Balanced or unbalanced?

jamos

Hey folks: the G2 manual doesn't tell me this, nor does the Clavia web site.

Are the inputs and outputs on the G2 balanced or unbalanced? I'v got a lot of hum in my system of late (seems to be picked up between my mixer and G2 inputs), and I'm wondering if I can solve it by going balanced.

slave to this · Posted: Tue Oct 10, 2006 10:36 am Post subject:

Outputs -
4 x 1/4" TS Phone Line Out, Unbalanced

Inputs -
1 x 3-pin XLR Female Microphone, Balanced
4 x 1/4" TS Phone Line In, Unbalanced

jamos · Posted: Tue Oct 10, 2006 10:38 am Post subject:

Oh, balls. Thanks, though.

Where did you find this?

slave to this · Posted: Tue Oct 10, 2006 10:48 am Post subject:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?A=details&Q=&is=REG&O=productlist&sku=398500

click on the specifications part. tried to confirm it elsewhere, but no luck.

slave to this · Posted: Tue Oct 10, 2006 10:54 am Post subject:

i was also getting a strange hum in my g2. after thinking it was cables, my mixer, and numerous other things...i plugged it into a different power strip and it fixed the problem. hopefully yours is as easy to solve :-/

james

elektro80 · Posted: Tue Oct 10, 2006 11:26 am Post subject:

It is always smart to have some DIs around. Your noise problem could possibly be solved by abracadabratransmorphing it to a balanced signal.

mosc · Posted: Tue Oct 10, 2006 12:02 pm Post subject:

Kassen · Posted: Tue Oct 10, 2006 12:17 pm Post subject:

Also considder ground-lifting the computer, particularly if it's a laptop.

Try wether the problem persists when the G2 is running without the computer attached. The crappy infrastructure for computer power as it's linked to USB can cause all sorts of hard to diagnose issues.

I know for sure that for the NM (G1) even MIDI can cause audio interference (something which should theoretically be impossible thanks to opto couplers).

Kassen · Posted: Tue Oct 10, 2006 12:23 pm Post subject:

jamos · Posted: Tue Oct 10, 2006 1:07 pm Post subject:

Thanks to all who've answered, but this is definitely not caused by USB; it's caused by pickup in the audio cables (if I move them, it gets better or worse), possibly along with ground loops (gotta love them). So far no luck fixing it (though I haven't tried a ground lift on the mixer yet..)

jksuperstar · Posted: Tue Oct 10, 2006 1:39 pm Post subject:

Are there any power cables (120V, 60Hz) nearby? If so, try to run them at right angles to the audio cables. That'll destroy the chance of the audio cables magnetically coupling and picking up noise (not just 60Hz hum, but any noise that's ringing on the power cables). This is also true for any digital cables you have as well...MIDI in particular can emit audio rate signals. Route these perpendicular as well.

Also, you could get chokes to put on any digital or power cables. These are magnets that clamp onto a cable, usually near the device. This prevents them from becoming transmitting antennas.

Maybe not your problem, but if these suggestions don't help you, maybe they help someone else.

jamos · Posted: Tue Oct 10, 2006 4:21 pm Post subject:

OK.. after more digging: yup, ground loop, between the G2's input and outputs and the mixers in and outs (I'm using this G2 as a dedicated effects processor.)

Time to buy more cords, and cut the grounds on some of them.