404 buzzzzz

iG9 · Post by **iG9** » Tue May 27, 2008 10:02 pm

ok i was getting a buzzing noise on top of the desired sound when i flipped on EXT SOURCE. it was really annoying cause i had to erase samples i just couldn't use do to the buzzing. anyway i was getting bugged. i thought it was the turntable, but i'd used it no prob the previous day. the solution turned out to be to unplug the AC adapter and run off the batteries. maybe the power here isn't clean enough. i think you can buy power conditioners but if that's not an option, unplug that ish and nod on...

balazs · Post by **balazs** » Tue May 27, 2008 10:59 pm

yeah, I had a buzzing problem like that once. Eventhough I had the same setup for a few years, I had to move the turntable to a different location to stop it.

Earth Rot · Post by **Earth Rot** » Sun Jun 01, 2008 8:47 pm

I think I have that same problem. but its not solved so easily. When its plugged it I get the horrible buzz, turntable or not. when it running off batteries no buzz. Any suggestions?

Jim Y · Post by **Jim Y** » Sun Jun 01, 2008 9:14 pm

people get the same problems working a laptop - the noise probably comes from the external PSU and gets in the audio ground wiring.

Sometimes it's cured if the player is grounded by whatever it's plugged in to. Screening in gear and cables won't keep noise out if it isn't well grounded.The 404 has a deck grounding screw at the back, but it probably wont help unless the deck is grounded to the AC outlet, or the 404 is plugged into something else that is.

Sometimes, the problem is a so-called groundloop - cure is use a transformer DI box in the audio connections with a ground lift - signal gets thru but noise in the ground connection is blocked.

It can help if all audio gear in your rig is run off the same ac outlet & other stuff like lighting is run off another one further away.

Jim

Euclid Ov Oåklånd · Sun Jun 01, 2008 10:58 pm

Sounds like your an electrical engineer Jim Y.

Jim Y · Post by **Jim Y** » Mon Jun 02, 2008 9:53 am

Yeh, some kind of an engineer

This link might help...
http://www.tweakheadz.com/war_on_hum.htm

You may find advice elsewhere to take the ground off the AC plug for an amp or mixer - don't do it! Especially if you are in a place where the AC is 220-250volt, because getting a shock off that can really kill you and the ground connection on the gear is there to blow the fuse if the case ever becomes live.

Jim

balazs · Post by **balazs** » Mon Jun 02, 2008 1:10 pm

you got me thinkin to add a ground to my mixer. I brought a used mixer from the early/mid eighties and the ground in the plug was ripped out. Now that I had it for almost 10 years and its starting to not work so well, I got 120 v shock a couple times.

Dj Frantic · Post by **Dj Frantic** » Mon Jun 02, 2008 6:48 pm

I love that my tables have line outs. I never gotta deal with ground hum

Huph · Post by **Huph** » Tue Jun 03, 2008 12:13 am

Jim Y wrote:
Sometimes it's cured if the player is grounded by whatever it's plugged in to. Screening in gear and cables won't keep noise out if it isn't well grounded.The 404 has a deck grounding screw at the back, but it probably wont help unless the deck is grounded to the AC outlet, or the 404 is plugged into something else that is.

Forgive me if this is a silly question, but could I ground the 404 to my DJ mixer? You know, the way I already have my Technics grounded? Not that I have a buzzing problem, but it'd be nice to know I have a quick fix if it ever does come up.

To the OP: Another thing that can really add a lot of noise is the patterns in which your power cords and instrument/mic cables cross. Along with any other wires that have to lay on top of each other. It's best to try and have wires cross each other at perpendicular angles. And I'm not sure if this is true, but I always like to have my power cords and AC adapters running on the floor, with audio cables on top of them. This idea derives from some rather curious problems I had with nasty hum or hiss when recording a Bass player with a mic. The takes were all a little nasty, we re-arranged the cords and BAM!, crystal clear sound (well, as clear as I can get with what I can afford). And since electricity tends to seek out the lowest possible point on the Earth's surface, I figured it'd be better to have the big juice as close to the ground (as in floor, not a grounding device) as I can get it.

iG9 · Post by **iG9** » Tue Jun 03, 2008 1:07 am

substanceyoucantbite: i know this seems obvious but get rechargables and run off batteries.

Earth Rot · Post by **Earth Rot** » Tue Jun 03, 2008 2:32 am

iG9 wrote:substanceyoucantbite: i know this seems obvious but get rechargables and run off batteries.

Yeah thanks for all the responses everyone, but it seems after I spoke with roland that I am indeed going to have to send it in for service. The question is what am I supposed to do with myself in the meantime??? :cry:

Might have to go back to using software for a couple weeks

Antee · Post by **Antee** » Thu Apr 30, 2009 9:15 am

i have this problem too...it's really annoyng

Dr Van Nostrand · Post by **Dr Van Nostrand** » Thu Apr 30, 2009 2:52 pm

i get it too sometimes, but i figured out that its the phono wires comin out of my turntable goin into the little preamp i have, just gotta fiddle with where the rubber meets the metal male piece goin into the preamp and it will fix it, also lately, the stylus sometimes creates a heavy buzz on contact, and sometimes i gotta fiddle with the whole head of the stylus, pushing it back in a little to get the buzz to stop and the noise to get through.......gotta cop a portable turntable, or at least one that has a pitch fader, i wanna say i'm savin up for techs and serato, but i can barely save enough money to buy a second bag of weed after a paycheck

Les Braun · Post by **Les Braun** » Thu Apr 30, 2009 3:45 pm

turn off buzz-mode.

kel · Post by **kel** » Thu Apr 30, 2009 5:42 pm

COMPUTERS wrote:turn off buzz-mode.

+1