20 cycle humg on sound blaster

  • Thread starter Thread starter ralf_c
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ralf_c

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hi all

ok sound blaster 5.1 suck for home recording. i was trying to record some stuff via the following loop, mic/compressor/sound card. i noticed a distinct hum when i plugged my compressor to the sound blaster but when i plugged the mic directly to the card the hum wasn't there. is there a reason for this cause i am beginning to think sound blaster cards suck for stereo master recording. is the sound blaster audiology 2 any better?, does anybody have any suggestions? and what is a good inexpensive sound card for stereo masterrecording.
 
that's not your problem.

you need a preamp.
if you're using a cheap computer mic:

1- it only works when plugged straight in because it needs the soundcard's power output from the mic-input jack to work.

2- the soundcard is the least of your problems. get a better mic...


and get a preamp, and get proper cabling. plug into the line-in and record something. when you've decided that you're producing some pretty great-sounding music (which, believe it or not, is entirely possible with a SoundBlaster), but you can hear the problems of your ADC converters (and you know what ADC converters are, and the limitations of the SoundBlaster's ones), then and only then consider buying a better soundcard.
 
P.S. 20-cycle hum would be inaudible on nearly every speaker system out there without a subwoofer worth more than $500.
i'm guessing you mean 60-cycle hum. the reason this is occouring is because compressors aren't designed to have mics plugged straight into them. you need to go mic->preamp->compressor->line-input
 
hi bleyrad

i'm also getting hum/noice from my synths hooked up in to card's input and i'm getting the hum by just having my compressors by them selves hooked up to mic/line input of the sound blaster, i think maybe i have noise or interference in the power lines. i am not sure how to fix the issue.

the adc are fine, the sound quality is not bad but the noise in the back ground is driving me nuts. maybe a power conditioner or a hum eliminator will help. i would appreciate any more suggestion.

one more thing just for testing stuff i connected the compressor to the mic in and i got the hum/noice so i disconnected the power outlet of the compressor from the wall and the hum went away. i am puzzled!
 
then you have a grounding problem.


make sure everything that's powered is connected to the same ground. i know it goes against everything logical and sane, but plug absolutely everything into a single power bar from the same outlet. your synth, your computer, your compressor.

if anything you plug in only has a 2-prong plug (ie no ground) then don't use it at all.
secondly, if that doesn't fix it alone, get new audio cables for everything you're connecting, and make sure you're using the right kind of cabling in the right places (stereo vs. mono, balanced vs unbalanced.


the other thing you haven't said, which is a rather obvious thing but worth checking nonetheless, is whether or not you're plugging into the right input. you want to be using the LINE INPUT on the soundcard with those synths, not the MIC IN.
 
thanks for the help bleyrad

i'll try your suggestions tomorrow. the grounding issue might be related to my building's electrical setup ( i noticed it pretty cheasy), i hope that'snot the case.

and yes, i am connecting to the right input; i use the line input for the synths/mixer and the mic in for my mic, although i have noticed the noice is greater when i hook up my mic to the compressor and the compressor to the mic input.
 
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