Alesis PEQ-450 User Manual

PEQ-450 Reference Manual

In today’s studio, where it seems every piece of equipment has its
own computer chip inside, 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. Alternatively, here are some helpful hints that
professional studio installers use to keep those stray hums and
buzzes to a minimum.

  KEEP ALL ELECTRONICS OF THE SOUND SYSTEM ON THE

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

Many hums come from audio cabling being too near AC wiring. 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).