Sign In:     

Forum: Old versions

Topic: Laptop Charger Makes My Amp Buzz

This topic is old and might contain outdated or incorrect information.

Anyone else have this issue??? Or know how to resolve it????

Thanks
Keith
 
Posted Thu 23 Aug 07 @ 9:53 pm
 
How do I hook that up???
 
uses dual phono cables

attach one end to your soundcard one end to a mixer

or between a mixer an amp
 
skyfxl wrote :
uses dual phono cables

attach one end to your soundcard one end to a mixer

or between a mixer an amp


NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

You NEVER put it between mixer and amp! A ground loop isolator is a little box (some are round, some are square, shape doesn't matter) You put it between your mixer INPUT and your audio OUTPUT (it has a pair of female phono/rca plugs at one end and a pair of male at the other)

So, if you have say a Gigaport AG soundcard and you are using all 4 outputs, you need to put ONE ground loop isolator between each Gigaport output and mixer input.

Here's a good picture of one :-

http://indashpc.org/new/docs/Car%20Computer%20Audio%20HOW-TO%20final_files/image020.jpg


Mods/teamers Do you not think that this question has now been asked enough times to warrant having a sticky on the subject?




 
il ask if it can go on the hardware page ,

or somthing as it crops up alot and is an important issue
 
There is a lower cost fix to this.
Many times this can be fixed with a three prong to two prong power plug adapter you can get at any hadware store for under a dollar.
To test, uplug your power supply and run only off the battery. If the noise goes away this will work.
How it work, is that is disconects the ground connection of the laptop power supply.
We have noticed that Dell and HP laptop power supplies are noisy and this noise can be cured with this approach.
 
You need to isolate the problem.

Is this a new problem?

Did it work before?

Is it your amp, mixer, or Laptop Power supply?

Is it generating radio frequencies(RF) or is it a ground buzz?

Does the buzz occur in just V-DJ? What about iTunes or WMP?

Try to isolate and identify the issue by doing things like moving the power supply around. Does it get worse?

Run a long extension cord to another circuit in another room. What happens?

Can you borrow another Power supply? Amp? Mixer? Any change when you do?

Going through steps like this will give you the knowledge needed to solve the problem. (or better explain it the situation to the experts who can)
 
"disconnects the ground connection of the laptop power supply"

A good solution if it works, just realize you assume the risk of not being protected in the event of a power spike etc.

And for gosh sakes do not cut off the ground prong of your power supply! Go buy the adapter.
 
djrak wrote :
There is a lower cost fix to this.
Many times this can be fixed with a three prong to two prong power plug adapter you can get at any hadware store for under a dollar.
To test, uplug your power supply and run only off the battery. If the noise goes away this will work.
How it work, is that is disconects the ground connection of the laptop power supply.
We have noticed that Dell and HP laptop power supplies are noisy and this noise can be cured with this approach.



Very bad advice! The ground/earth in an electrical appliance is put there for safety! You remove that and you ARE putting your life at risk!
 
"You remove that and you ARE putting your life at risk!"

Absolutely true.

However, for reasons too lengthy too explain here, the risk is much less than with other appliances.

Ungrounded appliances that involve direct contact and full 120/240vac draw(power tools etc), pose a far greater risk than an ungrounded laptop power supply sitting on the floor pushing out 20vdc to a plastic box.

If it's the only way to solve the problem, you may need to remove the ground and take your chances.


The risk is there. If you don't understand it, don't take it.

Only bad things happen from taking risks we don't understand.

-Soap box put away
 
Fact of the matter is, we can probably rightly assume that it's earth bound interference he's getting, since it only happens when the PSU is connected. Therefore the ground loop isolators is the way to go. I run a rack mounted PC and i had to fit 4 of the bufggers!
 
just put a ground adapter that you get from a hardware store that kind that change your ac adapter from three inputs to two inputs it's like double ground
 
I resolve this issue when its happens in my laptop and my sound system very easily.
1 - i connect all the audio system to one eletricity connection (mixer, bcd2000, and studio monitors)
2 - i connect my laptop to other electricity connection, and the humm disappear.
I hope this helps to resolve the problem!!
 


(Old topics and forums are automatically closed)