New Monitor = Weird Static Ground Loop [SOLVED]

Hello again.

 

Welp, everything is great over here with my new Dell flatscreen addition, EXCEPT...

 

When I turned on my Rokit 8s, thru my Duet, they are reporting fun static and weird warbly flanging sounds. It seems to be echoing, in like quiet buzzing sounds and static, the movements of my mouse on the screen. And if I move a window, it buzzes as well.

 

Could this have something to do with the DVI out? Or the placement of my flatscreen? Or something else? It's definitely coming from the MBP because it disappears when I shut down.

 

I use the RCA outs on my Rokits into my Duet.

 

Common problem?

 

C

Edited January 15, 2010 by CBA713

I've had issues like this before, and it turned out to be my cellphone. Also maybe check to see if the power cable is touching your speaker cables.

Ground loop? Have you checked your house power? My house in San Diego had several rooms with bad grounding, and even a short, which I found by using a friends AC test unit. Have you tried running the power through a unit like a Furman line conditioner? That helped me with some very slight hum I was noticing in the new rental house I am in now.

Welp, I tried everything, moving cables, etc... nothing worked.

 

Until I unplugged the new flatscreen. ssssshshhhhhSSSHHHHHUNK. Silent as a beheaded puppy.

 

SO. What's that mean?

 

These Rokit 8s are totally silent and lovely when the fricking Dell 23" is not plugged in. And it's not an ON thing, either. Everything sans the Dell is plugged in, and when I just even like sort of insert the Dell plug into the power strip or outlet in the wall, the static whirls come back. Turning the actual viewing monitor on or off doesn't make a difference. It just interferes when it's plugged in at all.

 

Is this problem solvable, or is it like forever interference? The MBP doesn't and has never interfered with the sound coming from the Rokit 8s.

 

Anyone have any technical advice for me, or am I just frigged with this new flatscreen?

 

C

Welp, I tried everything, moving cables, etc... nothing worked.

 

Until I unplugged the new flatscreen. ssssshshhhhhSSSHHHHHUNK. Silent as a beheaded puppy.

 

SO. What's that mean?

 

These Rokit 8s are totally silent and lovely when the fricking Dell 23" is not plugged in. And it's not an ON thing, either. Everything sans the Dell is plugged in, and when I just even like sort of insert the Dell plug into the power strip or outlet in the wall, the static whirls come back. Turning the actual viewing monitor on or off doesn't make a difference. It just interferes when it's plugged in at all.

 

Is this problem solvable, or is it like forever interference? The MBP doesn't and has never interfered with the sound coming from the Rokit 8s.

 

Anyone have any technical advice for me, or am I just frigged with this new flatscreen?

 

C

 

Some cheap LCD screens have this bad behavior (I took unused from my son's room and encountered a similar RF generator screen...)

 

Usually if you plug the LCD screen to the same outlet as the rest of your equipment -- if that does not help, I'm afraid the screen is just bad.

I had the exact same problem. Its the Firewire audio out on that model macbook pro. Only way around it s to buy http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/DTI/

 

I tried everything so dont waste your time, just buy the above

Try using balanced cables (xlr or trs, not rca) into your monitors and see if it helps.

So you think that ART thing will work?

 

I don't know about the Firewire problem; everything works fine when the flatscreen is not plugged in.

 

I've been using my setup with the MBP, Duet, and Rokits for months with no static interference or any fuzzes or buzzes or wuzzes.

 

I'm going to try to find a separate circuit and run an extension cord. If this doesn't work then I will simply cry and that should solve it.

 

E-mail'd KRK but no response yet.

 

Any other electricians willing to like CHIME right in?

 

C

 

p.s. The Duet has unbalanced outs, so I think I have to stick with the RCAs.

 

Thanks!

I'm having the same problem, only i its my new 21inch iMac that causing it i think. Ive listened through headphones and it sounds fine, however when i use an RCA cable connecting computer to KRK RP6's i get a static sound. Any suggestions?

Friends,

 

Received an e-mail from KRK and the gentleman sent me this link:

 

http://www.filmtools.com/grliadco41.html

 

 

So like yeah.

 

Anyway, I get it, I guess, but he just said "Please use one of these" and that was it.

 

I have a million of these things laying around here at my apartment, but like what am I supposed to use it with? Both of the Rokits? The flatscreen monitor? The power strips? Everything?

 

I don't know anything about grounding, and have never really had to since all of my equipment has worked fine together up until now. It's a great time to learn.

 

Any more suggestions on where I should cram this thing?

 

Thanks,

 

C

 

p.s. Just did a little more reading and I think grounding is needed for like 2-pronged outlets, isn't it? Every outlet in my apartment is 3-pronged.

Edited January 5, 2010 by CBA713

If your outlets/receptacles are three prong and your cables plugging into them are three prong, there is no need for that adaptor. You only use that if your outlets/receptacles are two prong and your trying to plug in three prong cables.

 

If you needed them you would already be using them.

Seriously.

 

I don't know, I think I'll go back to the hypothesis that they need to be on two different circuits.

 

I refuse to believe that I can't make this work somehow. Problems like this drive me nutz because like GEEZ this flatscreen was seriously the last major piece to my little studio here.

 

Guess I'll need to F around with some extension cords.

 

Tons of you goofs use flatscreens with your Macbook / Pros... anyone else been able to solve this problem if you've encountered it?

 

C

Hi C,

Are you using a Wireless USB or Bluetooth Mouse?

