|
Log in to post
|
Print Thread |
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 85
Enthusiast
|
OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 85 |
Hi All.
Post follows on from my previous one about speakers v. monitors. I learned a lot from that - thanks.
Upshot is that I got some Wharfedale Diamond Pro-Active 8.1 monitors from ebay (used)
Initally the sound was excellent - I was very pleased. But afte a week I suddenly developed a mains hum that I cant lose.
I've connected them direct to laptop via unbalanced TRS/RCA (phono). When powered and cabled up, but with the TRS jack out of the laptop I dont get any hum. If I connect the TRS to the laptop, but disconnect either of the RCAs from the monitors I dont get any hum. If I switch off the power to one particular monitor I lose the hum - But not if I depower the other instead.
Its most odd - either one seems to work OK, but not together. Because the hum resolves when one unit is depowered it suggest to me a defect in one unit.
I've had lots of help from these forums - but this is probably too big an ask. Hoping for flash of genius/insight/wizardry
Any ideas gratefully received. BTW I've had a quick peek inside and nothing obviously fried.
thanks
Tom
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 8,021
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 8,021 |
Try the lappy on battery.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 85
Enthusiast
|
|
OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 85 |
Yep tried that - makes no difference tho - the hum doesnt seem to come from there.
Thanks for the idea tho
Tom
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,478
Veteran
|
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,478 |
Are both monitors plugged into the same outlet? Use a powerstrip to make sure they are.
BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 378
Journeyman
|
|
Journeyman
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 378 |
What Matt said. If either one can be silent in a particular setup, then both are ok and it's probably your cabling gone bad. Replace all cable and any adapters in the chain with new and see. Also, other sources can cause this. Be careful to not have the audio monitor cables near the laptop power adapter. Computer monitors can cause this too. Light dimmers. All kinds of stuff. Noodle with all that and see.
Dan
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,333
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,333 |
Lift the grounds. (earth) Ensure polarity is right on all mains plugs. Not uncommon for someone to wire it wrong.
Mess with the plugs. Another thing is having something else plugged in that is feeding you R/F.
Plug, unplug, and mess with this. It's usually easy in the end.
John Conley
Musica est vita
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
|
Anonymous
Unregistered
|
|
Anonymous
Unregistered
|
That gave me chills. I have the Wharfedales too (8.2 model) and have the hum problem on ONE of them. Only one. And when I switch channels, if it was the feed, logic says the hum would follow the channel, right? Wrong. The hum stays in the speaker on the right side of the room.
HOWEVER.....
I had reason to go behind the knee wall (to tack up some fallen insulation) and discovered a junction box there I never noticed before. I have my electrician coming in to look at that, but with all the other testing I did, there HAS to be some spurious AC causing the hum because the speaker sits right in front of it.
I also took both speakers into another room, with first the same mixer and then a second mixer, and there was no hum. So as the responders have suggested, it seems like an AC related issue. If you swap left and right out of the mixer, does the hum stay with the channel or the speaker?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 85
Enthusiast
|
|
OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 85 |
Hey great responses - thanks.
Power supply is from common strip - have changed that, tried plugging in on another mains circuit - still get the loud hum.
I have tried changing leads, swapping units, changing locations, all sorts.
And whatever I do I get the same hum - and it always resolves when I depower the same monitor.
Eddie - I wish it simply were just some hidden AC pickup - but I get the same thing in any location. BTW what do you think of the speaker soundwise?
Key observations:
1 I dont get hum if I dont plug the TRS in.
2 I get hum if I plug the TRS into any input source.
3 No hum if I depower one of the units - always the same one.
4 I removed the earth/ground connection from mains lead on the suspect unit - hey presto - no hum - all works perfectly - except risk of getting fried if goes faulty.
5 When I first got the monitors, I didnt have this problem. Same cables, same set up. It just started out of the blue.
I dont have the luxury of a balanced OP from the laptop. Anyone know how to wire unblanced OP to balanced IP?
Thanks again
Tom
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 22,488
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 22,488 |
Quote:
Anyone know how to wire unblanced OP to balanced IP?
http://www.recordingwebsite.com/articles/cables.php
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 8,021
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 8,021 |
Sounds like you have both unbalanced RCA inputs and balanced inputs to the monitors.There is no point in using the balanced inputs when the outs are unbalanced. Buy a small mixer with balanced outs. Plug the lappy into the mixer.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
|
Anonymous
Unregistered
|
|
Anonymous
Unregistered
|
Quote:
Eddie - I wish it simply were just some hidden AC pickup - but I get the same thing in any location. BTW what do you think of the speaker soundwise?
I love them. Good low end response and crisp highs. Plenty of power for near field use. 100w is enough to send sound 8 feet to my ears.....
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
|
Anonymous
Unregistered
|
|
Anonymous
Unregistered
|
I found my problem and resolved it, and it had little to do with anything I thought of in the past.
