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Earthing problem?

Nutty 1
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Nutty 1

Nutty 1

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Posted (edited)

Hello all.

Please can you help me? I have an electro acoustic guitar with a pre amp that appears to have background noise from the pickups as I can see it on Garageband even when I am muting all of the strings. I have noticed that it magically disappears it I touch the laptop. Could this be an earthing problem?

What do you think and how can I fix it please?

Thank you for reading this, best wishes

Mandy

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NeilES335

NeilES335

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Posted (edited)
7 hours ago, Nutty 1 said:

Hello all.

Please can you help me? I have an electro acoustic guitar with a pre amp that appears to have background noise from the pickups as I can see it on Garageband even when I am muting all of the strings. I have noticed that it magically disappears it I touch the laptop. Could this be an earthing problem?

What do you think and how can I fix it please?

Thank you for reading this, best wishes

Mandy

Mandy; this might sound like a long shot... Do you get the same issue regardless of which electric outlet your amp and /or computer are plugged into? ( i think youd call it the "mains ") Or if its just one outlet, its possible that outlet is not properly  grounded, or has " reverse polarity"  ( meaning the black and white wires are on the wrong terminals on the plug.

outlet) A simple cheap tester from a hardware store will tell you.  

Edited by NeilES335
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Blue Dog

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Posted

does it do it when the laptop is unplugged and running on the battery. Do you have the guitar connected to the laptop.  Direct or use a DI box. Does the pre amp have a phase switch. A DI Box usually has a phase switch. To stop feed back. 

 

  

 

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Nutty 1

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Hello @NeilES335 and @Blue Dog thank you for your replies. As a result of your advice I have done some more testing and found that it gave background buzzing when connected through my Yamaha THR5a via the guitar cable and also when connected via its direct USB output. This happened when the laptop is on battery as well as when it is on the mains. It is not massively loud but is a deal breaker for home recording. This is weird because I have successfully recorded electro acoustics through that amp with no discernible background buzz. However your kind advice made me dig into my memory and my guitar goodies box to reach for my good old faithful iRig2. Amazingly it worked, it somehow reduces the noise so that I can not see any interference in the input channel monitor on GarageBand. So then I unplugged my extension cable (which powers the laptop and the amp) and plugged it into another socket and it now workes with the amp again. Yippee X2!! Thank you guys, you're the best!

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NeilES335

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Posted
2 hours ago, Nutty 1 said:

Hello @NeilES335 and @Blue Dog thank you for your replies. As a result of your advice I have done some more testing and found that it gave background buzzing when connected through my Yamaha THR5a via the guitar cable and also when connected via its direct USB output. This happened when the laptop is on battery as well as when it is on the mains. It is not massively loud but is a deal breaker for home recording. This is weird because I have successfully recorded electro acoustics through that amp with no discernible background buzz. However your kind advice made me dig into my memory and my guitar goodies box to reach for my good old faithful iRig2. Amazingly it worked, it somehow reduces the noise so that I can not see any interference in the input channel monitor on GarageBand. So then I unplugged my extension cable (which powers the laptop and the amp) and plugged it into another socket and it now workes with the amp again. Yippee X2!! Thank you guys, you're the best!

You're welcome Mandy @Nutty 1 Based on this test that mains outlet you used previousy has reverse polarity and while not dangerous, should be changed by a qualified electrician.

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