Setup help?

[UnOwn]

I always seem to get some line hum, I'm gonna go over my whole setup and maybe someone can tell me where the problem lies. Also this might help me with the reason my levels are so low when I record out from my computer to my sampler. I have two turntables hooked up to a Rane TTM 54 mixer for the phonos, on one of the line-ins I have my sampler and on the other line-in I have the tape-out from my amp (So, I can sample from VCR, DVD, etc.). On the FX I have a Korg Kaos Pad. The out from this mixer goes to a Numark Mixer (I think it goes to the phono in, can't remember if it is phono or line-in since I'm not in front of it). I have the send on this mixer hooked up to the in on my Sampler (so anything from this mixer can be sent to the sampler and the sampler can be played through the Rane with the FX). I also have a MiniDisc player hooked up to the Numark mixer. The out on this mixer goes into my Audigy Platinum EX soundcard. (I think I might have Booth going to soundcard and regular out going to amp, don't remember). The optical out on the soundcard is hooked up to my Amp. Also, I have an Edirol Midi controller keyboard hooked up with USB, but I don't think this matters. The possibilities I have thought of are, I have some earth loop (I don't really understand this and couldn't fix it when I tried), or something is not grounded correctly (I don't know why this would be), or it is electrical noise (what do I do about this), or I shouldn't have two mixers hooked together, or something else I haven't thought of. The line hum isn't bothering me that much right now, but I would like to be able to record samples off my computer to my sampler. But if anyone could help with a better way to set this up or fix either of those problems, it would be much appreciated.
Thanks,
UnOWN

 

[BROUSSARD BEATS]

you might have the input or the output turn up to loud on the numark mixer or the amp is tune to high

 

[UnOwn]

Thanks Bruce, but I've adjusted all the levels in different ways to no avail, I'm pretty sure that's not the prob, thanks for trying to help though.

 

[BROUSSARD BEATS]

oyea computer give off hum sound too so that amp to your soundcard might be it

 

[UnOwn]

oyea computer give off hum sound too so that amp to your soundcard might be it

Hey, you mean my giant loop through my amp, or just the Souncard to Amp, or the Amp through mixers to soundcard? Thanks. (Can you think of a better way to set this up or should I try to get a mixing board?)

 

[bigdmakintrax]

You are smart to think of an earth loop, any potential difference between ac outlets and powerstrips can sometimes introduce a low level hum.....I have you tried changing the outlets that you have things plugged into including where you have them....I try to put my mixer and keys etc on the same circuit and computers/monitors on the same circuit and make sure that the receptacles are properly grounded........the next thing to do is look at your computer equipment......as power supplies age in computers especially the custom built ones, in about 2 years of normal use they start losing filtering power if the power supply uses capacitors like most do....so this can introduce low level unclean ac hum in (your entire system that is plugged into the circuit).......have you gon thru the process of elimination by plugging things in one at a time???? even sometimes 1 bad XLR cable can be the cause....... theres a lot of different reasons...

 

[UnOwn]

Hey, thanks a lot man. I'll try that out (even though it sounds like a big pain in the ass). Any thoughts on why samples are so low when fed back into my sampler from my computer?

 

[tr-one]

an ebtech hum eliminator or line level shifter, may help. the hum eliminator breaks up ground loops that cause hum, and the line level shifter does that as well as shift unblalanced/-10dbv line signals to balanced/+4dbu.

 

[1d3nt1tY]

Another thing to try or check is related to your type of internet... If you have cable internet on the computer that makes the music, then you might try unplugging it and see if that helps... you see, coax carries a signal as well, and if the cable is not "earth" grounded outside your house, it can cause a humming noise through the ethernet port... most soundcards pick this hum up and amplify it... the more you turn it up, the more "hiss" comes through....


just an idea (it's happened before) if you haven't figured the prob yet.