My mic started to have hums

B

brand0nized

New member
My mic is a Studio Projects B1, running into a Mackie Blackjack Onyx usb interface, to my Win7 into Sonar X1.

When I first started using my mic, it was fine. It wasn't until recently that i could start to hear hums in quieter passages. It's fine when I sing loudly into it, but during quiet parts, you can really hear the hum. I've tried switching the cables to other channels and mics, so I'm almost certain that it's the mic.

My set up is on my laptop, in front of an external screen and reference monitors, and on top of a half-loaded power strip under my table. Is this an issue? I usually record with the mic no more than 4 feet away from all these electronics.
 
Hum could be caused by all sorts of things, including picking up interference from other equipment, cables that cross each other or a bad internal connection.
 
If the mic is picking up electric hum through close proximity to transformers etc, you should be able to move the mic around and hear it getting better or worse. If you have dimmers or fluorescent lighting, that could be the cause, or at least contribute.

If it's not these things, you might just be getting the dreaded laptop mains hum! Dum DUm DUUUMMM!

To test, try completely unplugging your laptop power supply at the wall whilst recording.
 
And if it is your lappy's power supply - I've used a ground lift adapter on mine ... problem solved.
Can be found at any hardware store for under a dollar.
 
I think it could be that you stepped on the cable one too many times and now the shield is all mangled up. Have you tried a new cable?
 
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