I noticed that one keyboard was flickering on and off when I played it. I decided to change out the power strip. That power strip had 3 keyboards, a tremolo/Leslie effect stomp box, and another power strip that only the Wharfedale monitors plug into. When I changed out that power strip, I took out an older generic strip and put in one that has an indicator on it when a line fault is present. As soon as I hit the power button, the red fault light came on. Reset the strip, red light stayed on. Took that power strip to another outlet on another circuit, no red light. So I ran that power strip from a different wall outlet and now everything is quiet. So bottom line, the problem in MY case was a bad wiring job inside one of my walls, not surprising given what else I inherited when I bought this house in early 2009. NO ground lifts, no re-routing, just a bad wall outlet. Fortunately that wall is going to come down anyway and I will just eliminate that wire run.
But yep, everybody who said it was power conditioning for the few of us who talked about AC related hum was right on it.
And now back to the Stanley Cup game.....
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 378
Journeyman
|
|
Journeyman
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 378 |
"I removed the earth/ground connection from mains lead on the suspect unit - hey presto - no hum - all works perfectly - except risk of getting fried if goes faulty." Seems like a ground loop issue if you lift the ground and all is well. If you can't track it down, take a look at some of these products that are made to help these situations- http://www.musiciansfriend.com/navigation?q=ebtechAnd also- http://www.musiciansfriend.com/navigation?q=power+conditionerGood luck. Dan
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,478
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,478 |
Eddie, I once managed a computer center, and we wondered why the life of the electronics in the display area was so short. Because of the faulty wiring, anything that caused the equipment to be connected to more than one outlet, like a shared switched printer for many PCs, allowed substantial stray voltages to flow. A new wiring job for the whole wall was needed, and after that, no problems.
The first thing I do before plugging equipment in, is take out my three-prong outlet tester. These testers are cheap, like $5, but they can quickly save you time and money.
BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,333
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,333 |
I worked for 8 years with one of those 3 prong testers in my pocket. A fire inspector should have tools. I also had a proximity tester and another one I could use on stainless steel in restaurants to detect stray voltage. People said to me, I got tingling from that thing for years and now it's gone. Go figure.
In a burned out building don't touch the bare phone lines. As long as no call comes in you are not like the electrocuted cat in the cartoon. It may not seem like lots of volts but you only do it once in a wet basement.
John Conley
Musica est vita
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
|
Anonymous
Unregistered
|
|
Anonymous
Unregistered
|
John, when you say proximity tester, is that the thing that you can just touch to the outside of the wire and see if it is live?
I have my electricity guy coming in later this week for something else and I am going to have him look at every circuit upstairs. He rewired my basement to add circuits for the woodworking shop and kicked me up to 200 amp svc because I was also adding an electric range. Before his visit, if I ran the shop vac to catch the sawdust when running the table saw I would blow a breaker. He added 6 outlets in the basement, each on their own 20 amp breaker. Need him to nose around upstairs now. The hum was cut 85% by moving it to the other circuit. Of course I would like dead silence. Much like the audience wants when I sing....
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 8,021
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 8,021 |
Well as an Electrical Contractor & Chief Electrical Inspector IF you want dead silence what you need to do is isolate your studio circuits from the rest. The only way to do this is have an Electrician run a 50A/220VAC circuit to an isolation transformer and from the trans former to a new panel.Then individual branch circuits as needed from there. The grounding electrode systems is re established at either the transformer or the new panel depending on the wiring configuration and in essence provides you with a new SERVICE that is just for the studio.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
|
Anonymous
Unregistered
|
|
Anonymous
Unregistered
|
Thanks John. I had a feeling that for perfect silence I needed perfect wiring for perfect power. I will have my guy give me some numbers for that. When he worked on my basement 2 years ago he did a lot of work (New panel, upped the service to 200amp,and put in 6 new outlet boxes, as well as removing 2 very bad pieces of home made wire run form the previous owners) and did me okay on the price.
Great to get input from an actual professional like yourself! I freak out when I change light fixtures! Took me 6 years to work up the courage to remove a 1960s ceiling fan/light fixture and replace it with a florescent. Took 15 minutes, went without incident, but still took 6 years....
Don't even ASK me about plumbing.... LOL!!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 8,021
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 8,021 |
Another way that may be as effective in the home is to wire the studio using all metal boxes and Medical Grade AC Cable. AC cable otherwise called Armored cable is UL listed so that the armor can serve as the equipment ground. It looks similar to the old BX cable but is not at all the same. The medical Grade also has an insulated grounding conductor run inside with the other 2 conductors. Patient Care rooms per Art 517 NEC requires redundant grounding. In the case of the studio you'll use receptacles that have isolated grounds. In this way the boxes are grounded with the armor of the cable BUT the ground on the receptacles is done with the insulated equipment ground.This way the armor actually acts as a shield preventing stray currents & EMI from getting in.Mention both methods to your Electrician. If he has that "deer in the headlights" look find another Electrician.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.
