Ground loop and Axe-Fx

Tonewicker

Tonewicker

Inspired
ok im sorry if this sounds stupid but im asking because i dont have much knowledge about electronics.
the problem is i have a big hum problem while using axe fx in my home and i know its caused by the ground loop and i also have fairly knowledge about what causes the ground loop but i have no idea how to fix it.
i did some research on internet but im not sure because some people suggests some solutions while others say those solutions are dangerous. and at the end of my adventure i hit the wall with a product: behringer hd400
by the way i dont encounter the same issue in the studio that im working with but still i dont know what fixes it really...

so my question is what should i do ? is that behringer hd400 is a quick and safe fix ? if so how and what should i plug it ?
 
FractalAudio said:
Use the XLR outputs and flip the ground lift switch as needed.
Click to expand...

I've been wrestling with hum issues more often lately and I'm still not sure of a couple of things:

1. Is an XLR better or worse than a Humbuster cable?

2. If XLR is better, then is there a 'more likely culprit' for hum between my Mark II - Atomic CLR connection vs. my Mark II to FOH connection? Since I only have XLR on Out1, I should use that for the most likely source of the problem.
 
Let's back up a minute...

Why do you say that your hum is caused by a ground loop?

Not all hum is due to ground loops. A ground loop is caused by current flowing along the cable between two pieces of powered gear when the ground potential is slightly different. The ground potential difference, when it does exist, is often caused by plugging those two pieces of gear into different power sources, for example: outlets on different circuits. But it can also be caused just because one or both pieces has a certain amount of leakage current going to ground, even when they're both plugged into the same outlet or power strip. You know you're dealing with a ground loop if it goes away when you disconnect the second piece of powered gear.

Much more common than a ground loop - at least IME - is hum being picked up by the guitar. This is especially true when you play with a lot of gain. You know you're dealing with guitar hum issues if the intensity changes as you move around the room and as you point the guitar in different directions. Likewise, the hum will disappear if you turn down the volume at the guitar. If you have humbucker pickups and the wiring in your guitar is competently done, then your options are limited for killing hum that's specific to a location. In particular, ground lifts and various humbuster products won't do a thing for you.

That said, there *is* one thing you should look into if you think you're getting hum from the guitar and not from a ground loop: make sure that you're plugging your gear into a properly grounded outlet. The fact that the outlet has a grounding prong is not always enough. There's always a chance that the grounding wire isn't connected to the outlet. For about $5 you can buy an outlet tester to confirm proper wiring. The outlet tester is a little widget with a plug on one end, three lights on the other and a label in between to tell you the meaning of the different combinations of lights. The tester is a good thing to carry in your gig bag to quickly check an outlet at a new location before you plug in your gear.
 
TieDyedDevil said:
Let's back up a minute...

Why do you say that your hum is caused by a ground loop?

Not all hum is due to ground loops. A ground loop is caused by current flowing along the cable between two pieces of powered gear when the ground potential is slightly different. The ground potential difference, when it does exist, is often caused by plugging those two pieces of gear into different power sources, for example: outlets on different circuits. But it can also be caused just because one or both pieces has a certain amount of leakage current going to ground, even when they're both plugged into the same outlet or power strip. You know you're dealing with a ground loop if it goes away when you disconnect the second piece of powered gear.

Much more common than a ground loop - at least IME - is hum being picked up by the guitar. This is especially true when you play with a lot of gain. You know you're dealing with guitar hum issues if the intensity changes as you move around the room and as you point the guitar in different directions. Likewise, the hum will disappear if you turn down the volume at the guitar. If you have humbucker pickups and the wiring in your guitar is competently done, then your options are limited for killing hum that's specific to a location. In particular, ground lifts and various humbuster products won't do a thing for you.

That said, there *is* one thing you should look into if you think you're getting hum from the guitar and not from a ground loop: make sure that you're plugging your gear into a properly grounded outlet. The fact that the outlet has a grounding prong is not always enough. There's always a chance that the grounding wire isn't connected to the outlet. For about $5 you can buy an outlet tester to confirm proper wiring. The outlet tester is a little widget with a plug on one end, three lights on the other and a label in between to tell you the meaning of the different combinations of lights. The tester is a good thing to carry in your gig bag to quickly check an outlet at a new location before you plug in your gear.
Click to expand...
from 2 things i thing its from ground loop.
1- same gear and guitar dont make hum noise when i use in the studio but its really noisy at my home
2- i tried changing the guitar/cable move to different spots but the noise level is still the same and i get noise even from clean amps

TieDyedDevil said:
Recording via ... what?
Click to expand...
usb.. recording via usb sorry i somewhat missed it when i wrote that :)
 
I’ve been dealing with this from the time I put my Axe-Fx into my home studio rack. I bought an electro-harmonix hum debugger and it works but I’m not 100% convinced it doesn’t color the tone. I’ve tried a 3 to 2 adapter to remove the ground pin, just as a test. The Morley Hum-Ex, or whatever they are calling it, supposedly won’t work if the 3 to 2 adapter doesn’t work so I’m not going to try it. Removing the ground pin with a cheater plug did nothing. I’m not sure what I can do.

I have my Axe-Fx in an AudioRax rack unit with a Furman power conditioner and a Focusrite rack mounted interface, plus a Korg Tuner I like better than the Axe tuner (which is great when I’m playing). I live in the Northeast so I end up doing a lot of maintenance on my guitars as the room conditions change. I have a humidor set up and running humidifier in the fall/winter plus I have sponge humidifiers in my cases too. It gets below 40% humidity still. I’m always tuning up and even adjusting intonation occasionally. I don’t have any cheap guitars either, all really well made stuff.

Group loop hum and a lack of humidity make it a chore but I still love to play, it’s just extra work.

Not sure what I can do really, I can’t get rid of the hum and what have I tried? What haven’t I tried...
 
HornsUp247 said:
I’ve been dealing with this from the time I put my Axe-Fx into my home studio rack. I bought an electro-harmonix hum debugger and it works but I’m not 100% convinced it doesn’t color the tone. I’ve tried a 3 to 2 adapter to remove the ground pin, just as a test. The Morley Hum-Ex, or whatever they are calling it, supposedly won’t work if the 3 to 2 adapter doesn’t work so I’m not going to try it. Removing the ground pin with a cheater plug did nothing. I’m not sure what I can do.

I have my Axe-Fx in an AudioRax rack unit with a Furman power conditioner and a Focusrite rack mounted interface, plus a Korg Tuner I like better than the Axe tuner (which is great when I’m playing). I live in the Northeast so I end up doing a lot of maintenance on my guitars as the room conditions change. I have a humidor set up and running humidifier in the fall/winter plus I have sponge humidifiers in my cases too. It gets below 40% humidity still. I’m always tuning up and even adjusting intonation occasionally. I don’t have any cheap guitars either, all really well made stuff.

Group loop hum and a lack of humidity make it a chore but I still love to play, it’s just extra work.

Not sure what I can do really, I can’t get rid of the hum and what have I tried? What haven’t I tried...
Click to expand...

are you using a wireless system?
 
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