have any suggestions let me know. The noise is coming out of my guitar amplifier speaker without the guitar plugged in. Its a waving high pitch frequency that only occurs with my PC booted up. In the bios or turned off I have no issues. Thanks for reading.
Great video, I am considering the Ebtech Hum Eliminator, any thoughts?
discodivo I’ve never tried it. If you do, please comment back with you’re results
Man, I didn't even realize using one wall outlet for everything helps with ground loop issues. I'm gonna try that this weekend.
What is meant by loop the cable once when referring to the ferrite choke? I thought maybe this was to determine the distance down the cable where you should fit the choke, but the cable in the video shows the choke fitted close to the end of cable, so now I’m not sure!!
Helpful video, props for using VCV Rack.
I streamed a concert last weekend, and I had this horrible robot noise start up as soon as I started speaking and playing. I turned my mixer off and on again, and it was better immediately. Do you think I need the ferret bead? I don't know if the cable I'm using to connect my mixer to my laptop is good, the mixer didn't come with one, so I just took the one from my interface. Usually it's fine, but of course during the concert it wasn't. Bad luck...wondering if there's anything I can do to prevent it, other than monitor my sound while I'm playing....which would be a little confusing to me I think, as I have to focus on playing. Anyway, thank you for your video, which is informative, gentle for people who don't know a lot, and appropriately humorous. I subscribed so maybe I'll learn enough that I'll try this streaming thing again some day.