My connection is not a figure of 8, it has three holes instead of two!! Wot does this mean? Does this mean that it prob is a problem with a ground loop and my new adaptor contraption should work or does it mean that it defo nothing to do with the earth and don`t bother with the new contraption??

Try it with the extension lead to see if it makes any difference.

I was talking to an electrician and he said this is a profession all on its own (removing noise problems)! He also suggested moving my power supply and my laptop away from everything else but I tried it and it makes no difference! He gave me sheets on ground loops etc. and most of them talk bout 50hz and 60hz buzz....although the noise could be that, it sounds more like static or some sort of interference, there is no actual hum or buzz!! Does that help anyone define the problem?

The sheets also mentioned unbalanced and balanced leads etc. They said that if one thing is balanced and another is balanced then I can`t mix them! Could mt laptop be unbalanced and my desk balanced or vice versa? If I use a DI box in the chain between the desk and the laptop and the laptop and the monitors power amp will it remove the noise?

Lastly, I haven`t tried a ground lift adaptor but I got one today! There are three metal prongs on my laptops plug and there is NOT a figure of 8 on the end of the lead, it has three holes! Therefore, if I plug the laptop in with the ground lift adaptor, could I damage my laptop?

Thanks again guys!!

I hadn't realized the problems with power supplies in your country...sorry if I sounded a little smug with earlier posts...

Combining balanced with unbalanced lines...depending on the nature of the actual connection...doesn't usually cause an issue, but it can turn the unbalanced line into a pretty efficient, long RF antenna.

You would have to look at the schematics of your supply and how your power is run in order to have your power noise issues taken care of.

The Laptop interface is an isolating transformer. If you are picking up noise that isn't 60hz hum, it is probably due to your headphone amp's wiring picking up computer drive noise. Please try one...borrow a direct box and try it (a direct box and a laptop interface are the same...the latter just usually comes ready with an 1/8" TRS plug and a stereo output). It has solved my problems with laptop noise, oh, about 90% of the time. Especially if the noise is a kinda random-sounding, 'motorboating' kind of noise. The power supply ground will tie into AC somehow and manifest drive noise. I-Pod's are notorious for this.

If that doesn't work...have you tried using different monitors? Could be a crappily-designed input, poor shielding, etc.

Also, if you have a CRT monitor, keep all your cables away from it. As far away from it as possible. You will know if this is part of the issue if the noise changes when you move cables around...probably not your issue if you just use the laptop screen alone.

So if I get a DI box, how do I plug it in? Do I need a stereo DI box to plug the Y-cable coming from my laptop line out into? Then it has to go from the DI to two 1/4" inputs on the monitor speakers power amp, how can I do this if the two outputs on stereo DI boxex are XLR? Do I need two XLR to jack leads?

OK. Here is one chain that would work for you-

1/8" TRS out of your laptop headphone jack, presumably into 2-female RCA out (stereo unbalanced line level signal with common negative), or whatever kind of cable/adapter chain you have going...

-into laptop interface/stereo direct box. This isolates the audio and shunts it down into a mic level, balanced signal. XLR cables (two, for stereo, right?) into...

-Mixer with balanced microphone inputs (this is what I assumed you had...maybe I'm wrong?). Here, your microphone preamps bring the signal back up to line level, which you bus to whatever output your monitors are fed by (main, control room, auxillary, alternate, etc.).

-Line level out of above mixer to be patched into your monitors' power amp (balanced = TRS [which stands for Tip, Ring, and Sleeve if you didn't know...3-contact], or unbalanced [TS/Tip, Sleeve...which is a standard instrument cable).

Your amplifier takes the line level signal and amplifies it into something that can drive speakers, which requires much more current.

Hope this helps...

Tuite wrote:He gave me sheets on ground loops etc. and most of them talk bout 50hz and 60hz buzz....although the noise could be that, it sounds more like static or some sort of interference, there is no actual hum or buzz!! Does that help anyone define the problem?

Well, if your problem is anything like the problem I've had with pretty much every laptop I've ever used for recording, then like I said a couple pages ago, it's digital noise from your computer (primarily hard drive, and also from the fluorescent dimmer used in dimming the screen if you're running it at anything but full brightness) leaking back out through your power supply and onto your actual power lines. So moving things around has nothing to do with anything... your digital noise is put onto the actual power feed itself, your "mains" or whatever you call it, that is feeding your other gear.

If it sounds like any manner of digital chirping, like the chatter of little digital monkeys, then this is your noise problem...

Unplug your laptop from the wall.

Buy a battery for your laptop.

That will get you a good two or three hours worth of tracking time. If that isn't enough, then buy two batteries. Do you need to be able to track for more than 6 or 8 hours without a break (you have one battery now and can buy two more)? Then buy 3 batteries.

I've never needed more than one battery. Sometimes we have to take a break for a few minutes while it charges up. Usually we like to get food at some point, so...

Hey guys! Just writin to let you all know that the problem is fixed! I went to Dublin (Irish capital) today to look for a ground lift adaptor ad coldnt find one anywhere! I bought a surge protector with an RFI filter to see would it work and it didnt so we rang an electrician and he happened to be drivin by just that minute and he came in nd confirmed that it was a ground loop and he got an adaptor and disconnected the earth pin and it worked fine!

Thanks for all your suggestions! It really meant a lot to me!