 

Do you get the buzzing while using the TrackPad on Your MacBook Pro?

 

I have seen it where the wireless mouse was the problem.... not just with the Duet either.

 

I turn airport off also. It is such a frequency and field rich environment, when all these electrical devices are in close proximity to each other.

Edited January 5, 2010 by Nublu

Good evening.

 

No, I don't have anything wireless going on besides Airport, which I turn off while using Logic.

 

Both my external keyboard and mouse connect to my MBP via USB, and I use both of those with Logic and don't employ the trackpad.

 

I've also Bluetooth turned off since I started recording... didn't want to interfere with anything.

 

Thanks!

 

C

I encountered a buzzing sound from "stuff" once when I accidentally ran off of battery power, forgetting to plug in the power adapter (which of course, grounds the MBP).

Could it be that?

Naaaaap. Everything is connected correctly and connectly corrected.

 

I know for sure that the buzzing ceases when I unplug the flatscreen. It's as simple as this:

 

1. Everything is plugged in and on including Rokits, flatscreen, MBP, Duet.

 

1a. Whirling static coming out of the Rokits.

 

2. I leave everything plugged and running, but I casually unplug the flatscreen from the power strip.

 

3. The static buzzing and whirls and interference stop.

 

4. I casually plug the flatscreen back in.

 

5. The static returns.

 

It is the flatscreen that is causing the interference, so I'm wondering how/where I should plug it in/ replug it.

 

Thanks,

 

C

What type of power supply does the monitor have? Is it a lump in the middle kind? I it is, they give off lots of interference. My notebook had one like that. IF it doesn't, it probably still is the power supply. I wouldn't go with the ground lift piece, (the 3 prong to 2 prong converter) because even though I am far from an expert, I have been advised against using those. I agree with Davey. I have one of these, and problem fixed.

 

HTH,

P

Nah, just a basic black power cord. I finally have a day off tomorrow, so I'm just going to experiment with it until the problem is resolved.

 

Thanks for the inputs!

 

 

C

KRK guy now recommends this:

 

http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Ebtech-Hum-X-Hum-Exterminator?sku=150452&src=3WFRWXX&ZYXSEM=0&CAWELAID=26018345

 

 

He says plug my monitor in with this thing and I should be good.

 

Any experience with these, kids?

 

Thanks,

 

C

Im telling you. I had the EXACT same setup as you and wasted god knows hom many hours as well as cash trying to sort this. Its not power related, its the DVI out on the MBP! You NEED the ART I listed earlier. Dont get one of the cheap ones, they mask the sound by killing your frequency range.

Hey Davey.

 

I'm only slightly confused because in your earlier post you said that it was the Firewire audio out that was the culprit. Is it the DVI out or the Firewire? It makes a difference because the Firewire out is going to my Duet, and the DVI out is going to my flatscreen monitor.

 

Check THIS out... the other day I was friggin' around with stuff and I took a ground lift (or like a three prong to two prong adapter) and put it on the power cord of my flatscreen and plugged it into the power strip.

 

No more buzz.

 

It fixed the problem, but unfortunately it took away the ground on the flatscreen which, according to THE INNERNET, is dangerous.

 

THUS I read more on the HUM X and found that it does almost exactly what the ground lift would do except it keeps the ground intact, thus cutting down on danger danger high voltage.

 

SO I ordered a HUM X from Amazon because I had a gift card so I got it for like half price which is nice because it's $70. It's expensive, but if it solves my problem LIKE THAT, it will be worth it.

 

If the HUM X doesn't work, I will try out the ART i-trans like you have suggested and happily thank you for your support, even though I thank you for your support anyway!

 

I'll let you know what works.

 

Have a lovely day,

 

C

Hello.

 

Updating and recommending for anyone that experiences a similar problem.

 

I won't recap my posts, as they're all there, but:

 

I had a silent DAW, got a new flatscreen monitor, whirling and buzzing then occurred through my Rokits.

 

Bought an EBTECH HUM X.

 

Plugged it into the wall.

 

Hum gone.

 

I highly highly recommend the HUM X to anyone with similar problems. All it is is a simple adaptor that kills ground loop hum whilst maintaining the actual ground.

 

It was $70, but it was totally worth it, and there is no need to mess with your audio signal. I just crammed it in the outlet and plugged my monitor into that. Totally silent.

 

Thanks to everyone for their help and suggestions!

 

C

i had the same problem and recently found a solution to the problem also without spending a dime.

I have the duet and the krk's RP6 and they had a humming sound every time i turned on my monitor

the problem i was having was that my monitor and my krk's are plugged in the same power strip all i did was unplugged the computer and plugged in into the wall and the static stopped.

i dont feel to comfortable though with plugging my mac directly into the wall so i am going to get another power strip tomorrow my problem is solved lol hope this solved your too

Hi,

I found your posts while searching for a solution to the same problems you have had with a new monitor and static buzz on my KRK Rokit 5's.

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction in that a ground loop was the problem.

Just a quick note though to help others who come across this post to help them save some money:

I just went to my local motor factors and got a 'ground loop isolator' that is used extensively in car audio systems. Link below to the model I got which is RCA jack based:

 

http://www.bluearan.co.uk/index.php?pricematch=YES&product=MON064370

 

This cost me 10 euro and is a huge money saver compared to some of the prices from dedicated audio suppliers. And cleaned that static right up.

 

Happy Days!