Power Problem

[gororbs]

Hi guys,
I'm hearing an electrical buzzing in my headphones . Last night I moved some gear into my living room and did a test. I sat on the ground and slowly moved my mic in different directions. I heard a loud buzzing in some spots and soft buzzing in other spots. Regardless, there was always a buzz.

Just so you know, I took my mixer to another location and it sounded clean. So I think it's the power in my house. All the outlets in my house produce this buzzing.

I've checked my cables...Not the problem.

Would a power conditioner solve my problem? Any thoughts?

[studiomaster]

Are you free from any wireless devices in the room? I know that my cordless phone receives weird radio signals whenever it enters my room due to a wireless router.

[gororbs]

There is a cordless phone in the room...I'll try moving that out of the area...It's interesting, I've managed to get a nice quiet signal when I place the mic under the doorway in my room. However, that's not really ideal. Hummm...

[MOFO Pro]

Some cordless phones share the same frequency as wireless routers... that's the issue there...

if moving the mic around results in varying degrees of AC hum... then you're dealing with RFI... a power conditioner will have no effect on this... it's radiating from a power conductor with bad shielding... or a dodgy connection... Do you have high tension lines or secondaries outside of your house... it could be a bad splice or insulator on the pole... a call to the power company would fix that. A good way to find radiating power "leaks" is with an AM radio... tune slighty off channel and listen for the buzzing as you wander the neighborhood...

[gororbs]

Interesting... I'm going to investigate! Thanks.

[gororbs]

what about something like the Ebtech HUMX Voltage Hum Filter?

[MOFO Pro]

Looks like you investigated the internet instead of the source of your hum Hmmmmmm...?

[gororbs]

Yeah, I know... Taking the internet way out... ... I suppose you're right, I'll continue my investigation by calling my electical guy.

[tarnationsauce2]

Did you have your mixer anywhere neay your computer monitor?
CRT computer monitors emit a lot of EMI.

[gororbs]

Originally Posted by tarnationsauce2

Did you have your mixer anywhere neay your computer monitor?
CRT computer monitors emit a lot of EMI.

No, I'm using a reel to reel machine. No computer in sight. I took my gear to my girlfriend's house yesterday, and the power was nice and clean. It's definitely a power problem that's originating from the electrical setup in my walls (or outside in the powerlines...whatever...), not the gear.

It's interesting, man!

[ridgeback]

Originally Posted by gororbs

No, I'm using a reel to reel machine. No computer in sight. I took my gear to my girlfriend's house yesterday, and the power was nice and clean. It's definitely a power problem that's originating from the electrical setup in my walls (or outside in the powerlines...whatever...), not the gear.

It's interesting, man!

Any flourescent lighting in your house? Any other power supplies incorporating a Xformer? Here's another way to slueth. While someone has your cans on with the buzz present, go through the house one by one and shut off lights, fridge, HVAC, or any other small appliances having a motor or power supply. This might be easiest at the breaker panel. Just make sure you leave the circuit feeding your gear on. See if you can't eliminate or ID the source that way. If it's a motor, the windings might be leaking a bit to ground/neutral if it's an old one. Some cheaper Xformers will cause harmonics inducing hums as well. So check all 200 wallwarts in your house.
Good luck!

[gororbs]

Doing the test, right now.

[dgatwood]

I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest that one of two things is probably wrong: either your mixer's chassis ground isn't properly grounded or its signal ground isn't properly grounded. This is probably due to a bad ground on the outlet.

To verify that theory, get a heavy gauge extension cord and, leaving the mixer exactly where it is, power it from the outlet where it did not hum. If it still does not hum, your outlet is not properly grounded.