Avoiding Ground Loops - Alesis NanoCompressor Reference Manual

Avoiding Ground Loops

In today's studio, where it seems every piece of equipment has complex routing and
computer logic, there are many opportunities for ground loop problems to occur.
These show up as hums, buzzes or sometimes radio reception and can occur if a
piece of equipment "sees" two or more different paths to ground. While there are
methods to virtually eliminate ground loops and stray radio frequency interference,
most of the professional methods are expensive and involve installing a separate
power source just for the sound system. Here are some easy helpful hints that a
professional studio installer might use to keep those stray hums and buzzes to a
minimum.
KEEP ALL ELECTRONICS OF THE SOUND SYSTEM ON THE SAME AC
ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT. Most stray hums and buzzes happen as a result of
different parts of the sound system being plugged into outlets of different AC
circuits. If any noise generating devices such as air conditioners, refrigerators,
neon lights, etc., are already plugged into one of these circuits, you then have a
perfect condition for stray buzzes. Since most electronic devices of a sound
system don't require a lot of current (except for power amplifiers), it's usually
safe to run a multi-outlet box or two from a SINGLE wall outlet and plug in all of
the components of your system there.
KEEP AUDIO WIRING AS FAR AWAY FROM AC WIRING AS POSSIBLE.
Many hums come from audio cabling being too near AC wiring or the power
transformers used by equipment requiring an external supply. If a hum occurs,
try moving the audio wiring around to see if the hum ceases or diminishes. If it's
not possible to separate the audio and AC wiring in some instances, make sure
that the audio wires don't run parallel to any AC wire (they should only cross at
right angles, if possible).
TO ELIMINATE HUM IF THE ABOVE HAS FAILED:
A) Disconnect the power from all outboard devices and tape machines except
for the mixer and control room monitor power amp.
B) Plug in each tape machine and outboard effects device one at a time. If
possible, flip the polarity of the plug of each device (turn it around in the
socket) until the quietest position is found.
C) Make sure that all of the audio cables are in good working order. Cables with
a detached ground wire will cause a very loud hum!!
D) Keep all cables as short as possible, especially in unbalanced circuits.
If the basic experiments don't uncover the source of the problem, consult your dealer
or technician trained in proper studio grounding techniques. In some cases, a "star
grounding" scheme must be used, with the mixer at the center of the star providing
the shield ground on telescoping shields, which do NOT connect to the chassis
ground of other equipment in the system.
Note that the NanoCompressor, with its external low-voltage power supply, has no power supply ground.
Its power is transformer isolated for safety, so it has no need for a "safety ground". Signal ground is
connected to chassis ground at the input and output jacks (as it is in most unbalanced equipment). If the
NanoCompressor is attached to a metal rack mounting shelf, the assembly shares a common ground with
the other equipment in the same rack. In some cases (such as a star ground scheme), you may wish to use
nonconductive rack rails or rack isolators to avoid ground loops.
To avoid the possibility of electric shock, never defeat the safety ground found on other
equipment in the system. When in doubt about proper electrical grounding schemes or the
power to your system, consult a qualified, licensed electrician.
NanoCompressor Manual
Connections
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