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Live power buzz? arrgh help please!

Posted: Fri Apr 30, 2010 11:10 am
by zazamoth
Hi everyone! I need a little help please!

I have just taken my band into the studio and we have been in for a couple of months now!

I'm using Live 7 on my laptop hooked up to an M-audio fastrack ultra 8r which is ran through a 10m balanced loom (jack to XLR) which runs straight to the Studio desk (various makes)

now this system runs perfectly but If i have the power cable plugged into the Laptop I'm getting a horrible buzz through the PA. If I remove the Power cable for the laptop the buzzing stops
but I don't have a good battery life on my laptop.

So I thought I would ask on here as I thought most of you would probably be using a similar set up..So could anyone help me, how do I eliminate the buzz

Thank you for taking the time to read this and any help anyone could give would be great

Many thanks

Zaz

Re: Live power buzz? arrgh help please!

Posted: Fri Apr 30, 2010 11:15 am
by oddstep
you're in ground loop hell.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ground_loop_(electricity)
Its worth researching what you can actually do about it - it terms of consolidationg power sources, physical filters you put on the audio outs and so on.

Re: Live power buzz? arrgh help please!

Posted: Fri Apr 30, 2010 11:19 am
by zazamoth
oddstep wrote:you're in ground loop hell.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ground_loop_(electricity)
Its worth researching what you can actually do about it - it terms of consolidationg power sources, physical filters you put on the audio outs and so on.
Ah I thought It would be something like that! I'll have a read at the link you posted, thank you for posting it. It's not really bad but on a larger PA I think It would sound a lot worse! thanks oddstep! I'll go read that just now!

Cheers again

zaz

Re: Live power buzz? arrgh help please!

Posted: Fri Apr 30, 2010 11:45 am
by slatepipe
hi

i used to have that problem - my laptop was ok at home but whenever i plugged it into a place's PA then it would buzz like mad

i asked around and got this :

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=33172

works fine, no problems anymore

Re: Live power buzz? arrgh help please!

Posted: Fri Apr 30, 2010 11:49 am
by Rabalder
Get a loooong cable and try different outlets in surrounding rooms.. The futher you go the better.

Re: Live power buzz? arrgh help please!

Posted: Fri Apr 30, 2010 11:53 am
by zazamoth
slatepipe wrote:hi

i used to have that problem - my laptop was ok at home but whenever i plugged it into a place's PA then it would buzz like mad

i asked around and got this :

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=33172

works fine, no problems anymore

outstanding thank you very much mate!!!
Thanks Very much slatepipe think I will be walking donw to maplin tom! cheers mate

zaz