I’m just using headphones.
But, how would you get sound from a sound source without connecting it. Sorry, very confused about the post above.
SORRY…
I was replying to the original post.
Will somebody please help me for the love of god!!!
OK. I ended up taking the damn thing to the store, swapped it for a new one and I’ve got the same problem. Perhaps slightly less… Not sure.
So I have tried this on three freaking computers now. Mac Minit, PC Laptop, PC Dekstop - the same problem in all of them. And the same problem at the store with professional balanced monitors.
I’m at the point now where I don’t believe it’s anything other than a design flaw of the interface. What else could it possibly be?
Not true… Group loop isolators work in lots of cases especially when the load on the mains ring is heavy from things like the Bar/clubs fridges.
I have first hand experience of this and my power bricks are fine.
Also:
Where are you DJing..?
Do you have Energy Saving bulbs in your lamp/lights..?
Do you have them on a dimmer switch..?
Energy saving bulbs cannot always be dimmed and when they are dimmer they cause terrible mains hum.
This problem occurs at home and it also occured at the store where I bought the interface. It also happens in many rooms in my house (laundry for example). It also occurs when I unplug the power sometimes. However, since I exchanged the box, I can’t recreate the noise when I unplug the power altogether.
[quote]
Do you have Energy Saving bulbs in your lamp/lights..?
Do you have them on a dimmer switch..?[/quote]
No, and No.
I have tried turning everything in the house off (fridges, other computers, lights, TV, etc.). The problem still occurs.
I have tried this on three separate computers. The only time I don’t get the hum at the moment is when I plug it in to my laptop and there is no power connected. But, remember that with the older box (before I swapped it), it used to hum even when there was no power plugged in.
This is what DI boxes are for. The real cheap ones (good enough for home use) go for about 40 euro’s here, US being cheaper with most tech, I guess you can pick one up at Guitar Centre for a few bucks.
Be sure to ask for a stereo DI box. TRS from the soundcard goes in, turn on ground-lift and plug the XLR in its output and in the powered speaker.
Buh?
Call me ignorant but what does a DI box have to do with this?
I’m not recording from an external source. This is not on the recording side.
Basically, when I turn my saffire on and hook it up to my stereo or earplugs, it hums like a $2 hooker.
How would a DI box solve this?
He’s assuming it’s a 50cycle (60cycle in the US?) hum from a ground loop. A DI with a ground-lift is likely to sort that kind of problem right out.
I’m considering buying a ground lifter just to finally put to rest the idea that this could be caused by a ground looping problem but before I do, I have tried this:
-Laptop connected to power
-Saffire connected to laptop
-Earplugs connected to saffire
The problem still occurs.
Doesn’t a ground loop only occur when 2 or more power sources are connected?
Anyway, please explain how I could solve this problem with a DI box. Remember, this is the setup:
PC-(USB)>Saffire-(RCA)>Analog Receiver-(Speaker Cable)>Speakers
Where would I put the DI box in this chain?
Oh my #@$@ing god!!!
For @#$@'s sake!
I have a gig on Friday night. I set all my shit up with my laptop and it is humming like a mother@#$#er! Jesus! WTF?
This thing is humming so #$@ing bad, it’s going to embaress the $@#$ out of me.
@#$# Focusrite!
I solved the problem. The answer as a DI Box (Behringer HD400 ).
This is the setup
PC (USB)->
Saffire USB 6 (Balanced Out) →
DI Box (Unbalanced Out RCA) →
Stereo/Headphones
But, I’m pretty convinced that this was not a ground looping problem. I’m convinced that this was because of a lack of grounding. I’m still sure that the interface itself is faulty because 3 internal sound cards don’t have this problem, the M-Audio FTP doesn’t have this problem, and the NI Audio 2 doesn’t have this problem either.
BTW: I recommend getting a different card for DJ’ing etc. I bought the NI Audio 2 last night and it’s perfect without the DI box. Any sound card that needs a DI box is shit.
I have an Audio 2 DJ and have this problem. Only when my laptop power is plugged in though. Does that mean I just have a faulty power adapter? My ground loop isolator doesn’t solve the problem.
DJTT users, please advise.
Reply-Hum & Radio Interference
Here’s what’s happening:
You are located near an AM radio transmitter, and the wiring in your setup is acting as an antenna. The radio signal is “loud” enough to overdrive the input stage(s) of your equipment, causing them to act as AM detectors. You were probably out of this field at the Guitar Center, which is why there was no problem there.
In short, your speakers have inadequate RF filtering, like a lot of other equipment. I wonder if your microphones, etc. are also picking up the station. Maybe, you could listen to the output of your mixer with earphones, with the mic gains up all the way, to see if they are also picking up the station.
The “fix” should be simple and cheap: You need to install or have installed one or two resistors and capacitors to make a low-pass filter, which attenuates the incoming AM signal below the point where the input stages act as detectors. These filters need to be installed inside the amplified speakers. A simple RC filter with a cutoff of ~50 KHz should help a lot. Pls. reply if you would like details on installing such filter(s). I will need to ask you some questions.