I’ve got some kind of ground loop issue in my studio, and as a result, when tracking guitars (plugging my guitar into my Apollo, and using amp plugins) I get a lot of hum, even from humbuckers, and especially with single coils. I have to turn my back to my desk, and find a pin-point angle where the hum goes away. And yes - I’ve tried all kinds of troubleshooting and gadgets to remove the noise and address the issue - Nothing has worked…
I haven’t tried it recently, but I recall firing up an amp plugin on my laptop, and it was quite - I assume I was on battery power, thus, detached from the wall power…
So, my thought is, can I link a Cubase sessions - One on my studio, and one on the laptop - And use the laptop connection for recording guitar…? I know I could simply record onto the laptop and “fly” the files into my studio session - But ideally, I’d like to have the full session playing from my studio DAW, monitor and record via the laptop, into the studio DAW.
I’ve had plenty of guitar-hum (and studio monitor interference) issues over the years, caused by quite a few different things. I’m just gonna suggest some things directly related to what’s actually worked for me.
You describe it as a “ground loop issue,” so I’m curious about the type of noise you’re hearing. Is it a steady 50/60 Hz hum, or something higher-pitched and inconsistent?
It is the position of the guitar itself that reduces the hum–or does it seem like it’s your body that’s blocking the interference?
If it’s your body, it could be EMF from something in the room. Do you have any LED lamps, plasma balls, dimmers, or other electronics on or near your desk?
Any antenna-arrays mounted on nearby rooftops?
I assume you’ve already tested a few different guitar cables.
What gadgets have you tried? A DI box with ground lift?
That makes it seem like it’s related to the power-source in your studio. If you haven’t already tried it, see if you still have the hum with all of your devices plugged into the same grounded power strip and using a single wall outlet.
If all else fails, it’s worth considering–but I’d probably tear my studio apart and rebuild it piece-by-piece before doing that.
An optical separated ad/da is a good way to separate computer generated cable bound interference. This can be done with TOSLINK/ADAT/MADI. However guitar pickups can get interference from many other sources. Screens or light etc so it is good track down the real source. I use a battery powered toy-guitar-amp with a hand held crappy single-coil pickup so it can easy be moved. Warning, if your neighbours will thing you are tinfoil hatter if you do this outside.
>>the type of noise you’re hearing. Is it a steady 50/60 Hz hum
Yes - A loud 50/60 cycle hum.
It is the position of the guitar itself that reduces the hum
Yes, it seems to be the position. I can hold the guitar in the air away from my body, turn it, and get varying degrees of hum.
Do you have any LED lamps
I do - However, I’ve tried turning them / video monitors / studio monitors off, and the issue persists. This was an issue with my previous PC and audio interface- After a new PC build and new audio interface (Apollo X4), I was very hopeful that I’d see (hear) a change… Same issue. I had a brand new power line dropped from the breaker box to an adjacent room - I setup just the PC/audio device in the room, both running into the new outlet - Listened through headphones, and the issue was still there. I’ve even had my PC in my studio room, and run headphone/guitar cables to the adjacent room, sat in the adjacent room with headphones and can still hear it.
I assume you’ve already tested a few different guitar cables.
Yes
>>What gadgets have you tried? A DI box with ground lift?
DI w/ground lift - Pyle Hum Destroyer - Morley Hum Eliminator - Morley Hum Exterminator Ground Line Voltage Filter - ZHENGXI Isolation Transformer 120V to 120V, 300W Audio Voltage Converter… I’ve had an electrician install a new ground-rod to my house.
The ghost in the machine won’t let up. I’m sure it’s a power issue at my house - I just would have hoped one of the (above) devices would have killed it. Oddly, I don’t recall this being an issue when I first started using amp plugins (dating back to the OG Amplitube). I’ve been in this house for 26 years, and it seems like the issue arose (maybe) 15 years ago. And every 5 years or so, I go on another quest to try and resolve it… LOL.