ChatPG's knowledge base includes the full Band-in-a-Box User Manual and sales information from the website.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Windows Special Offers End Tomorrow (January 15th, 2026) at 11:59 PM PST!
Time really is running out! Save up to 50% on Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® upgrades and receive a FREE Bonus PAK—only when you order by 11:59 PM PST on Thursday, January 15, 2026!
We've added many major new features and new content in a redesigned Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®!
Version 2026 introduces a modernized GUI redesign across the program, with updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, and a new Dark Mode option. There’s also a new side toolbar for quicker access to commonly used windows, and the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, making it easier to customize your workspace.
Another exciting new addition is the new AI-Notes feature, which can transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI. You can view the results in notation or play them back as MIDI, and choose whether to process an entire track or focus on specific parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.
There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
Upgrade your Band-in-a-Box for Windows to save up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade packages!
Plus, when you order your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade during our special, you'll receive a Free Bonus PAK of exciting new add-ons.
If you need any help deciding which package is the best option for you, just let us know. We are here to help!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® Special Offers Extended Until January 15, 2026!
Good news! You still have time to upgrade to the latest version of Band-in-a-Box® for Windows® and save. Our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® special now runs through January 15, 2025!
We've packed Band-in-a-Box® 2026 with major new features, enhancements, and an incredible lineup of new content! The program now sports a sleek, modern GUI redesign across the entire interface, including updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, a new dark mode option, and more. The brand-new side toolbar provides quicker access to key windows, while the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, creating a flexible, clutter-free workspace. We have an amazing new “AI-Notes” feature. This transcribes polyphonic audio into MIDI so you can view it in notation or play it back as MIDI. You can process an entire track (all pitched instruments and drums) or focus on individual parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
There are over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.
When you order purchase Band-in-a-Box® 2026 before 11:59 PM PST on January 15th, you'll also receive a Free Bonus PAK packed with exciting new add-ons.
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® today! Check out the Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all the purchase options available.
Happy New Year!
Thank you for being part of the Band-in-a-Box® community.
Wishing you and yours a very happy 2026—Happy New Year from all of us at PG Music!
Season's Greetings!
Wishing everyone a happy, healthy holiday season—thanks for being part of our community!
The office will be closed for Christmas Day, but we will be back on Boxing Day (Dec 26th) at 6:00am PST.
Team PG
Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: The Newly Designed Piano Roll Window
In this video, we explore the updated Piano Roll, complete with a modernized look and exciting new features. You’ll see new filtering options that make it easy to focus on specific note groups, smoother and more intuitive note entry and editing, and enhanced options for zooming, looping, and more.
Watch the video.
You can see all the 2026 videos on our forum!
Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: AI Stems & Notes - split polyphonic audio into instruments and transcribe
This video demonstrates how to use the new AI-Notes feature together with the AI-Stems splitter, allowing you to select an audio file and have it separated into individual stems while transcribing each one to its own MIDI track. AI-Notes converts polyphonic audio—either full mixes or individual instruments—into MIDI that you can view in notation or play back instantly.
Watch the video.
You can see all the 2026 videos on our forum!
Bonus PAK and 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®
With your version 2026 for Windows Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition or PlusPAK purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons for FREE! Or upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for only $49 to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks!
These PAKs are loaded with additional add-ons to supercharge your Band-in-a-Box®!
This Free Bonus PAK includes:
- The 2026 RealCombos Booster PAK:
-For Pro customers, this includes 27 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For MegaPAK customers, this includes 25 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For UltraPAK customers, this includes 12 new RealStyles.
- MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
- MIDI SuperTracks Set 46: Piano & Organ
- Instrumental Studies Set 24: Groovin' Blues Soloing
- Artist Performance Set 19: Songs with Vocals 9
- Playable RealTracks Set 5
- RealDrums Stems Set 9: Cool Brushes
- SynthMaster Sounds Set 1 (with audio demos)
- Android Band-in-a-Box® App (included)
Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:
- 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyle.
- FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
- MIDI Styles Set 93: Look Ma! More MIDI 16: SynthMaster
- MIDI SuperTracks Set 47: More SynthMaster
- Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
- Artist Performance Set 20: Songs with Vocals 10
- RealDrums Stems Set 10: Groovin' Sticks
- SynthMaster Sounds & Styles Set 2 (sounds & styles with audio demos)
Learn more about the Bonus PAKs for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Forums57
Topics85,837
Posts796,806
Members39,968
| |
Most Online25,754
Jan 24th, 2025
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dansk
Deutsch - Windows
Español
Français - Windows
Italiano - Windows
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Svenskt
русский
Japanese
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Korean