Ableton Forum

Before stating the prob, here is the setup.

hp6105us/1gbRAM/2 Ghz Turion/XP

I use no audio interface.

When my laptop is plugged into a wall socket via charger, i get a weird hum. I will try describe best as being consistent as far as it only goes away when charger is removed. when the charger is plugged in its not so much a consistent pitch ground, more like a automated hum/distortion.

Obviously i can cure this by buying a new battery for my laptop but i was wondering if there was any sort of hum/noise canceler out there that is about the same price or less than a battery...

reason being is because if i buy a battery it will eventually go bad... if i just get the noise cancellation unit i am good forever.

Thanks in advance.

I had the same problem with my Dell E6500.

http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/prod ... sku=150452

This got rid of the noise

For as long as you're not using an audio interface, try using Asio4All, here: http://www.asio4all.com/

My laptop hums without it too... otherwise investing a decent audio interface is a very smart thing to do, as that too will get rid of the hum. For now, consider the asio4all as a bandage until you can get a decent interface.

**edit**

You'll also probably see LESS latency too by using Asio4all.

i am already using aso4all.


above... did you have the same problem as far as the hum only being there when a wall charger unit was plugged into the laptop?

I had the same issues with my laptop when I purchased it several years ago. I found that when I removed the ground, the hum was gone - I know this has been an issue with a lot of laptops out there and is very annoying. The way I got around it was to use a 2 prong extension cord and plug my laptop into that, thereby bypassing the faulty ground. Other people have broken off the ground prong, but that was not something I wanted to do. I've had my laptop for about 5 years now (yeah, I know it's old!!), but it has never since given me any hum issues.

Hope that helps.

vettjd01 wrote:i am already using aso4all.


above... did you have the same problem as far as the hum only being there when a wall charger unit was plugged into the laptop?

I heard it through the headphones constantly... the only thing that got rid of it was a combo of a decent powerstrip and using Asio4All. Without using Asio4all, I was still hearing the hum, but a good power strip can get rid of that, but am I wrong to assume that you've tried this too?

You have a ground loop problem. Without meaning to sound like I know what I am talking about the electricity runs from the plug basically around your system and back to your plug (or socket or 4 gang depending on what you are using). You need something to stop this and it should not cost more than £20 or so. You can trya Behringer Hum destroyer or something similar. Always use balanced lines in and out of it, but that is obvious.

i have a surge protector which cost under $10 and i don't hear any noise. i have my laptop, interface, external hdd, and monitor plugged into it, all running simultaneously.

You haven't said what your laptop is connecting to on the other end, but it is almost surely some kind of ground loop. The solution to such problems is usually to isolate the output in some way.

You haven't said what you're connecting to, but if it's a mixer, the most straightforward way to solve the problem is probably to use a high-quality direct box to connect your laptop to the mixer's microphone inputs.

I also have this problem; it has to do with the ground on the laptop's PSU. For now I'll be using my lappy w/o the PSU when mixing in Live; perhaps I will eventually get a device like the one mentioned above to fix it.

BTW, I'm using a NI Audio 4 DJ as my interface and, so, I can say that the hum problem is not necessarily solved by switching from an on-board sound card.

vettjd01 wrote:Before stating the prob, here is the setup.

hp6105us/1gbRAM/2 Ghz Turion/XP

I use no audio interface.

When my laptop is plugged into a wall socket via charger, i get a weird hum. I will try describe best as being consistent as far as it only goes away when charger is removed. when the charger is plugged in its not so much a consistent pitch ground, more like a automated hum/distortion.

Obviously i can cure this by buying a new battery for my laptop but i was wondering if there was any sort of hum/noise canceler out there that is about the same price or less than a battery...

reason being is because if i buy a battery it will eventually go bad... if i just get the noise cancellation unit i am good forever.

Thanks in advance.

as has been pointed out to me before..
whatever you do DON"T disconnect the earth lead.. it's very dangerous
(but it could well get rid of the hum)

GUY SMILEY wrote:whatever you do DON"T disconnect the earth lead.. it's very dangerous

disagree. the whole GFP thing was a good idea but UL has since admitted it was a bad idea because many cords and products are wired incorrectly. it's highly unlikely you'll ever hurt yourself or anyone by snipping off the round GFP connection.

Tone Deft wrote:

GUY SMILEY wrote:whatever you do DON"T disconnect the earth lead.. it's very dangerous

disagree. the whole GFP thing was a good idea but UL has since admitted it was a bad idea because many cords and products are wired incorrectly. it's highly unlikely you'll ever hurt yourself or anyone by snipping off the round GFP connection.

hence the wink

lol